Google Earth

Google has released updated satellite imagery on Google Earth showing the scale of destruction in Gaza, with news outlets including The Independent highlighting how the new images expose devastated neighbourhoods. The refreshed views allow the public to see, street by street, the extent of damage from more than two years of conflict in the territory.

Google is planning to launch an experimental satellite into orbit, marking the first move by a Big Tech company toward building AI data centers in space. The report, from the New York Times, signals the company's interest in shifting computing infrastructure beyond Earth, a concept floated to address the enormous power and cooling demands of AI.

Google has announced Project Suncatcher, an initiative to put machine learning infrastructure in space, exploring solar-powered data centres in orbit. The company published details on its research blog, framing it as a long-term bet on scaling AI compute beyond Earth. Early reactions online are focused on the feasibility of launching and maintaining hardware in orbit and on whether it signals how extreme AI's energy demands have become.