Munira Mutaher/Rest of World/iStock By Ananya Bhattacharya 23 April 2026 • Mumbai, India The pandemic’s biggest bet on online learning has gone bust. Global edtech investment peaked at $16.7 billion in 2021, fueled by lockdowns that kept millions of children out of classrooms. …
… A state concerned with AI sovereignty in 2026 cannot credibly justify financing a foreign, vertically integrated AI stack while neglecting investment in domestic and open-source alternatives. …
… State-backed funds are spending billions on AI deals while the state oil company is expanding its gas investments in the U.S. The United Arab Emirates quit the world’s most powerful oil cartel on May 1, freeing billions in oil revenue while placing its biggest bet yet on artificial intelligence. …
… The U.S. is impaired by a lack of supportive policy and subsidies, the unavailability of affordable Chinese models, and a preference for big cars. …
… They are now pushing for data sovereignty, local talent, and better terms from foreign providers, the experts said. “Africa’s push for digital sovereignty cannot mean total independence from global AI supply chains,” Rachel Adams, founder of the Global Center on AI Governance, told Rest of World . … …
… It is also hard to generate revenue in China: Consumers and enterprises are not in the habit of paying high subscription fees for AI products, and startups are easily squeezed out in a price war with Big Tech companies. …
… It’s equally important, he said, to look at the way established players in different regions actually use AI tools that already exist. “There’s a graveyard of technologies that never get diffused into the economy, and never make anyone money,” Nyatta said of the startup landscape. “The real value f… …
… When Musk folded X into xAI and merged xAI with SpaceX, that stake became shares in the rocket company. Kingdom Holding, Alwaleed’s investment firm, now values the position at $10.6 billion at the expected IPO price. …
… It backed Scale AI and Databricks in 2020, and OpenAI and Waymo in 2021. One recent win came in June when Meta invested more than $14 billion in Scale AI. The source familiar with Tiger Global called that deal “a tremendously good investment” for the firm. …
… By Rina Chandran Q & A 4 March 2026 Open-source AI hardware could weaken Big Tech’s grip on AI A new device unveiled in India shows how AI systems can run locally, support diverse languages, and reduce dependence on proprietary models. …