The global tech boom is over. American AI companies won Tech leaders called AI a democratizing force. But it’s concentrating power and wealth in a handful of American companies.

Tech leaders called AI a democratizing force, but it’s concentrating power and wealth in a handful of American companies restofworld.org/2026/us-ai-investment-gl...

The Gulf’s data center market is projected to reach $9.5 billion by 2030, but recent drone strikes on AWS facilities have exposed the physical vulnerability of these massive investments restofworld.org/2026/huawei-china-cloud-...

War in the Gulf could tilt the cloud race toward China Strikes on U.S. data centers highlight the risks of concentration and the growing role of geopolitics in cloud competition.

As the Gulf’s data center market projected to hit $9.5 billion by 2030, recent drone strikes on AWS facilities are forcing regional leaders to reconsider their reliance on U.S. cloud giants restofworld.org/2026/huawei-china-cloud-...

Street scene with a tall under-construction building and crane in the background. Various residential buildings line the street. Several dogs roam the area, and parked cars are visible along the roadside. The sky is partly cloudy.

Two individuals wearing hard hats are observing architectural plans on a concrete wall at a construction site. One wears a "SeguriTech" branded white helmet. The setting features scaffolding and building materials in the background.

Construction workers wearing helmets and safety gear are on-site. Some are standing, while others are sitting on the metal framework. Building materials are nearby, and safety equipment is visible. The setting appears to be a building under construction.

A partially constructed building with exposed metal framework and concrete walls stands against a blue sky. Two construction cranes are positioned next to the structure, indicating ongoing construction work.

A Mexican surveillance giant you’ve never heard of is now watching the U.S. border restofworld.org/2026/mexico-seguritech-g...

War in the Gulf could tilt the cloud race toward China Strikes on U.S. data centers highlight the risks of concentration and the growing role of geopolitics in cloud competition.

After Iranian drone strikes on AWS facilities in the UAE and Bahrain challenged the safety of data infrastructure, Chinese tech giant Huawei is pitching “multi-cloud” resilience to Gulf clients restofworld.org/2026/huawei-china-cloud-...

Immigrant women founders face double hurdle in Silicon Valley Persistent racism and sexism in the venture capital industry are denying immigrant women founders an opportunity to participate in the AI boom.

Immigrant women are being shut out of AI funding — and the boom is moving on without them restofworld.org/2026/immigrant-women-fou...

India’s frugal AI models are a blueprint for resource-strapped nations The new book "LeanSpark" examines frugal innovation in India, including how startups Sarvam AI and Krutrim overcome cost and infrastructure constraints.

By stripping back the massive hardware requirements of traditional AI, India is creating a blueprint for resource-strapped nations to build their own sovereign tech restofworld.org/2026/india-frugal-ai-sar...

Fire risks and ugly designs are stalling EV charger adoption From Seoul to New York City, residents are fighting charging infrastructure over safety, aesthetics, and crowding.

EV chargers are hitting a surprising roadblock: neighbors. Concerns about safety, aesthetics, and crowding are stalling installations across cities worldwide restofworld.org/2026/ev-charger-backlash...

“Data embassies” and safeguarding digital assets during wartime To avoid collateral damage, countries consider ditching giant server hubs for smaller, distributed ones—especially now that military and civilian data live side-by-side.

As military and civilian data become increasingly intertwined on the same physical servers, these facilities are losing their protected status under the laws of armed conflict restofworld.org/2026/gulf-war-data-cente...

The next AI whistleblower could come from anywhere in the world A digital safe allows workers to speak up about concerns even in places without strong whistleblower protections, Mary Inman, a founding board member of Psst, said in an interview.

AI workers are speaking out, and a new tool is trying to make sure they don’t have to do it alone restofworld.org/2026/ai-whistleblower-ps...

Who controls what kids can do online? Governments are tightening rules, platforms are under pressure, and parents are caught between.

Jules Polonetsky, CEO of the Future of Privacy Forum, joins Itika Sharma Punit in conversation April 17.

Register: https://tally.so/r/0QLANB

India’s frugal AI models are a blueprint for resource-strapped nations The new book "LeanSpark" examines frugal innovation in India, including how startups Sarvam AI and Krutrim overcome cost and infrastructure constraints.

In a world where AI development is dominated by a few global powers, sovereign AI is a necessity. For India, with its linguistic and economic diversity, building home-grown AI solutions is critical restofworld.org/2026/india-frugal-ai-sar...

We’re hiring an Editor-in-Chief We are seeking our next ambitious and visionary Editor-in-Chief to lead our strategic pivot, as we reimagine the publication for this more urgent mandate.

Rest of World seeking our next ambitious Editor-in-Chief to reimagine our publication for this new era of tech volatility. We’re looking for a visionary leader to take the reins of our world-class newsroom. Join us: restofworld.org/about/hiring/editor-in-c...

A Mexican surveillance giant you’ve never heard of is now watching the U.S. border Grupo Seguritech quietly built a $1.27 billion surveillance empire. Now it's expanding into the U.S. and across Latin America.

Read the full investigation: restofworld.org/2026/mexico-...

Two people walk side by side in a covered walkway, with cars visible in the background and urban structures lining the street.

There have also been questions about how these contracts are awarded: In one case, a former governor in Mexico moved into a home in Texas registered to a former Seguritech executive after leaving office, prompting calls for an investigation that was later closed

A street scene shows a tall building under construction, featuring a large crane on top. The surrounding area includes several small houses and parked cars. Two dogs roam the quiet street. The sky is partly cloudy.

But the company’s full footprint is difficult to trace, with incomplete public records, classified contracts, and multiple government agencies declining to release information on security grounds

Two people in hard hats are standing in a construction site. One is wearing a "SeguriTech" hard hat and a brown jacket. They are looking at a construction plan attached to a concrete wall. The environment has metal scaffolding and exposed structures.

Workers wearing safety gear and helmets engage in conversation while others work on a construction site. The background shows scaffolding and building materials. The setting appears to be industrial and structured, with equipment and tools visible.

At the center of this is Grupo Seguritech, which has used a network of more than 30 subsidiaries to build or manage over 188 command centers across Mexico and secure billions in government contracts

Secretary of Public Security for the state of Chihuahua Gilbert Loya Chavez at the C7 command center for the Department of Public Security for the state of Chihuahua in Ciudad Juarez on Wednesday, October 14, 2025.

The system brings together cameras, drones, license plate readers, and AI to identify crime hot spots, track suspects, and speed up investigations, while also enabling authorities in Chihuahua to share surveillance data with U.S. agencies — including Customs and Border Protection and the FBI

Police officers monitor multiple surveillance screens in a control room, overseeing various areas for security.

Inside a command center in Ciudad Juárez, police can scroll across a map of the state and click into thousands of live camera feeds. In one demo, officials zoomed in on a prison and could clearly see the cards people were holding

A partially constructed building with exposed steel framework is shown against a blue sky. A large construction crane is positioned next to the building.

A control room with multiple screens covering the walls. Several people are working at computer stations with multiple monitors displaying various feeds. The central large screen shows a launch pad with a rocket.

A little-known Mexican company has built a $1.27 billion surveillance business. Now it’s expanding into the United States.

Our latest investigation, produced in collaboration with @typeinvestigations.org, examines Grupo Seguritech and its growing role at the U.S.-Mexico border

“Data embassies” and safeguarding digital assets during wartime To avoid collateral damage, countries consider ditching giant server hubs for smaller, distributed ones—especially now that military and civilian data live side-by-side.

To avoid collateral damage, countries consider ditching giant server hubs for smaller, distributed ones — especially now that military and civilian data live side-by-side restofworld.org/2026/gulf-war-data-cente...

Workers around the world are not getting what they want from AI A survey of workers in 60 countries found that a majority of those facing the threat of AI-driven job loss do not trust companies or governments to manage the transition fairly.

Rarely has so much been written about the future of work — and so little asked of the people living it restofworld.org/2026/workers-ai-jobs-con...

A Mexican surveillance giant you’ve never heard of is now watching the U.S. border Grupo Seguritech quietly built a $1.27 billion surveillance empire. Now it's expanding into the U.S. and across Latin America.

Grupo Seguritech quietly built a $1.27 billion surveillance empire. Now it’s expanding into the U.S. and across Latin America.

Read our new investigation, written by José Olivares and produced in collaboration with @typeinvestigations.org: restofworld.org/2026/mexico-...

In the Philippines, some AI and call-center workers are required to report on-site during natural disasters restofworld.org/2026/philippines-disaste...

India’s frugal AI models are a blueprint for resource-strapped nations The new book "LeanSpark" examines frugal innovation in India, including how startups Sarvam AI and Krutrim overcome cost and infrastructure constraints.

The new book “LeanSpark” examines frugal innovation in India, including how startups Sarvam AI and Krutrim overcome cost and infrastructure constraints restofworld.org/2026/india-frugal-ai-sar...

AI is giving tech companies power that once belonged to governments AI companies wield enormous economic, political, and cultural power globally, with states reluctant to regulate them, potentially leading to risks and greater inequity.

As AI advances, power is shifting from governments to tech companies — economically, politically, and culturally. The question isn’t whether AI will be governed, but by whom restofworld.org/2026/ai-government-regul...

Winners of the 2026 Photo Contest Our 6 winning images stood out from hundreds of entries showcasing technology around the world

Rest of World is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 photo contest. We received over 300 entries from photographers in over 40 countries 📸 🌏

See the winners: restofworld.org/2026/tech-photo-contest-...

India’s frugal AI models are a blueprint for resource-strapped nations The new book "LeanSpark" examines frugal innovation in India, including how startups Sarvam AI and Krutrim overcome cost and infrastructure constraints.

By stripping back the massive hardware requirements of traditional AI, India is creating a blueprint for resource-strapped nations to build their own sovereign tech restofworld.org/2026/india-frugal-ai-sar...

Fire fears, ugly designs, and lost parking are slowing EV charger rollouts from Seoul to Bengaluru. The biggest barrier isn’t technology — it’s local resistance restofworld.org/2026/ev-charger-backlash...

“Data embassies” and safeguarding digital assets during wartime To avoid collateral damage, countries consider ditching giant server hubs for smaller, distributed ones—especially now that military and civilian data live side-by-side.

The integration of civilian and military data on shared servers is stripping infrastructure of its legal protections and driving up costs for businesses restofworld.org/2026/gulf-war-data-cente...