Amazon has begun testing Alexa+ in India, marking a significant step in bringing generative AI-powered voice assistants to one of its largest global markets. Select users have received invitations to try a Hindi-language beta version of Alexa+, with the company seeking feedback before a broader launch. According to reports, Amazon emailed customers asking them to join a testing programme that will help refine the experience for users. The company has cautioned that the beta software may still contain bugs, inaccurate responses and occasional pronunciation issues related to local languages and accents. First unveiled in February 2025, Alexa+ is designed to be more conversational and context-aware than earlier versions of Alexa, using generative AI to handle natural interactions and complex queries.
Actor Tom Hanks has suggested that Disney could one day recreate his famous Woody character from the Toy Story series using AI. Speaking about the future of the franchise, Hanks acknowledged that advances in AI and voice-cloning technology may allow studios to replicate performances using archives of recorded dialogue. Hanks currently returns as Woody in Toy Story 5, but he indicated that future instalments could potentially continue without requiring his direct participation. Hanks’ remarks highlight how AI is moving beyond visual effects into performance replication, raising questions about how beloved characters might evolve in future generations of filmmaking.
New research has highlighted a hidden challenge for non-English AI users as communicating in languages such as Hindi, Arabic and Chinese may effectively cost more than using English. The issue stems from tokenisation, the process by which AI models break text into smaller units called tokens. Since AI companies charge and process requests based on token usage, languages requiring more tokens become comparatively more expensive. Researchers describe this phenomenon as a ‘language tax’ or ‘linguistic tax’. According to recent analysis, Hindi text requires 1.37 times more tokens than English on OpenAI’s tokeniser. The disparity is even greater on Anthropic’s Claude models, where Hindi requires 3.24 times more tokens than English. Arabic needs 2.86 times more tokens, while Chinese requires 1.71 times more.
The All England Lawn Tennis Club and IBM have introduced a suite of new AI-powered digital features for Wimbledon 2026, aimed at delivering a more personalised and interactive experience for fans worldwide. Built on IBM’s watsonx platform, the new tools are available through the redesigned Wimbledon website and mobile app. Among the key additions is the ‘Key Moments’ feature, which explains pivotal points in a match and analyses how specific plays influence momentum and outcomes. Wimbledon has also enhanced its ‘Match Chat’ assistant, allowing fans to ask natural-language questions during matches.
L’Oreal has announced a strategic partnership with OpenAI aimed at bringing AI-powered beauty experiences directly into ChatGPT. The collaboration will focus on enhancing customer engagement, accelerating scientific research and improving internal business operations. One of the most notable features will allow users to virtually try on makeup products from Maybelline New York within ChatGPT using L’Oreal’s ModiFace augmented-reality technology. Consumers will be able to explore different looks through conversational interactions, creating a more personalised shopping experience. The partnership will also improve product discovery for L’Oreal’s portfolio of brands within ChatGPT in the US.
Leading music industry organisations have jointly called for stronger protections for artistes and songwriters as AI becomes increasingly embedded in the music business. In an open letter titled ‘Meaningful Consent’, industry groups including The Ivors Academy, the European Music Managers Alliance and the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance argued that creators should explicitly approve AI-related agreements involving their work. The signatories claim record labels and publishers are negotiating AI partnerships without consulting the artistes whose voices, performances, likenesses and compositions underpin the deals. The letter warns that many creators are effectively being enrolled into AI arrangements by default, often without transparent information, meaningful choice or guaranteed compensation.
Hindustan Unilever’s oral care brand Closeup has secured entries in both the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records for generating the highest number of AI-created videos through its Closeup Love Tunes campaign. Launched during Valentine’s season 2026, the initiative invited users to create personalised music videos by uploading a selfie and selecting a preferred style, including romantic, rock or rap. The platform then generated a cinematic, lip-synced video featuring the user performing a customised version of Closeup’s signature jingle, ‘Paas Aao Na’. According to the company, the campaign microsite attracted more than one million page views and received around 85,000 user submissions.
The Appfigures report shows a rise in VPN app downloads in India due to the Telegram ban and NEET-UG re-examinations. Popular providers like NordVPN and ExpressVPN saw a surge in registrations and usage. VPNs are used for security, accessing restricted content, and protecting Wi-Fi connections. With increased cybersecurity concerns, VPN usage is on the rise.
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