The ninth edition of the Artificial Intelligence Index Report was published on 13 April 2026. Released on a yearly basis, the aim of the document is to provide readers with accurate, rigorously validated, and globally-sourced data to give insights into the progress of AI and its potential impact on society. The 2026 AI Index Report comprises nine chapters, covering: research and development, technical performance, responsible AI, economy, science, medicine, education, policy and governance, and public opinion. AI capability is accelerating and reaching more people than ever. Model performance continues to improve against benchmarks, and 80% of university students now use generative AI.

How worried should you be about an AI apocalypse? Fears that artificial intelligence could rise up to wipe out humanity are understandable given our steady diet of sci-fi stories depicting just that, but what is the real risk? Isaac Asimov's three laws of robotics are not a practical guide Super-intelligent artificial intelligence rising up and wiping out humanity has been a common trope in science fiction for decades. Now, we live in a world where real AI seems to be advancing faster than ever. Does that mean you should start worrying about an AI apocalypse?

After a Falcon 9 rocket stage burned up in the atmosphere, vaporised lithium and other metals drifted over Europe. A SpaceX rocket that burned up after re-entering the atmosphere unleashed a plume of vaporised metals over Europe, a type of pollution that is expected to increase as spacecraft and satellites multiply. The upper stage of a Falcon 9, which is designed to splash down in the Pacific Ocean for possible re-use, lost control due to engine failure and fell from orbit over the north Atlantic in February 2025. We're finally solving the puzzle of how clouds will affect our climate People across Europe saw fiery debris streaking through the sky, some of which crashed behind a warehouse in Poland. Seeing the news, Robin Wing at the Leibniz Institute of Atmospheric Physics in Germany and his colleagues turned on their lidar, an instrument for atmospheric sensing.

MPs fear data centre boom could derail Miliband's net zero plans Ed Miliband has been urged to explain whether a planned boom in energy-hungry data centres have been factored into his plans to deliver net zero carbon emissions. In a letter to the energy secretary, Labour MP Toby Perkins, who chairs the Environmental Audit Committee, said data centres are a key area of concern in hitting the emissions target. Data centres are giant facilities full of powerful computers used to run digital services, such as streaming and artificial intelligence (AI). The government has backed plans for many more to be built to help turn the UK into an AI superpower, despite the large amounts of electricity needed to run them, including from gas-powered generators. Perkins said it was concerning that the UK government was relying on a carbon-reduction plan that made no allowance for the impact of data centres.

Why did SpaceX just apply to launch 1 million satellites? We are only a month into 2026, yet it's already clear what one of the major space stories of the year is going to be: mega-constellations, and the ongoing attempts to launch thousands of satellites into Earth's orbit. The latest development is that SpaceX has asked the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) for permission to launch 1 million orbital data centre satellites. The previous largest filing with the FCC, also by SpaceX, was for 42,000 Starlink satellites in 2019. "This is beyond what's been proposed by any constellation," says Victoria Samson at the Secure World Foundation in the US.

Elon Musk's SpaceX has acquired his AI company xAI as part of an ambitious scheme to build space-based data centres to power the future of artificial intelligence. The billionaire, who is also the CEO of Tesla, announced the merger in a statement on Tuesday on the SpaceX website. AI demand will require "immense amounts of power and cooling" that are not sustainable on Earth without "imposing hardship on communities and the environment," he said. Space-based data centres that harness the power of the Sun are the only long-term solution, according to Musk. "In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale. To harness even a millionth of our Sun's energy would require over a million times more energy than our civilisation currently uses!" he wrote.

Elon Musk - the boss of SpaceX as well as Tesla and X - is the world's richest person Elon Musk's SpaceX has applied to launch one million satellites into Earth's orbit to power artificial intelligence (AI). The application claims "orbital data centres" are the most cost and energy-efficient way to meet the growing demand for AI computing power. Traditionally, such centres are large warehouses full of powerful computers which process and store data. Musk's aerospace firm claims processing needs due to the expanding use of AI are already outpacing "terrestrial capabilities". It would increase the number of SpaceX satellites in orbit drastically.

Elon Musk is making a big bet on his future vision - will it work? Reports suggest that Elon Musk is eyeing up a merger involving SpaceX, Tesla and xAI, but what does he hope to achieve by consolidating his business empire? Elon Musk is a busy man, heading up multiple billion-dollar companies. While he is increasingly a divisive figure, there is no doubt that Tesla and SpaceX, his two most important ventures, have done much to advance the future of electric cars and spacecraft, respectively. But a series of corporate moves this week suggests Musk has a new vision of the future - and he may be combining all his companies to get there.

AI's growing thirst for water is becoming a public health risk "Bubble" is probably the word most associated with "AI" right now, though we are slowly understanding that it is not just an economic time bomb; it also carries significant public health risks. Beyond the release of pollutants, the massive need for clean water by AI data centres can reduce sanitation and exacerbate gastrointestinal illness in nearby communities, placing additional strain on local health infrastructure. AI's energy consumption is massive and increasingly water-dependent Generative AI is artificial intelligence that is able to generate new text, photos, code and more, and it has already infiltrated the lives of most people around the globe. ChatGPT alone is reported to receive around one billion queries in a single day, pointing to huge demand at the individual level. This, however, is only the tip of the iceberg.

US approves sale of Nvidia's advanced AI chips to China The US government has given chip giant Nvidia the green light to sell its advanced artificial intelligence (AI) processors in China, the Department of Commerce said on Tuesday. The H200, Nvidia's second-most-advanced semiconductor, had been restricted by Washington over concerns that it would give China's technology industry and military an edge over the US. The Commerce Department said the chips can be shipped to China granted that there is sufficient supply of the processors in the US. President Donald Trump said last month that he would allow the chip sales to approved customers in China and collect a 25% fee. Nvidia's spokesperson told the BBC that the company welcomed the move, saying it will benefit manufacturing and jobs in the US.