Welcome to AI Insider’s The Week Ahead in AI. See the key developments and events we’re watching July 12-18.
Weekend AI News Briefs
Apple Sues OpenAI Over Alleged Trade Secret Theft
TechCrunch reported that Apple filed a lawsuit against OpenAI in federal court alleging trade secret theft and breach of contract tied to former Apple employees who joined OpenAI’s hardware efforts. Apple alleges OpenAI leadership directed efforts to obtain confidential information about unreleased Apple products, while OpenAI said it has no interest in other companies’ trade secrets. (TechCrunch)
University of Chicago Law Bans Electronic Devices in First-year Law Classes to Address AI
The Financial Times reported that Google has capped Meta’s access to its Gemini AI models after the social media company requested more computing capacity than Google could provide, delaying some internal AI projects and prompting Meta to encourage more efficient AI token usage. The restrictions highlight growing infrastructure constraints across the AI industry as demand for computing power outpaces available capacity, even among the largest technology companies. (University of Chicago Law)
2028 Could Bring the Most Mind-Bendingly Expensive Apple Product of All Time
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reported that Apple may skip expected M6 Pro, Max and Ultra variants and move more quickly to the M7, with AI now shaping chip design and release timing, according to Gizmodo. The report suggests M7 products could begin arriving in 2027, with M7 Pro and Max later that year and an M7 Ultra desktop Mac in 2028 that may support up to 1.5 terabytes of memory. (Gizmodo)
Majority of U.S. Workers Support an AI Wealth Fund as Tech Layoffs Surge, Survey Finds
A Verasight survey of 1,690 U.S. adults found that 69% support requiring AI firms to transfer 50% of their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund, amid concern over tech layoffs and rising AI investment, CNBC reported. The proposal mirrors Senator Bernie Sanders’s American AI Sovereign Wealth Fund Act, while research firm Windfall Trust said such funds could capture AI-driven gains for the public but may face tensions between financial returns and national AI strategy. (CNBC)
TSMC Posts Record Revenue in Second Quarter on AI Demand
TSMC reported second-quarter revenue of T$1.27 trillion, or about $39.62 billion, up 36% from a year earlier and slightly above analyst expectations, as demand for AI applications lifted sales, Reuters reported. The company, a major supplier to Nvidia and Apple, is scheduled to report full second-quarter earnings and updated guidance on Thursday. (Yahoo Finance)
Xi Jinping to Attend World AI Conference for First Time as China Elevates Tech Push
China’s President Xi Jinping will attend the opening ceremony of the 2026 World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai and deliver a keynote address, marking his first in-person appearance at the annual event since its 2018 launch, according to the SOuth China Morning Post. The four-day conference that starts later this week is scheduled to include more than 140 forums, 1,400 guests, 1,100 exhibitors and more than 300 global product debuts, alongside a high-level meeting on global AI governance. (South China Moring Post)
UNESCO Launches Outlook Study on Artificial Intelligence and Gender in South Asia
UNESCO’s Regional Office for South Asia launched the Outlook Study on Artificial Intelligence and Gender in South Asia, its first regional assessment of women’s participation in AI across Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka. The study found that barriers accumulate across education, research, workforce participation and entrepreneurship, with women underrepresented in STEM, AI research leadership, high-value AI roles and AI startup founding across the region. (UNESCO)
Research & Innovation
Rice and NASA Launch Open-source Remote Space Robotics Simulator
A Gates Foundation-funded study published in Nature Medicine found that a generative AI clinical support tool safely improved clinical decision-making but did not significantly improve short-term patient outcomes in a trial involving more than 9,600 patients across 16 primary care clinics in Kenya. Researchers reported no statistically significant difference in 14-day treatment failure between AI-assisted and standard care, although the AI system improved clinical documentation and treatment planning while reducing antibiotic-related costs. (AI Insider)
AI Policy & Governance
From Genes to Machines: the Patent Eligibility Debate
The Senate Judiciary Committee is scheduled to hold a full committee hearing, “From Genes to Machines: the Patent Eligibility Debate,” on July 14, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. in Hart Senate Office Building Room 216. The hearing will examine patent eligibility as Congress considers the Patent Eligibility Restoration Act, a bill led by Sens. Thom Tillis and Chris Coons that would revise rules affecting diagnostics, gene editing, software and AI-related inventions. (Legis1)
Upcoming Events
World AI Conference (WAIC) 2026
July 17-20, Shanghai, China, brings together global experts, government and enterprise leaders, academics, investors, and innovators to explore the latest advances in artificial intelligence under the theme “Intelligent Partners, Co-creating the Future.” The event features more than 140 themed forums, a massive exhibition spanning over 100,000 square meters with 1,100+ companies, awards and competitions, application experience zones, innovation incubation programs, and talent recruitment activities, alongside a dedicated high-level meeting on global AI governance. Chinese President Xi Jinping is scheduled to attend the opening ceremony and deliver a keynote address, with participation from Turing and Nobel laureates and strong programming on AI applications and embodied intelligence. (WAIC)
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