The day in tech.

MSCI assigned SpaceX its lowest possible ESG rating, indicating the company faces severe environmental, social, and governance risks. The rating reflects concerns over SpaceX's operational practices and governance structure. The low score may affect investor perception and access to certain capital markets.

Vladimir Putin's war machine is sputtering in the drone age. The conflict has exposed critical weaknesses in traditional Russian military tactics against modern drone warfare. Drones have shifted battlefield advantages away from Russia's conventional forces.

Workers are becoming the next major bottleneck for AI adoption, according to emerging analysis. The logjam stems from human resistance, skill gaps, and organizational friction rather than technology limitations. Companies face growing challenges in aligning workforce readiness with rapid AI deployment.

The European launch company directly counters Elon Musk's prediction that it is "dead." The firm asserts its competitive position in the space industry against SpaceX. The response signals a defiant stance from the continent's leading rocket developer.

Claude Guillemot, who co-founded Ubisoft in 1986 and led Guillemot Corp, died at 69 when his twin-engine Cessna 421 crashed near La Baule, France. A flight instructor also died. The aircraft was on fire when emergency crews arrived. An investigation is underway.

European EV makers are finally producing smaller, cheaper electric cars for narrow city streets as battery technology improves and manufacturing costs fall. The Renault Twingo E-Tech exemplifies this shift, with Renault's chief design officer stating small electric cars, not big SUVs, will save the world.

Adrian de Wynter of Microsoft and The University of York rebuilt an LLM using goats and NAND gates in Age of Empires II to demonstrate that LLM behavior can be mimicked without sentience. The simulation shows human-like interaction does not imply consciousness. The experiment challenges assumptions about AI sentience by showing anthropomorphism does not equate to cognition.

US-listed spot Bitcoin ETFs recorded $6.35 billion in net outflows over a 30-day period in early 2025, their largest such outflow since launch. Bitcoin declined 17.4% over the month, trading at $64,167, amid macroeconomic pressures and geopolitical tensions. Outflows reflect daily shifts between ETFs like IBIT and BITA, not a loss of institutional confidence.

The UK government plans a social media ban for under-16s, potentially requiring official ID for platform access from next spring. Lawmakers also consider restricting VPNs to prevent circumvention, though research shows only 2% more children used VPNs after age verification arrived, and 38% use them for safety.

Sarvam AI secured $2.5M in Series A funding to scale its rural women livelihood platform. The funding drove a 40% increase in venture capital inflow to rural women-led startups. The platform connects women entrepreneurs with digital marketplaces and AI-powered training modules. Investors cite improved rural economic participation and financial inclusion as key outcomes.