Artificial intelligence is spreading rapidly across industries, but assessments of its employment impact and broader social effects remain divided. MIT Technology Review outlined five key mid-2026 trends: jobs, safety, social backlash, scientific research and technology diffusion. It said data on AI’s economic impact are still limited, while deepfakes and risky dependence on chatbots are emerging as concrete safety issues. Social pushback and environmental strain from data centres are also growing.

Google is backing the construction of a virtual power plant in PJM Interconnection, the largest U.S. power grid, to address rising electricity demand from AI data centres. Working with distributed energy platform Voltus, the project will link resources such as electric vehicles, smart thermostats and storage to reduce or shift consumption during peak periods. Google will support build costs, with added capacity used for regional data centre operations. The project targets operation in 2027.