DeepMind Unionizes, Alexa+ Leads AI Race

Google DeepMind workers in the UK have voted to unionize, seeking recognition of two unions as joint representatives. A key driver was concern over reports of Google nearing a deal with the US Department of Defense. Amazon's Alexa+ has received strong praise, with reviewers calling the GenAI-powered assistant miles ahead of both the original and its competitors. Other tech news includes Apple seeding iOS 26.5 release candidates, iPhone 18 and Ultra models expected in September, and Sony's unreleased headphones spotted at the Met Gala.