The week in Tech: AI gets harder to control, while tech gets harder to escape

This week's tech highlights focus on the growing influence and regulation of major industry players. The European Commission has proposed new mandates for data centers to disclose energy and water consumption to mitigate environmental impact. Meanwhile, Pope Leo has voiced concerns regarding AI's potential to foster societal division, calling for technology that prioritizes human dignity. In the consumer space, Google introduced the 'Googlebook' laptop category, integrating Gemini AI directly into the user experience. Conversely, Apple faces user backlash over persistent promotional ads within iOS. On the AI development front, Anthropic released its more efficient Opus 5.5 model, despite recent industry calls for slower development cycles. These events underscore a broader trend where tech giants are deepening their ecosystem integration while facing increasing scrutiny from regulators and users alike regarding sustainability, ethics, and user experience.