NEWS YOU CAN’T MISS

Guess Who’s Back After 12,000 Years?

For the first time, scientists have brought ancient DNA from an extinct species back to life inside a living mammal. That species is the dire wolf, a powerful predator that vanished around 12,000 years ago.

Texas-based biotech company Colossal BioSciences has engineered three wolf pups (named Romulus, Remus, and Khaleesi) by editing gray wolf DNA with genetic traits recovered from dire wolf fossils. They aren’t exact copies though—there’s not enough complete DNA to fully recreate the original animal.

Instead, Colossal used a modern wolf and edited in key traits from the dire wolf. The edited cells were used to create embryos, which were implanted into surrogate dogs and carried to term. 🧬 The result: pups with muscular jaws, thicker coats, and other physical features that haven’t existed for 12,000 years. They’re expected to reach up to 68 kilograms in adulthood.

The company calls it a functional de-extinction: bringing back important parts of an extinct species that could still play a role in today’s ecosystems.

But reviving the past is not without consequence; hybrid animals may behave unpredictably and disrupt ecosystems, since they lacking the instincts of their ancient ancestors. If introduced into the wild, they could genetically pollute native populations, as seen in past wolf-dog hybrid cases in Europe.

The cloning process itself poses serious animal welfare concerns—surrogate dogs endure invasive procedures, and cloned animals are often prone to health issues.

For now, the pups are healthy, growing fast, and roaming a 2000-acre private preserve somewhere in northern US. The company says this tech could one day help revive endangered species, rebalance damaged ecosystems, or even lead to breakthroughs in human health—like artificial wombs and disease-resistant gene edits.

Can India’s IT Sector Keep Up With AI’s Pace?

I watched this interview where Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas discusses what AI means for India’s major IT outsourcing firms. These companies have grown by offering skilled labor at lower cost. But what happens when AI agents can now do the same work, faster and at scale?

Some context: India currently accounts for 18% of global IT outsourcing, with exports projected to reach $210 billion this year—so the stakes are high.

Aravind’s view is clear: these firms will still matter, but they’ll likely hire fewer people and face growing pressure to move faster. Trust and long-term relationships will remain important, but expectations are shifting.

Watch the complete interview here.

Meet Susan Doniz, CIDO at The Walt Disney Company

Celebrating this week's Woman in Tech 🥳: Meet Susan Doniz, who recently became Chief Information and Data Officer at The Walt Disney Company.

In this role, she’ll lead Disney’s global technology, data, and digital strategy—bringing decades of digital transformation expertise to one of the world’s most iconic entertainment brands. She describes the role as “harnessing pixie dust” to turn tech into magic.

Born in Spain and raised across Latin America, Susan has worked across US, Europe, and Asia. She’s fluent in English, French, and Spanish, and brings a truly global perspective to leading teams and shaping innovation.

She earned her degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Toronto, with postgraduate studies in the Netherlands at Eindhoven University of Technology.

She began her career at Procter & Gamble, spending 17 years leading IT and analytics programs across sales, supply chain, and R&D. Doniz went on to serve as Group CIO at Qantas Airways and later held senior tech roles at Aimia and SAP. Most recently, she was Chief Information Officer and Senior Vice President at Boeing, where she led global efforts in IT, cybersecurity, and data strategy.

Along the way, she’s been named one of Canada’s “100 Most Powerful Women,” one of ALPFA’s “Most Powerful Latinas,” and one of the “Top 100 Executive Women in Tech to Watch in 2025.”

I’m excited to see how Susan applies her operational depth and global experience at Disney—wishing her a great start in her new role.

AI Around The World:

OpenAI just launched AI Academy—a platform to help people learn how to use AI in their everyday lives. Built with Georgia Tech, it’s already being integrated into classrooms and adapted by workforce centers. Courses include AI for K-12 Educators and Getting Started with AI for Nonprofits. Check them out!

AI maps 200,000 asteroid rocks—University of Tokyo researchers used AI to analyze photos from Ryugu and Bennu asteroids, identifying rock size and distribution in under 12 hours. The system may also support Earth-based applications in civil engineering and disaster prevention.

Waymo may train AI on interior camera footage—Waymo is exploring the use of rider-facing camera data to train generative AI, according to a leaked privacy update. Users will be able to opt out, but the move raises fresh concerns around privacy in autonomous vehicles.

Deepfake media now a crime in New Jersey—New Jersey passed a law criminalizing the creation and distribution of deceptive AI-generated media, including deepfakes. Offenders face up to five years in prison, with victims now allowed to pursue civil lawsuits.

Brussels unveils plan to triple AI infrastructure—The European Commission announced a €2B blueprint to build 13 AI 'Gigafactories' and upgrade computing infrastructure across 17 nations. The plan aims to scale up frontier AI development, with new rules, talent pipelines, and sustainable tech as core pillars.