Google reorganizes AI division and centralizes strategic control over Gemini development

Researchers conducted one of the first independent stress tests for GlobalBuildingAtlas (GBA)—a large-scale new digital dataset aimed at mapping every building on the planet. The study, focusing on India's rapidly growing urban landscapes, found that while GBA demonstrates high accuracy in determining building locations on the ground, it systematically mismeasures their height, often underestimating the actual height of skyscrapers by more than half.

This finding is critically important for urban planning specialists and climatologists who rely on three-dimensional models to predict parameters such as energy consumption or floodwater movement in a city.

The work was carried out by a team from the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC) at ISRO. Researchers examined various urban areas, including Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. As India experiences unprecedented urbanization, having a digital map of its cities has become a necessity for effective resource management.

GlobalBuildingAtlas was recently released as an open-access resource containing over 2.75 billion building markers worldwide. It is the first such resource to offer three-dimensional data at this scale, providing not only building outlines but also approximate heights and simplified 3D shapes. However, since these maps are created using artificial intelligence and satellite imagery, their accuracy can vary significantly depending on local conditions.

To verify GBA, researchers used the NASA ICESat-2 satellite as a space standard. This spacecraft employs a laser altimeter that sends trillions of photons to the Earth's surface, measuring their return time to determine height with centimeter accuracy. The team compared these laser measurements with GBA's height estimates for 20 representative structures, ranging from low-rise industrial warehouses to tall residential towers.

To assess horizontal accuracy, or outline accuracy, the team used high-resolution imagery from ISRO's Bhuvan portal, a remote sensing data visualization platform. These images were processed by the AI model, Segment Anything Model 2, to provide a ground truth.

The results for horizontal mapping were impressive. In planned residential communities across five major Indian cities, GlobalBuildingAtlas was nearly perfect, achieving a completeness coefficient of over 99%. In cities like Bangalore and Calcutta, the digital map matched the actual building. This indicates that GBA is an exceptionally reliable tool for understanding neighborhood density or the scale of urban sprawl.

However, the vertical results told a different story. Researchers discovered a systematic negative bias, meaning GBA almost always underestimated building heights. Errors became more significant as building heights increased. For example, for a 266-meter skyscraper in Mumbai, GBA estimated the height at only 113 meters, representing a discrepancy of over 150 meters. For mid-rise buildings, errors often exceeded 40%.

GBA uses monocular optical imaging, meaning it estimates height from two-dimensional photographs rather than using direct three-dimensional measurements. Although AI can analyze shadows and perspective to estimate height, it often gets confused due to complex roof shapes, nearby trees, or the close proximity of buildings in densely populated Indian cities.

Previous global datasets, such as those released by Microsoft and Google, primarily focused on two-dimensional outlines. GBA represents an ambitious attempt to add the third dimension—height—which is crucial for modern sustainable development goals. However, the ISRO study highlights a serious limitation. The AI models used to create GBA were largely trained on data from Europe and North America. Since architectural styles, building materials, and urban density in the Global South, especially in India, differ greatly, the AI struggles to correctly interpret the scenes.

Furthermore, GBA uses a simplified three-dimensional representation known as Level of Detail 1, which treats each building as a flat block, ignoring complex spires, pitched roofs, and helipads that characterize many Indian landmarks. The study concludes that while GlobalBuildingAtlas is a valuable resource for understanding the horizontal layout of our cities, it should be used with extreme caution when vertical accuracy is required. This work serves as a vital warning to society, as when designing smart cities, planning disaster response, or calculating rooftop solar energy, it is necessary to ensure that the data reflects reality. By identifying these height errors, the ISRO team provided a roadmap for future improvements, suggesting that integrating more laser data from satellites like ICESat-2 could eventually lead to a digital world as tall and complex as our own.

Apple may modify its usual smartphone launch schedule. Information from supplier Pegatron suggests that the iPhone 18 Pro models will be available in the second half of 2026, while the standard version would only be released in the first quarter of 2027.

This calendar change would also affect other devices planned for the next generation. The iPhone 18e and a new model called iPhone Air are considered candidates for later release, as is a possible foldable iPhone from the Ultra line, expected among this autumn's premium products.

The main reason for this shift would be linked to limitations in component supply, specifically memory and chips. With more restricted parts availability, both manufacturers and customers like Apple would be restructuring production peaks, prioritizing the more expensive devices that generate higher profit margins.

The idea of a staggered launch is not new. Last year, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and the portal The Information had already mentioned that Apple was considering concentrating the launches of its most advanced equipment for the fall of 2026.

More recently, another company supplier indicated that one of its clients was postponing a smartphone launch until early 2027. This new report, published by Economic Daily News and reported by MacRumors, adds an important detail: statements made by Pegatron executives during a presentation on the company's results.

According to the meeting report, the manufacturer confirmed that the iPhone 18 Pro series devices should be launched in the second half of this year. On the other hand, the conventional iPhone 18 would have its launch rescheduled for the first months of 2027.

This division in the calendar is consistent with previous rumors about the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air. These devices are also expected to be part of the batch arriving after the professional models.

The strategy would be directly related to the difficulties encountered in component supply. According to the Pegatron executives' report, the shortage of memory and chips would be altering corporate behavior during periods of high demand.

In this context, companies like Apple would be optimizing the distribution of available components among various products. Priority would be given to higher-value smartphones, as these have superior margins and consequently represent a more efficient use of a limited stock of parts.

If this schedule is confirmed, Apple would cease concentrating the entire next generation of iPhones in a single annual period. The most sophisticated models would be presented initially, while the more accessible positioning devices would be reserved for a second phase in 2027.

Among the premium launches expected for the second half is also the rumored Ultra foldable iPhone. The inclusion of this device alongside the Pro line would reinforce the possibility of the company dedicating its main showcase of 2026 to higher value-added products.