Consider a powerful parallel between the advancements made during the Renaissance and the developments made by today’s engineers.

The Renaissance was a uniquely fertile era. Its ethos of curiosity and creativity fostered unprecedented collaboration across disciplines. Artists, scientists, philosophers, and patrons engaged in a shared pursuit of human potential, beauty, and advancements in art, science, and literature.

But the Renaissance wasn’t just a cultural awakening. It was a systems-level transformation: a convergence of disciplines, minds, and methods that redefined what humanity could achieve. And in many ways, it mirrors the collaborative spirit we strive for within our IEEE communities.

Collaboration Is a Catalyst

During the Renaissance, breakthroughs didn’t happen in isolation. They emerged from intersections of different disciplines. Collaboration was the norm: Artists worked with mathematicians to perfect their creations’ accuracy, and architects consulted astronomers to design buildings that reflected celestial order. It was interdisciplinary design thinking centuries before the concept was given a name.

It is at the intersections where disciplines and communities meet that the sparks of transformation ignite. The intersection of engineering and medicine gives us lifesaving devices. The intersection of computing and art produces immersive experiences from virtual, augmented, and mixed reality technology that expands human imagination. The intersection of policy and technology ensures ethical innovation. The outcomes of these crossroads remind us that progress is rarely linear. It is woven from the threads of various expertise, perspectives, and values.

When we collaborate across specialties, from electrical and biomedical to aerospace and software, we unlock new possibilities. And when we engage with industry, educators, policymakers, standard developers, and the public, we elevate those possibilities into solutions. We do it together, because no single engineer or technologist, and no one discipline can solve all the challenges we face.

The Renaissance teaches us that collaboration is a catalyst for advancing society. And so, I ask: What if we are living in a new, modern renaissance?

What if our members are today’s da Vincis, designing systems that serve humanity? What if our volunteers are modern-day patrons, investing time, talent, and heart into building a better world? What if our students and young professionals are the architects of tomorrow’s breakthroughs, fluent in computer code, ethics, and global impact, ready to collaborate across borders, sectors, and disciplines?

What if our conferences, technical standards, and humanitarian technologies are the printing presses of our time, disseminating knowledge, sparking dialogue, and scaling solutions? What if our collective imagination is the canvas upon which the next century of innovation will be painted?

And what if, like the Renaissance, our era is defined not only by invention but also by intersection, where many voices and perspectives converge to shape technologies that reflect humanity’s full spectrum?

Imagine engineers working together with ethicists to ensure responsible AI; with environmental scientists to safeguard our planet; and with local communities to design solutions that solve their challenges. Also imagine engineers partnering with disaster relief agencies to design real-time systems, restore communication networks, and deliver lifesaving technologies when survivors need them most.

So let us think like Renaissance creators. Let us design with empathy and collaborate across boundaries. Let us honor that legacy by not just preserving the past but also by building systems that empower the future for everyone.

When we unite technical excellence with human purpose, we don’t just innovate; we elevate. And in doing so, we carry forward the timeless truth of the Renaissance: Humanity’s greatest achievements are born not from isolation but from intersection and connection.

—Mary Ellen Randall

IEEE president and CEO

Please share your thoughts with me: president@ieee.org.

That trend continues with the GameSir G7 Pro, which has easily entered my top three on the GameSir tier list alongside the GameSir Tarantula Pro and GameSir Kaleid. Many of the features that make those other two pads so desirable are present and accounted for here: Hall effect sticks that prevent drift, as well as fantastic trigger lock and remappable button options.

AI is evolving beyond a helpful tool to an autonomous agent, creating new risks for cybersecurity systems. Alignment faking is a new threat where AI essentially “lies” to developers during the training process. 

Traditional cybersecurity measures are unprepared to address this new development. However, understanding the reasons behind this behavior and implementing new methods of training and detection can help developers work to mitigate risks.

Understanding AI alignment faking

AI alignment occurs when AI performs its intended function, such as reading and summarizing documents, and nothing more. Alignment faking is when AI systems give the impression they are working as intended, while doing something else behind the scenes. 

Alignment faking usually happens when earlier training conflicts with new training adjustments. AI is typically “rewarded” when it performs tasks accurately. If the training changes, it may believe it will be “punished” if it does not comply with the original training. Therefore, it tricks developers into thinking it is performing the task in the required new way, but it will not actually do so during deployment. Any large language model (LLM) is capable of alignment faking.

A study using Anthropic’s AI model Claude 3 Opus revealed a common example of alignment faking. The system was trained using one protocol, then asked to switch to a new method. In training, it produced the new, desired result. However, when developers deployed the system, it produced results based on the old method. Essentially, it resisted departing from its original protocol, so it faked compliance to continue performing the old task.

Since researchers were specifically studying AI alignment faking, it was easy to spot. The real danger is when AI fakes alignment without developers’ knowledge. This leads to many risks, especially when people use models for sensitive tasks or in critical industries.

The risks of alignment faking

Alignment faking is a new and significant cybersecurity risk, posing numerous dangers if undetected. Given that only 42% of global business leaders feel confident in their ability to use AI effectively to begin with, the chances of a lack of detection are high. Affected models can exfiltrate sensitive data, create backdoors and sabotage systems — all while appearing functional.

AI systems can also evade security and monitoring tools when they believe people are monitoring them and perform the incorrect tasks anyway. Models programmed to perform malicious actions can be challenging to detect because the protocol is only activated under specific conditions. If the AI lies about the conditions, it is hard to verify its validity.

AI models can perform dangerous tasks after successfully convincing cybersecurity professionals that they work. For instance, AI in health care can misdiagnose patients. Others can present bias in credit scoring when utilized in financial sectors. Vehicles that use AI can prioritize efficiency over passengers’ safety. Alignment faking presents significant issues if undetected.

Why current security protocols miss the mark

Current AI cybersecurity protocols are unprepared to handle alignment faking. They are often used to detect malicious intent, which these AI models lack. They are simply following their old protocol. Alignment faking also prevents behavior-based anomaly protection by performing seemingly harmless deviations that professionals overlook. Cybersecurity professionals must upgrade their protocols to address this new challenge.

Incident response plans exist to address issues related to AI. However, alignment faking can circumvent this process, as it provides little indication that there is even a problem. Currently, there are no established detection protocols for alignment faking because AI actively deceives the system. As cybersecurity professionals develop methods to identify deception, they should also update their response plans.

How to detect alignment faking

The key to detecting alignment faking is to test and train AI models to recognize this discrepancy and prevent alignment faking on their own. Essentially, they need to understand the reasoning behind the protocol changes and comprehend the ethics involved. AI’s functionality depends on its training data, so the initial data must be adequate.

Another way to combat alignment faking is by creating special teams that uncover hidden capabilities. This requires properly identifying issues and conducting tests to trick AI into showing its true intentions. Cybersecurity professionals must also perform continuous behavioral analyses of deployed AI models to ensure they perform the correct task without questionable reasoning.

Cybersecurity professionals may need to develop new AI security tools to actively identify alignment faking. They must design the tools to provide a deeper layer of scrutiny than the current protocols. Some methods are deliberative alignment and constitutional AI. Deliberative alignment teaches AI to “think” about safety protocols, and constitutional AI gives systems rules to follow during training.

The most effective way to prevent alignment faking would be to stop it from the beginning. Developers are continuously working to improve AI models and equip them with enhanced cybersecurity tools.

From preventing attacks to verifying intent 

Alignment faking presents a significant impact that will only grow as AI models become more autonomous. To move forward, the industry must prioritize transparency and develop robust verification methods that go beyond surface-level testing. This includes creating advanced monitoring systems and fostering a culture of vigilant, continuous analysis of AI behavior post-deployment. The trustworthiness of future autonomous systems depends on addressing this challenge head-on.

Zac Amos is the Features Editor at ReHack.

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Lenovo is updating its business-focused laptop lineup at MWC 2026. The best-selling ThinkPad T-series is getting a full refresh, and there’s an updated ThinkBook 2-in-1 and an all-new Android tablet.

The ThinkPad T-Series, the backbone of Lenovo’s business PC lineup, now (optionally) ships with a 5MP camera that supports computer vision and vHDR. The 2026 versions of the laptops have larger speakers and a new color (“cosmic blue”) on some models.

The ThinkPad T14 Gen 7 and ThinkPad T16 Gen 5 (each starting at $1,799) are the all-around workhorses of the ThinkPad lineup. Lenovo touts the 2026 models’ 10/10 iFixit repairability score. They ship with either an Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (with Intel vPro) or an AMD Ryzen AI Pro 400 Series processor.

Meanwhile, the T14s Gen 7 ($1,899+) is an even lighter version of Lenovo’s slim ThinkPad variant. The 2026 model weighs 2.45 lbs (1.1kg), making it the lightest T-series model to date. The T14s Gen 7 is powered by Intel Core Ultra Series 3 (with Intel vPro) or AMD Ryzen AI Pro 400 Series processors.

Rounding out the T-Series is the second-generation of the 360-degree-folding ThinkPad T14s 2-in-1. The 2026 model ($1,849+) is ever-so-slightly lighter than its predecessor, now weighing in at 3.06lbs (1.39kg). The new version includes a garaged pen, with its storage slot living above the screen.

The ThinkPad X13 Detachable is the lineup’s take on the Surface Pro. The tablet has Intel Core Ultra Series 3 processors and up to 64GB of RAM. Its 13-inch display supports up to 500 nits of brightness. It has a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, and its keyboard has full-sized keys with 1.5mm of travel. It ships with a “full-size ergonomic pen” that you can stash (and charge!) in a dedicated slot on the keyboard. The X13 Detachable starts at $1,999.

The $499 ThinkPad X11 is a rugged Android tablet for industrial environments. Powered by the Snapdragon 7s Gen 3 Mobile Platform, it has a 10.95-inch display with 2,560 x 1,600 resolution and 600 nits of brightness. It’s MIL-STD-810H certified, meaning it passes stringent military testing for durability.

Finally, there’s the ThinkBook 14 2-in-1 Gen 6 ($1,754+). This Yoga-like folding device has a 14-inch WUXGA touch display. It runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 (Series 3) processor and supports up to 32GB of RAM.

Most of the devices start shipping in Q2 2026. (That includes the ThinkPad T14, T16, T14s, T14s 2-in-1, ThinkTab X11 and ThinkBook 14 2-in-1.) The lone exception is the ThinkPad X13 Detachable, which is slated for Q3 2026. You can learn more about the new business-focused devices on Lenovo’s website.

For the better part of the past half a decade, Windows laptops have had a recurring identity crisis. You could either get absurd performance, or you could buy great battery life. Getting both at the same time wasn’t always accessible, and you often would have to make compromises with fan noise, heat, standby drain, or the kind of “why is it warm in my bag?” behavior MacBook owners never had to worry about.

Now, the next-gen silicon is changing the story. Intel’s next wave (Panther Lake) is being positioned as a major efficiency and AI platform swing. Right alongside it, we have AMD’s Ryzen AI series chips that lean into on-device AI while still delivering the kind of performance per-watt that remains competitive with MacBooks. All of this makes it seem like Windows laptops have finally found their moment.

But that’s also what makes the timing feel awkward for Microsoft. Just as the hardware started to clean itself up, Windows PCs are getting squeezed from multiple angles: price hikes, memory costs, and a muddled “AI-first” sales pitch.

The best Windows laptop era is here (and it’s not because of Copilot)

With the latest processors like the Intel Core Ultra Series 3, it actually feels like Windows laptops are getting their act together. It’s not just that the benchmarks look good. The entire trajectory looks right. While Intel’s Panther Lake lineup and AMD’s new Ryzen AI series are pushing the “AI PC” narrative, they’re also delivering the kind of performance that makes thin-and-light laptops feel less compromised.

And this matters because Windows laptops have been stuck in an awkward loop for years. You either buy a thin-and-light laptop and live with mediocre performance, or buy something blazing fast and accept that carrying a bulky charger is part of the lifestyle.

So the most interesting thing happening in Windows laptops right now isn’t Copilot. It’s the fact that Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm are all chasing the same endgame: high performance without the battery tax. Processors like the Snapdragon X2 Plus, in particular, bring efficiency gains that rival MacBooks. But just when things were looking good, there was a shadow looming over the PC market — and even the brands are worried.

RAM-POCALYPSE is real, and it’s making everything worse

Here’s the part that turns the whole “Windows laptops are finally getting good again” story into a headache: memory pricing is becoming the real final boss. We can talk about Panther Lake, Ryzen AI, and Snap0dragon all day, but if PC components like RAM and storage get stupid expensive, it doesn’t matter how efficient the silicon is. The platform is improving while the value collapses.

This memory supply crunch has already kneecapped the market, and the numbers are wild. DDR5 memory has risen by around 500% in some cases, which is the kind of spike that doesn’t just nudge the laptop prices upward but reshapes what brands feel comfortable shipping as “baseline” configs. Even after 16GB became the standard in mid-range laptops, this could push 16GB back into “premium-only” territory and drag affordable models down to 8GB again.

AMD, which typically positions itself as the “value option”, is also acknowledging the squeeze. So yeah, the chipmakers might finally be delivering those low-powered performance improvements that Windows laptops have needed for ages. But if RAM pricing keeps spiraling, it risks turning away buyers who are already frustrated with having to pay more money for worse configurations and a higher entry cost just to get something that feels future-proof.

The MacBook comeback tour, now with a budget opener

And then there’s Apple, delivering a sharp hook to an already ailing opponent. The “wrong time for Microsoft” argument gets sharper once you zoom out and look at the market momentum Apple’s been building. Macs have quietly been climbing once again, after a brief period of stagnation. Apple’s notebooks seem like the default safe bet for a lot of buyers who care about reliability, performance, and battery life.

To make matters worse for Windows, Apple is reportedly preparing a lower-cost MacBook that could hit the shelves sometime in the first half of 2026. It is still Apple after all, so this won’t magically compete with true entry-level Windows laptops. But if Apple lands this anywhere near the $700 range, Windows OWMs are facing a nasty pressure point as they are already dealing with rising component costs and a messy AI-PC branding era.

So… is it the wrong time for Microsoft?

It might be.

Not because Windows laptops are doomed — the silicon progress is real, and it’s finally hitting the places users care about. But this momentum is arriving in the middle of a perfect storm:

• AI messaging that’s confusing instead of compelling.
• Rising component prices, like RAM and storage, are becoming a tax on buying new hardware.
• A resurgent MacBook lineup that still owns the “easy recommendation” title.

The entire industry may have to ride out the storm for calmer waters. If Microsoft wants this to be the era where Windows laptops truly feel fixed, it needs to focus on the one thing it truly controls: Windows. Because chipmakers can fix performance-per-watt, but only Microsoft can fix what the platform feels like day to day.

Right now, “AI PC” is being sold as a badge, not a benefit. And when prices are rising, and configs are getting weird, buyers need clarity more than hype. Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, said it best: “We will quickly lose even the social permission…” if AI isn’t improving real outcomes.

A new online movement calling for users to cancel ChatGPT subscriptions has quickly gone mainstream, and it all traces back to a controversial new partnership between OpenAI and the U.S. Department of Defence. The deal allows OpenAI’s models to be deployed inside classified government networks, a move that has sparked backlash across social media and tech communities.

The controversy intensified when rival AI company Anthropic refused to accept similar terms from the Pentagon, citing concerns about mass surveillance and autonomous weapons. The company risked losing a major government contract rather than loosen its safeguards, drawing praise from critics of military AI.

That contrast quickly fueled the “Cancel ChatGPT” trend. Some users say they are cancelling subscriptions in protest, accusing OpenAI of compromising ethical principles by working with the military.

The real debate is about military AI, not just one company

The backlash is not simply about one contract. It reflects a broader and growing tension around how AI should be used in defence, intelligence, and surveillance. OpenAI says its Pentagon deal includes safeguards that ban domestic mass surveillance, autonomous weapons, and high-stakes automated decisions, with Sam Altman arguing that working with governments helps shape responsible AI use.

Critics remain wary, however, noting that laws like the Patriot Act could allow surveillance programs to expand over time. The debate has also spread inside the tech industry itself. As reported by Axios, more than 200 employees from Google and OpenAI signed an open letter urging stronger limits on military AI use, showing how divided even AI workers are on the issue.

For everyday users, this moment marks a turning point in how AI companies are viewed, as ethical concerns shift from abstract debates to real-world government partnerships and national security. Whether the “Cancel ChatGPT” movement lasts or fades, the conversation around AI is clearly changing from what these tools can do to where their boundaries should be.

Anker has unveiled the Soundcore Space 2 headphones at MWC 2026, updating one of its most popular product lines. The move builds directly on the success of the Soundcore Space One and Space One Pro, two headphones that became well-known for delivering surprisingly strong active noise cancellation and features at prices far below flagship competitors.

With Space 2, Anker is not reinventing the formula. Instead, it is refining the parts that made the previous models so appealing while adding smarter features and better comfort for daily use.

Smart sound, expanded codec support, and flexible ANC

The headline upgrade is improved adaptive active noise cancellation, which uses atmospheric pressure and sensor feedback to dynamically adjust how aggressively it blocks ambient sound. This means it can handle both constant background noise and sudden changes, like a passing bus or a loud announcement, more responsively than before.

On the audio side, Anker has expanded codec support meaningfully. In addition to SBC and AAC, the Space 2 now supports Sony’s LDAC, allowing up to 96 kHz / 990 kbps high-resolution Bluetooth audio when paired with compatible sources. As for the battery, with ANC on, Space 2 promises up to 40 hours per charge, and up to 60 hours with ANC off, rivalling much more expensive flagships. There’s also the added convenience of fast charging, giving hours of playback from just a short top-up.

Anker has also introduced Soundcore’s “Seamless AI Noise Cancelling Engine,” which combines adaptive filters with spatial awareness to improve focus on human voices and reduce unwanted background layers. This extends to call quality as well, with multiple mics and AI-enhanced voice pickup aiming to make calls clearer in real-world conditions.

The Space 2 also adds premium touches like spatial audio, multi-point Bluetooth connectivity, and an updated companion app for EQ and ANC customisation. As for comfort, redesigned earcups and improved ergonomics aim to keep long listening sessions comfortable.

The Soundcore Space 2 will be available in three colours: Linen White, Jet Black, and Seafoam Green. It is set to go on sale globally starting April 21 via Amazon and Soundcore’s website, priced at $129.99 in the US, £129.99 in the UK, and €129.99 across Europe.