1. Where is the Google Cloud India AI Hub being established?
[A] Bengaluru
[B] Hyderabad
[C] Chennai
[D] Visakhapatnam
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Visakhapatnam]
Notes:
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu laid the foundation stone for the Google Cloud India AI Hub in Visakhapatnam. The project is part of a major collaboration involving Google Cloud, Adani Group, and Bharti Airtel. Google has committed an investment of USD 15 billion, making it one of India’s largest foreign direct investments. The AI data centre will have a capacity of 1 Gigawatt and will be built over 600 acres. It will enhance India’s artificial intelligence, cloud computing, and digital infrastructure.
2. Which of the following pairs is/are correctly matched:
- Francis Collins – Mapping human genome
- Sergey Brin – Google Search Engine
- Jimmy Wales – Wikipedia
Select the correct answer using the code given below: (UPSC Prelims 2008)
[A] 1 and 2 only
[B] 2 and 3 only
[C] 1, 2 and 3
[D] 3 only
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [1, 2 and 3]
Notes:
All the pairs are correctly matched. Francis Collins led the Human Genome Project as NIH director from 2008 to 2021, successfully mapping the human genome. Sergey Brin co-founded Google with Larry Page in 1998 and developed its core search engine algorithm. Jimmy Wales co-founded Wikipedia in 2001, creating a free online encyclopedia accessible worldwide.
3. Google has inaugurated its biggest AI infrastructure hardware engineering centre outside the US in which country?
[A] Singapore
[B] Taiwan
[C] South Korea
[D] Japan
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [Taiwan]
Notes:
Google inaugurated its largest Artificial Intelligence (AI) infrastructure hardware engineering centre outside the US in Taipei, Taiwan. The centre will focus on AI infrastructure hardware engineering for Google’s global operations. Technology developed and tested at the centre will be deployed across Google’s global data centres. These AI systems support billions of Google devices and services worldwide. The centre reinforces Taiwan’s role as a key hub for global AI innovation.
4. What is the name of the project announced by Google in November 2025 to develop a space-based AI infrastructure system?
[A] Project Moonbeam
[B] Project SkyAI
[C] Project Solarwave
[D] Project Suncatcher
Show Answer
Correct Answer: D [Project Suncatcher]
Notes:
In November 2025, Google announced ‘Project Suncatcher,’ a research initiative to create a solar-powered, space-based AI infrastructure system. The project aims to use Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) aboard satellites in low-Earth orbit (LEO) to explore machine learning scalability. It will use Trillium TPUs designed to withstand up to 15 krad(Si) radiation and advanced thermal radiators to manage heat. In partnership with Planet Labs, two prototype satellites will launch in 2027 to test AI performance and optical communication. Solar-powered satellites will operate in a sun-synchronous dawn-dusk orbit, generating up to 8 times the power of ground-based installations
5. What is the name of the quantum processor by Google that achieved the first “verifiable” quantum advantage?
[A] Willow
[B] Bristlecone
[C] Sycamore
[D] Falcon
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Willow]
Notes:
Google announced that its quantum processor Willow has achieved the first “verifiable” quantum advantage. Quantum advantage means a quantum computer can outperform a classical computer in practice. The announcement was accompanied by an open-access paper in Nature by the Google Quantum AI and Collaborators team. Willow ran a new algorithm, Quantum Echoes, 13,000 times faster than the best classical algorithm on a supercomputer. The experiment used a technique called out-of-time-order correlator (OTOC) to track how information scrambles in quantum systems. OTOC measures how quantum information spreads, is scrambled, and can be “unscrambled” using time-reversal. Willow’s processor precisely controlled quantum bits (qubits) in a chaotic quantum system for the experiment.
6. Which of the following statements about the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry is/are correct?
- It was awarded for AI-enabled prediction of protein structures and computational protein design.
- The laureates included leaders from Google DeepMind.
- The prize recognized breakthroughs in quantum chemistry for novel organometallic catalysts.
Select the correct option from the codes given below:
[A] Only 1 & 2
[B] Only 1 & 3
[C] Only 2 & 3
[D] 1, 2 & 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Only 1 & 2]
Notes:
The 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded for AI-enabled protein structure prediction and computational protein design work by David Baker, Demis Hassabis, and John Jumper of Google DeepMind. Statement 1 and 2 are correct. Statement 3 is incorrect as the prize did not recognize breakthroughs in quantum chemistry for organometallic catalysts.
7. Where has Google opened its first Safety Engineering Centre in the Asia-Pacific region?
[A] Hyderabad
[B] Chennai
[C] Bengaluru
[D] Mumbai
Show Answer
Correct Answer: A [Hyderabad]
Notes:
Google opened its first Safety Engineering Centre in the Asia-Pacific region and fourth globally in Hyderabad on June 19, 2025. Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy officially inaugurated the Google Safety Engineering Centre (GSEC). The launch follows Google’s “Safety Charter for India’s AI-led Transformation” unveiled in Delhi on June 17. GSEC will work on protecting users from online fraud and securing enterprise and government systems. It will act as a strategic hub for responsible Artificial Intelligence (AI) and safety solutions.
8. Consider the following statements regarding the Digital Markets Act (DMA):
- It is a UK legislation designed to regulate Big Tech companies with strategic market status.
- It imposes strict obligations and penalties on digital platforms found to have breached competition rules.
- It applies to major tech companies like Google, Apple, and Meta.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
[A] Only 1
[B] 2 and 3 only
[C] 1 and 2 only
[D] 1, 2 and 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: B [2 and 3 only]
Notes:
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Digital Markets Act is an EU law, not a UK legislation. However, statements 2 and 3 are correct: The DMA imposes penalties and obligations on digital platforms (like Google, Apple, Meta) with gatekeeper status. These are major tech companies that hold significant influence over the digital market.
9. Consider the following pairs regarding AI computing terminology:
- Inference – Process of training large AI models from raw data
- Training – Running queries to generate responses using AI models
- Ironwood – A chip by Google designed specifically for inference tasks
Which of the pairs is/are correctly matched?
[A] 1 and 2 only
[B] 2 and 3 only
[C] 3 only
[D] 1, 2 and 3
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [3 only]
Notes:
Inference in AI computing actually refers to using trained models to make predictions, not the process of training itself. Training is the method of building these models from data. Ironwood is in fact a chip designed by Google specifically for inference tasks. Therefore, only Pair 3 is correctly matched.
10. Regarding the FireSat satellite project, consider the following statements:
- FireSat is designed to detect wildfires as small as 5×5 meters from space.
- It is a collaboration between Google and several other organizations, including Muon Space.
- The project aims to have a constellation of over 50 satellites in low Earth orbit.
How many of the above statements are correct?
[A] Only one
[B] Only two
[C] All three
[D] None
Show Answer
Correct Answer: C [All three]
Notes:
- FireSat is designed to detect wildfires as small as 5×5 meters from space. Correct: This capability allows for early detection of small fires before they escalate.
- It is a collaboration between Google and several other organizations, including Muon Space. Correct: The project involves multiple partners working together to enhance wildfire monitoring.
- The project aims to have a constellation of over 50 satellites in low Earth orbit. Correct: This extensive network will provide frequent and detailed imagery of the Earth’s surface.
