Today's overview: September 26, 2026, stands out as a day when the promises of AI intersect with its costs and risks, while clean energy and electric transportation continue moving toward broad commercial applications.Digital SecurityGitHub Actions: Two compromised actions were re-enabled for more than a week, allowing the Mini Shai-Hulud payload to be reintroduced into build pipelines. The recommendation is to delete them or pin them to a trusted version, review runs, and rotate secrets.Oracle PeopleSoft: The ShinyHunters group bypassed protections using special URL encoding to exploit CVE-2026-35273. Applying Oracle's fix and reviewing logs remain essential, as temporary blocking rules are not sufficient.AI: Benefit, Cost, and TrustHealthcare: Blue Cross Blue Shield said hospitals' use of AI tools in claims was associated with a $942 million increase in spending over two years, alongside increased documentation of complex cases without comparable evidence of improved care.Commerce: In India, Google is testing the direct purchase of Flipkart products through Gemini and AI Mode, a step that shortens the path to checkout within the AI experience, but it remains limited to selected users and products.Digital twins: A Synthesia experiment showcased an interactive digital version of a journalist, opening up institutional and media uses while multiplying questions about verification, trust, and the limits of speaking on behalf of people.Energy and TransportationGeothermal energy: The U.S. Department of Energy allocated $99 million to 21 advanced projects, betting on stable electricity for data centers. Funding, regulation, and commercial viability remain major obstacles.Floating wind: OceanX's platform withstood Typhoon Yagi with limited tilting despite strong winds and waves, but the test does not settle the design's economics or the feasibility of placing two turbines on one platform.Electric trucks: JUNA operated more than 100 electric trucks across four European countries, covering 3.9 million kilometers, and plans to add up to 40 trucks before the end of 2026.Companies and ProductsZeal: The Egyptian fintech company raised $10 million, bringing its total funding to $14 million, with the goal of activating contracts covering more than four million payment terminals over 24 months.PNOĒ: On October 1, the company will launch a self-use mask that measures VO₂ max and 23 biomarkers in about eight minutes. The device is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration and does not provide medical recommendations.Gold: Reported central-bank purchases reached about 130 tonnes through the end of July, compared with 160 tonnes during the same period in 2025; changes in storage or replacing bars do not necessarily mean that reserves have been reduced.