The brief · 18 March 2026
Today, AI is making its way into biopsy slides while Brussels and Washington are still fumbling over the rules. Four stories, two worlds moving at opposite speeds.
Previously you had to pick one or the other: Gemini's built-in tools or your own custom functions. Google just removed that restriction, which is a real win for agents that need to search the web and hit your own API in the same call.
practitioners › Google Maps grounding is also rolling out for Gemini 3 models, combinable in a single API call.
Google AI for Developers →Two European Parliament committees voted to push back the rules on high-risk AI, waiting for the technical standards to actually be in place. They also rejected some of the simplifications the Commission had proposed. In practice, the compliance timeline slips further for any company using high-risk AI in Europe.
practitioners › Joint IMCO-LIBE vote on March 18, 2026, passed 101 to 9 with 8 abstentions.
European Parliament →Marsha Blackburn is proposing a federal framework that would override state AI laws, similar to what the White House was already drafting. The difference here is that her text adds protections for children and creators, not just straight deregulation. Whether that's enough to calm state lawmakers who already passed their own rules remains to be seen.
practitioners › The bill is called the TRUMP AMERICA AI Act, released as a discussion draft on March 18, 2026.
Bureau de la sénatrice Marsha Blackburn →