The afternoon briefing.
Anthropic and Microsoft eye an AI chip deal, Trump delays an AI executive order, and Tesla brings FSD to China.
Capital and Compute. Microsoft and Anthropic are reportedly discussing an AI chip deal, following a significant investment, highlighting the intense demand for specialized hardware. Dell also unveiled a high-density flash server, designed to support massive AI data center racks. This underscores the ongoing race to build out the foundational infrastructure for advanced AI.
Regulatory Landscape. Former President Trump has postponed signing an AI executive order, citing concerns it could hinder innovation, indicating a cautious approach to federal oversight. Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly pursuing a "reverse federalism" strategy, aiming to shape state-level regulations to create a more favorable environment for AI development. These actions reflect the complex and evolving policy discussions around AI governance.
Commercial AI. Spotify's new AI music deal with Universal Music Group signals growing integration of AI in creative industries, boosting its stock. Tesla is also expanding its "Full Self-Driving (Supervised)" capabilities into China, marking a significant push into a competitive market. These developments showcase the increasing commercialization and global reach of AI technologies across diverse sectors.
Agentic AI & Research. Google is now auditing websites for llms.txt compatibility, indicating a move towards more agentic browsing experiences. Microsoft Research introduced MagenticLite, an agentic system optimized for smaller models, demonstrating efforts to make AI agents more efficient and accessible. Furthermore, OpenAI claims a breakthrough in an 80-year-old math problem, showcasing advancements in AI reasoning capabilities.
Anthropic, Microsoft in talks for AI chip deal after $5 billion investment
Microsoft and Anthropic are reportedly in discussions for an AI chip deal, following Microsoft's $5 billion investment in the AI startup. This potential collaboration would involve Anthropic utilizing Microsoft's Maia 200 chips, which are currently used in Microsoft's data centers for improved efficiency.
Six search engines worth trying now that Google isn’t really Google anymore
Google is set to undergo significant changes with its AI overview feature, prompting users to explore alternative search engines. The article suggests six different search engines for users who may not prefer Google's new AI-driven interface.
Spotify soars 13% after announcing AI music deal with UMG, guidance
Spotify's stock surged 13% following the announcement of an AI music deal with Universal Music Group and updated guidance. The company, now under co-CEOs Gustav Söderström and Alex Norström, is holding its first investor day in four years.
Oura, smart ring maker, files confidentially for IPO
Oura, the company behind the health and wellness tracking smart ring, has confidentially filed for an Initial Public Offering (IPO) with the SEC. This move signals the company's intent to go public, seeking to raise capital from investors.
Google checks websites for llms.txt in new agentic browsing audit
Google is testing how well websites interact with AI agents through a new "Agentic Browsing" category in its Lighthouse analysis tool. This audit checks for the presence of `llms.txt` to manage AI agent access and behavior on websites.
Dell launches record-shattering server with 9.8PB of flash storage in just 2U
Dell and KIOXIA have unveiled a new server capable of holding 9.8PB of flash storage in a 2U form factor. This high-density server is designed to meet the demands of hyperscale AI workloads, offering extreme density and lower power consumption.
Trump postpones AI executive order signing: 'I didn't like certain aspects'
Former President Trump announced the postponement of an AI executive order, stating he disliked certain aspects that he felt "could have been a blocker." He expressed concerns about hindering the tremendous good that AI is capable of producing.
OpenAI Wants to Rewrite Its Washington Playbook With ‘Reverse Federalism’ Strategy
OpenAI is reportedly adopting a 'reverse federalism' strategy to influence AI regulation, focusing on shaping state-level policies. This approach aims to fill regulatory vacuums and establish a framework that could then influence federal legislation.
Tesla brings 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' to China after years of delays
Tesla has officially launched its 'Full Self-Driving (Supervised)' capabilities in China, after years of anticipation and delays. This expansion marks a significant move for the company into the competitive Chinese electric vehicle market.
SpaceX IPO Filing Opens Up xAI Finances
A recent SpaceX IPO filing has provided the first public glimpse into the finances of Elon Musk's AI company, xAI. This filing is a precursor to expected IPOs from other major generative AI labs like Anthropic and OpenAI.
The Endless AI guitar pedal has potential
Polyend, a music gear maker, has introduced the Endless AI guitar pedal, a novel device that integrates artificial intelligence for sound effects. The pedal allows users to pair physical plates with AI effects, offering a unique approach to musical creativity.
MagenticLite, MagenticBrain, Fara1.5: An agentic experience optimized for small models
Microsoft Research has unveiled MagenticLite, an agentic system designed for small models that operates across browser and local file systems. This system combines specialized models and orchestration to deliver efficient agentic performance for everyday tasks.
Uber is deploying its own self-driving cars again, just not as robotaxis
Uber is re-deploying its autonomous vehicles on the road as part of its new AV Lab project, but solely for data collection, not as robotaxis. These vehicles, starting with a Hyundai Ioniq 5, are equipped with sensors to gather information for Uber's robotaxi partners.
OpenAI makes breakthrough on 80-year-old maths problem
OpenAI has announced a significant advance in AI reasoning, claiming its technology successfully tackled an 80-year-old mathematical challenge. The company's AI made a breakthrough on the planar unit distance problem, first posed by Paul Erdős in 1946.