In Brief Apple is working with semiconductor company Broadcom on its first server chip designed to handle AI applications, according to The Information, which cited three people with knowledge of the project. Apple is known for designing its own chips – called Apple Silicon and primarily manufactured by TSMC – for its devices. But those chips weren’t necessarily designed to power AI processing. Apple on Wednesday rolled out several much-awaited Apple Intelligence features to users with newer iPhones and Ma ...

Google’s next major AI model has arrived to combat a slew of new offerings from OpenAI.On Wednesday, Google announced Gemini 2.0 Flash, which the company says can natively generate images and audio in addition to text. 2.0 Flash can also use third-party apps and services, allowing it to tap into Google Search, execute code, and more. An experimental release of 2.0 Flash will be available through the Gemini API and Google’s AI developer platforms, AI Studio and Vertex AI, starting today. However, the audio ...

The news came by Slack message. Cruise CEO Marc Whitten, who took the top post in June, posted a message Tuesday afternoon in the company’s announcements channel along with a link to a press release entitled “GM to refocus autonomous driving development on personal vehicles.” GM, which acquired the self-driving car startup in 2016, would no longer fund the company, ending a mission that hundreds of Cruise engineers had worked on for years.  Minutes later, during an all-hands meeting, Cruise employees learn ...

Core Viewpoint - Meta is facing a significant class action lawsuit in the U.K. over allegations of exploiting user data, with potential damages exceeding $2.7 billion, as the case progresses after Meta's unsuccessful attempts to dismiss it [1][5]. Group 1: Lawsuit Details - The lawsuit, led by Dr. Liza Lovdahl Gormsen, claims that Meta exploited U.K. users' personal data under an "unfair bargain" due to its market dominance in social networking [2][7]. - The collective action covers 46 million U.K. users from February 14, 2016, to October 6, 2023, and seeks damages between £2.1 billion and £3.1 billion, based on updated user data [3][5]. - The U.K. Competition Appeal Tribunal has certified the collective claim, allowing it to proceed to trial, which is a significant step in the litigation process [5]. Group 2: Implications of the Case - The lawsuit is notable for the substantial damages sought, which exceed previous fines imposed on Meta for data violations in Europe, highlighting the potential financial impact on the company [11]. - This case could set a precedent for how competition law is applied in individual legal actions and class-action antitrust suits, particularly against tech giants [12]. - The litigation aims to redefine the application of competition law concerning data exploitation, potentially shifting the legal framework for addressing related issues [13].

Core Viewpoint - Meta is seeking proposals from nuclear power developers to add 1 to 4 gigawatts of electricity generating capacity in the U.S. to support its data centers and surrounding communities [2][3][7] Group 1: Meta's Nuclear Power Initiative - Meta's initial plan to build a nuclear data center was halted by regulatory concerns, prompting the company to seek external developers for nuclear power plants [1][4] - The company is willing to share costs early in the development cycle and commit to purchasing power once the reactors are operational [2][3] - Proposals must be submitted by February 7, 2025, with the goal of having power plants operational in the early 2030s [2][3] Group 2: Industry Context and Competition - Traditional nuclear plants typically generate around 1 gigawatt, which aligns with Meta's minimum requirements, but they are costly and time-consuming to build [5] - Small modular reactors (SMRs) are being explored by various tech companies, including Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, as a potential solution for cost-effective nuclear energy [6] - The recent surge in interest in nuclear power among tech companies suggests a potential renaissance in the sector over the next decade [7][8] Group 3: Regulatory and Market Considerations - Meta's approach may help navigate regulatory challenges by ensuring that power needs for data centers are balanced with overall grid stability [4] - The competitive landscape is evolving, with renewable energy and battery technologies becoming cheaper, which may impact the success of nuclear initiatives [8]

AI’s surging power demand has put several big tech firms at risk of blowing through their climate commitments. But Amazon has partnered with Orbital, an AI startup, to test a new material that removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere — and they’re using an AWS datacenter as a first site. One of carbon capture’s biggest costs is generating enough airflow so that the sorbent material can withdraw a meaningful amount of carbon dioxide. Datacenters seem an obvious place to deploy such a technology since their ...

Core Insights - Walmart has completed its acquisition of Vizio, a popular television maker, to enhance its advertising business [1] - The acquisition is valued at $2.3 billion and aims to position Walmart as a leader in connected TV advertising [2] - The integration of Vizio into Walmart's advertising platform will allow for better competition against major players like Amazon, Google, and Roku [2] Strategic Objectives - The acquisition allows Walmart to merge its retail operations with TV hardware, gaining direct access to customer data on viewing habits and shopping preferences [3] - This data can be utilized to tailor advertisements, improve product offerings, and create a personalized shopping experience for consumers [3] - Vizio TVs are expected to feature a significant number of ads for Walmart products, enhancing brand visibility [3] - Walmart will also gain control of Vizio's WatchFree+ streaming service, further expanding its advertising reach [3]

At the start of the year, there were widespread concerns about how generative AI could be used to interfere in global elections to spread propaganda and disinformation. Fast forward to the end of the year, Meta claims those fears did not play out, at least on its platforms, as it shared that the technology had limited impact across Facebook, Instagram, and Threads.The company says its findings are based on content around major elections in the U.S., Bangladesh, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, the EU Parliament, ...

Microsoft is in the crosshairs of a U.K. competition class-action style lawsuit that’s seeking £1 billion (around $1.25 billion at current exchange rates) in damages. It revolves around accusations related to fees the software giant charged businesses and other organizations for licensing Windows Server when they were customers of rival cloud computing platforms.The suit, which was filed Tuesday in the U.K.’s Competition Appeal Tribunal, alleges that customers of Amazon’s AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), a ...

Delaware Chancery court judge Kathaleen McCormick has denied Tesla’s request to revise her decision to strike down CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package — despite shareholders voting at the company’s annual meeting this year to “re-ratify” the deal. Her decision, laid out in a 103-page opinion published on Monday, explains that the attempt by Tesla’s legal team — which Musk has called “hardcore” — to change her mind contained multiple flaws, each of which were fatal on their own. Tesla has been expected ...