AMD says that the U.S. government’s license control requirement for exporting AI chips to China and certain other countries may impact its earnings materially. If AMD doesn’t successfully obtain a license, the company could be on the hook for roughly $800 million in inventory, purchase commitments, and related reserves charges, the company said in a filing with the SEC on Wednesday. According to AMD, the license control requirement applies to the company’s MI308 GPUs. “On April 15, 2025, [AMD] completed it ...

Core Insights - Google suspended 39.2 million advertiser accounts in 2024, more than tripling the number from the previous year, as part of its crackdown on ad fraud [1] - The company utilized large language models (LLMs) and various signals to identify and suspend fraudulent accounts before they could serve ads [1][2] - Google implemented over 50 LLM enhancements and involved human oversight in its safety enforcement mechanisms [2] Ad Fraud Prevention Efforts - A team of over 100 experts from various divisions within Google analyzed deepfake ad scams and developed countermeasures [4] - In 2023, Google suspended over 700,000 advertising accounts and reported a 90% drop in deepfake ad reports due to technical countermeasures and policy updates [5] - The company removed 1.8 billion ads in the U.S. alone, with key violations related to ad network abuse, trademark misuse, and misrepresentation [5] Global Account Suspensions - India saw 2.9 million account suspensions, making it the second-highest after the U.S., with 247.4 million ads removed [6] - Of all suspensions, 5 million accounts were related to scam violations, contributing to the removal of nearly half a billion scam-related ads [7] Election Advertising - Google verified over 8,900 new election advertisers in 2024 and removed 10.7 million election ads, although the volume was relatively small compared to overall ad numbers [8] Overall Ad Management - In total, Google blocked 5.1 billion ads and removed 1.3 billion pages in 2023, indicating improvements in prevention efforts [9] - The company restricted an additional 9.1 billion ads last year, emphasizing the importance of transparency in its suspension processes [10]

Semiconductor giant Nvidia is facing unexpected new U.S. export controls on its H20 chips.In a filing Tuesday, Nvidia said it was informed by the U.S. government that it will need a license to export its H20 AI chips to China. This license will be required indefinitely, according to the filing — the U.S. government cited “risk that the [H20] may be used in […] a supercomputer in China.” Nvidia anticipates $5.5 billion in related charges in its Q1 2026 fiscal year, which ends April 27. The company’s stock w ...

Core Insights - Google is expanding its renewable energy portfolio by adding 10 megawatts of geothermal power in Taiwan, marking its first geothermal investment in Asia [1] - The project is being developed by Swedish company Baseload Capital through a local subsidiary, which has been exploring geothermal resources in Taiwan since 2019 [1] - This is not Google's first geothermal initiative, as it previously partnered with geothermal startup Fervo to connect a 3.5-megawatt power plant to the grid for its data centers in Nevada [2] Industry Potential - Geothermal energy has the potential to provide up to 90 gigawatts of clean and consistent power in the U.S. by 2050 [3] - Taiwan, located on the western edge of the Ring of Fire, aims to harness 6 gigawatts of geothermal energy by 2050, indicating a significant opportunity for geothermal development in the region [3]

Meta announced on Monday that it’s going to train its AI models on public content, such as posts and comments on Facebook and Instagram, in the EU after previously pausing its plans to do so in response to regulatory pressure due to to data privacy concerns. The company will start training its AI on users’ content in the EU this week, it said. Users’ interactions with Meta AI will also be used to train its models.The announcement comes after a limited version of Meta AI launched in the EU last month, well a ...

Core Insights - Intel has entered into a definitive agreement to sell 51% of its Altera semiconductor business to Silver Lake, valuing Altera at $8.75 billion [1][2] - The deal will make Altera operationally independent, with Intel retaining 49% ownership [1] - Raghib Hussain is set to become the CEO of Altera on May 5, 2025, succeeding Sandra Rivera [1] Financial and Strategic Implications - The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions [2] - Intel's CEO Lip-Bu Tan stated that the announcement reflects the company's commitment to focus, reduce expenses, and strengthen its balance sheet [2] - Altera is repositioning its product portfolio to target the fastest growing and most profitable segments of the FPGA market [2] Company Background - Altera was founded in 1983 by semiconductor veterans Rodney Smith, Robert Hartmann, James Sansbury, and Paul Newhagen [2]

Core Insights - The Trump administration is implementing significant tariff exemptions for the tech industry, maintaining a 10% universal baseline tariff while increasing tariffs on Chinese goods to 125% on top of an existing 20% tariff [1][2]. Group 1: Tariff Exemptions - U.S. Customs and Border Protection has released a list of product categories exempt from the reciprocal tariffs, effective retroactively from April 5 [3]. - Exempted categories include smartphones, laptops, hard drives, and semiconductors, which will not be subject to the 125% tariff or the universal baseline tariff [4]. Group 2: Industry Reactions - Tech giants such as Apple and Nvidia are likely to benefit from these exemptions, as consumers will avoid significant price increases on products like the iPhone [4]. - The announcement has been described as a "dream scenario for tech investors" by Daniel Ives, indicating positive sentiment in the tech investment community [4]. Group 3: Future Considerations - Despite the exemptions, the tech industry may still face additional targeted tariffs and restrictions, particularly as the Trump administration is reportedly preparing a national security investigation into semiconductors [4].

Core Points - The court hearing regarding the sale of Nikola's assets to Lucid Motors proceeded without objections until a lawyer raised concerns about the auction process [1][2] - Nikola's founder Trevor Milton, recently pardoned, may challenge a $168 million arbitration award he owes to Nikola, which is significant in the bankruptcy case [3][4] - Nikola still possesses assets, including hydrogen-powered trucks, and plans to sell them after the Lucid transaction, which includes the sale of its Arizona factory and hiring of 300 employees [5][6] Group 1 - The sale of Nikola's assets to Lucid Motors was verbally approved by Judge Thomas Horan, with no objections filed initially [1] - A lawyer representing ISSO LLC, linked to Trevor Milton, expressed concerns about the auction process, indicating potential future disputes [2] - Milton's actions may be an attempt to undermine Nikola's sale process and impact the arbitration award [5][6] Group 2 - The $168 million arbitration award is a critical element of Nikola's Chapter 11 bankruptcy case, tied to false claims made by Milton during his tenure as CEO [4] - Nikola settled a class action lawsuit with shareholders by agreeing to distribute the arbitration award, highlighting the financial implications of Milton's actions [4] - Nikola's legal representatives believe Milton's involvement in the sale process is an attempt to harm the company for unclear benefits [5][6]

Group 1 - General Motors is laying off 500 workers at a factory in Canada due to weak demand for its all-electric BrightDrop vans [1] - The company is cutting one of the two shifts at the CAMI plant in Ontario and will idle the facility for 20 weeks starting in May [1] - GM stated that the layoffs are not related to the ongoing trade war initiated by President Donald Trump [1] Group 2 - BrightDrop was created as a separate entity within GM in 2021 but was absorbed back into GM in 2023 [2] - In 2024, BrightDrop's vans experienced a recall due to several battery fires [2] - Later in the previous year, GM moved BrightDrop under the Chevy brand [2]

Core Insights - Microsoft is purchasing 3.7 million metric tons of carbon removal credits from CO280 to help achieve its goal of becoming carbon-negative by 2030 [1][2] - The carbon capture project is expected to start in 2028 and will capture approximately 40% of the biogenic carbon dioxide released by the mill [1][7] - CO280 is collaborating with SLB Capturi to build the carbon capture facility, utilizing amine process technology [5] Microsoft’s Carbon Goals - The purchase of carbon credits is part of Microsoft's strategy to offset its greenhouse gas emissions, which totaled 17.1 million metric tons in 2023 [2][3] - Microsoft has been investing in renewable energy and carbon removal initiatives to meet its sustainability targets [3] CO280’s Project Details - CO280's first carbon capture project is located at a paper mill on the Gulf Coast, with plans for additional projects in the future [1][4] - The facility will capture carbon dioxide that would typically be released during the paper production process, effectively removing carbon from the atmosphere [6] - CO280 aims to double the carbon capture capacity in a second phase of the project [7] Financial Aspects - CO280 sells its carbon credits at approximately $200 per metric ton, allowing buyers to benefit from tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act [8] - The collaboration with paper mills will provide them with a share of the carbon credit proceeds, enhancing their financial performance [8]