This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp saw its net income soar 59 percent to $62.36 billion in 2024. Social media giant Meta on Wednesday reported surging profits and revenue for 2024, announcing ambitious plans to expand its artificial intelligence infrastructure in the year ahead. The bullish projectio ...

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella speaks during the Microsoft Ignite conference, Tuesday, Nov. 19, 2024, in Chicago. Credit: AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast, File Microsoft said Wednesday that its profit for the October-December quarter grew 10% as it works to capitalize on the huge amounts of money it has spent to advance its artificia ...

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: A sign for a Nvidia building is shown in Santa Clara, Calif., May 31, 2023. Credit: AP Photo/Jeff Chiu, File The superstar run for Nvidia's stock the last few years has been astonishing. So was its tumble Monday, which caused $595 billion in wealth to vanish. That's about as much as PepsiCo, McDonalds, Starbucks and Target are w ...

Core Viewpoint - ASML's shares surged despite a decline in annual net profit, driven by better-than-expected orders for its advanced chip-making machines [1][2]. Financial Performance - ASML reported total sales of 28.3 billion euros for the year, slightly exceeding its forecast of 28 billion euros, marking it as a record year [3]. - The company's after-tax profit for 2024 was 7.6 billion euros, down from 7.8 billion euros in 2023 [4]. - In the fourth quarter, ASML's sales reached 9.3 billion euros, surpassing previous guidance of 8.8 to 9.2 billion euros, with a net profit of 2.7 billion euros compared to 2.1 billion euros in the third quarter of the previous year [10]. Market Dynamics - The growth in artificial intelligence is identified as a key driver for the semiconductor industry, with ASML's CEO emphasizing the shift in market dynamics [3][9]. - ASML maintained its annual sales forecast for 2025 at 30-35 billion euros, reflecting the impact of export controls [4][8]. Export Controls and Geopolitical Context - The company is navigating the complexities of US-led export controls aimed at curbing high-tech exports to China, which has been described as "technological terrorism" by Beijing [5][8]. - The Dutch government has tightened export controls on advanced semiconductor production equipment, but ASML stated that these measures would have "no additional impact" on its business [7]. Future Outlook - ASML has identified 2024 as a transition year, anticipating significant growth in 2025, although the recovery is described as slower than expected [10]. - The long-term sales guidance remains unchanged at 44 to 60 billion euros for 2030, with optimism pinned on the expanding AI market [9].

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk shown arriving at US President Donald Trump's inauguration earlier this month. Tesla is set to report earnings Wednesday for the first time since President Donald Trump—a close ally of CEO Elon Musk—returned to the White House. The fourth-quarter results conclude a mixed year for Tesla. While the ...

Core Points - X, formerly known as Twitter, is partnering with Visa to launch a real-time payment system, marking progress towards Elon Musk's vision of an "everything app" [1][3] - The "X Money Account" service will support a digital wallet and peer-to-peer payments, with Visa Direct powering these services for users in the U.S. [2][3] - The partnership is seen as a significant milestone, with expectations for more announcements regarding X Money throughout the year [3][4] Company Developments - The launch of the X Money Account is part of Musk's long-standing interest in creating a super app similar to China's WeChat, which integrates various services [3][4] - The competitive landscape for such platforms has intensified, with other social media companies like Meta expanding their offerings [5][6] - Since Musk's acquisition in 2022, X has faced challenges, including user and advertiser alienation due to rising hate speech and misinformation [6] Regulatory Environment - X's ambitions may attract scrutiny from major tech companies and regulators, particularly regarding competition in the super app space [7][8] - The U.S. Justice Department has raised concerns about Apple's market power potentially stifling the development of super apps, which could impact X's strategy [8]

Group 1 - Chevron is partnering with Engine No. 1 and GE Vernova to develop natural gas power plants in the U.S. to support data centers, particularly for AI development [1][6] - The joint venture aims to create a multi gigawatt-scale power plant and data center, responding to increased electricity demand driven by AI technologies [2][7] - The initial projects, termed "power foundries," will utilize seven GE Vernova 7HA natural gas turbines and are expected to serve data centers in various U.S. regions [6][7] Group 2 - The venture plans to deliver up to four gigawatts of power, sufficient to supply electricity to approximately 3 million to 3.5 million U.S. homes, with initial service targeted by the end of 2027 [7] - The partnership emphasizes the importance of energy in maintaining America's AI leadership and aims to leverage domestic natural gas for electricity generation [8][9] - The collaboration addresses significant energy challenges and aims to enhance productivity across the economy while restoring America's industrial power [9]

This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies . Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain Facebook parent Meta has begun testing ads on its newest social network Threads, an executive announced Friday, as the company continues to grow its alternative to Elon Musk's X. Launched in summer 2023, its debut came eight months after Musk's acquisition of Twitter—now called X—when changes ...

Core Viewpoint - Meta plans to invest at least $60 billion in artificial intelligence in 2025, aiming to lead in the technology sector [1][2] Investment Plans - Meta's investment in AI is projected to be between $60 billion and $65 billion in capital expenditures for the year [2] - The company is also constructing a massive new datacenter to support its AI initiatives [2][5] AI Development Goals - Zuckerberg expects Meta AI to become the top digital assistant, with a user base exceeding one billion people [2] - The tech firm aims for its Llama 4 model to be at the forefront of AI advancements [2] Industry Context - The announcement follows a major investment initiative by US President Donald Trump, who stated that a venture called Stargate will invest at least $500 billion in AI infrastructure in the United States [3] - Microsoft is also heavily investing in AI, with plans to allocate about $80 billion this fiscal year for AI datacenters and model training [4]

Core Insights - Meta generated $338,000 from a pro-Russian disinformation network known as "Doppelganger" between August 2023 and November 2024, which involved at least 8,000 pieces of sponsored content [3] - The Doppelganger operation has been active since 2022, targeting users in France, Germany, Poland, and Italy with anti-Ukraine and anti-Western messages [2][3] - Despite sanctions imposed on two Russian companies linked to the operation, Meta continued to approve and distribute advertisements associated with one of them, raising legal compliance concerns [4][5] Company Actions - Meta claimed to be the first tech company to uncover the Doppelganger campaign and has blocked tens of thousands of related posts [6][8] - The company acknowledged the existence of the campaign in September 2022, referring to it as a "coordinated influence campaign" linked to Russia [7] Operational Insights - The Doppelganger operation has evolved from traditional posts to include ads on Facebook and has expanded to other social media platforms, including Bluesky [9][10] - The campaign utilizes bot accounts with AI-generated profiles to amplify its messages, demonstrating a level of sophistication in its operations [10][11] Public Perception - The operation's success is partly attributed to media coverage that highlights its activities, which ironically serves to increase visibility for the disinformation campaign [12]