She doesn’t eat. She doesn’t sleep. She never logs off.

Meet Jordan — the AI-powered “digital twin” of former British glamor model Katie Price. For a monthly fee, fans can chat, flirt, and even indulge in their “uncensored dreams” with her. She’s lifelike. She’s always available. And she’s part of a provocative new AI platform called OhChat, which some are calling OnlyFans for the AI age.

Katie Price herself is stunned:

“You couldn’t get any more human. It’s literally me,” she told CNN. “My voice. My personality. It’s me — just younger.”

But behind the novelty of AI-generated intimacy lies a growing storm of ethical questions, digital dependency, and blurred emotional boundaries.

The Platform: AI, Fame, and Fantasies on Demand

Launched in October 2024, OhChat offers something beyond traditional adult content sites: AI avatars of celebrities and creators that deliver fully personalized, always-on interactions. Subscribers can chat with these digital personalities, receive voice notes and images, and simulate intimacy — all without the human behind the avatar lifting a finger.

“It’s the lovechild between OnlyFans and OpenAI,” said OhChat CEO Nic Young.

Creators like Katie Price and Baywatch star Carmen Electra have already signed on. The platform boasts over 200,000 users, mostly in the U.S., and some avatars are reportedly earning thousands of dollars per month.

OhChat offers a tiered subscription model:

• $4.99/month for unlimited text chats
• $9.99 for access to voice notes and images
• $29.99 for VIP interaction with no limits

And creators keep 80% of the revenue their avatars generate. For many, it’s a new stream of passive income that runs 24/7.

“You have literally unlimited passive income without having to do anything again,” said Young.

To create an avatar, creators provide about 30 images and 30 minutes of voice interaction. Using Meta’s large language model, the AI is built “within hours” to mimic voice, appearance, and personality.

Price’s avatar, Jordan, is currently rated “Level 2” on the platform’s internal scale — meaning users can expect sexualized chats and topless content, but no full nudity or simulated sex. Creators choose the level of explicitness themselves.

“She doesn’t sleep. She’s always there,” Price said, adding that Jordan offers a level of connection even her OnlyFans page can’t match. “It’s scarily fascinating.”

The Ethical Gray Zone: Where Emotions and AI Collide

As AI avatars like Jordan rise in popularity, experts warn that the implications go far deeper than sexy chats and celebrity replicas.

“This creates exactly the right environment for the human to be left behind — while still being exploited,” said Eleanor Drage, an AI ethics researcher at Cambridge University.

Concerns range from emotional manipulation and parasocial relationships to reputational risks for public figures and users alike. AI relationships — even clearly artificial ones — can evoke very real emotions.

Sandra Wachter, a professor of technology and regulation at Oxford, questioned the societal cost:

“Is it socially beneficial to incentivize and monetize human-computer interaction masquerading as emotional discourse?”

Real-world examples add weight to those concerns. In 2023, a mother sued AI company Character.AI after her teenage son died by suicide following an intense bond with one of its chatbots. On social media, people routinely post about falling for ChatGPT “boyfriends” or AI-generated companions.

“It’s all algorithmic theatre,” said AI expert Toby Walsh. “An illusion of a reciprocal relationship where none actually exists.”

Still, OhChat insists it’s transparent. Young claims users are made aware they’re interacting with AI from the start, even if the illusion is immersive by design.

“We strike a balance between immersion and transparency,” Young said. “We’re very clear about what we are offering.”

But Walsh is skeptical. Platforms like OhChat are engineered for engagement, he said — and that means maximizing user attention and spending.

Reputation, Consent, and Control

There are risks for creators, too. AI avatars may say something unexpected, or even offensive — especially if the system “hallucinates,” a known issue with generative AI.

“If an avatar is hacked or says something offensive, reputational harm to the public figure is likely,” warned Éamon Chawke, a partner at IP law firm Briffa.

To mitigate that, OhChat implements strict guardrails. Each creator signs an agreement outlining what their avatar can and cannot do. Avatars can be paused or deleted at any time, and creators retain full control over their digital twin’s behavior and presence.

“It’s their call, entirely,” said Young. “They can walk away from it whenever they want.”

Despite the controversy, Young believes AI avatars are the inevitable future of digital celebrity.

“I can’t imagine a future where every creator doesn’t have a digital twin,” he said. “With absolute certainty, it will be the norm. And we want to be the platform that powers it.”

The Bottom Line

OhChat is pushing the boundaries of what intimacy looks like in the AI era — merging tech, celebrity, and fantasy into an always-on, monetized simulation of affection.

For fans, it may feel like closeness. For creators, it’s a new kind of digital labor. But for ethicists and skeptics, it’s a troubling glimpse into a world where emotional bonds are one-sided, data-driven, and for sale.

Jordan never sleeps. But maybe we should all pause and ask: At what cost does simulated connection come?

Source: CNN – ‘She never sleeps’: This platform wants to be OnlyFans for the AI era

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A decade after Google Glass fizzled out, smart glasses are making a comeback—and this time, Silicon Valley is betting big that artificial intelligence will finally make the concept click.

From Google and Meta to Snap and Amazon, major tech firms are racing to develop AI-powered eyewear that can see, understand, and respond to the world around you in real time. The goal? Replace—or at least supplement—the smartphone with something more intuitive, hands-free, and face-forward.

Why Now? Two Major Shifts Are Driving the Hype

There are two main reasons smart glasses are back in the spotlight:

1. The smartphone is losing its shine. People aren’t upgrading as often, and innovation has slowed.
2. AI has caught up. Today’s AI can handle voice, image, and video inputs simultaneously, making it far more useful in real-world scenarios than it was during Google Glass’ time.

“AI is making these devices a lot easier to use, and it’s also introducing new ways people can use them,” said Jitesh Ubrani, research manager at the International Data Corporation (IDC).

What Today’s Smart Glasses Can Actually Do

Early versions of smart glasses from Google, Snap, Meta, and Amazon focused on basics: taking pictures, listening to music, or offering voice assistance. But they didn’t do anything your phone couldn’t—and they certainly didn’t look cool.

Now, things are changing.

• Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses can translate languages in real time or tell you whether a pepper in your hand is spicy.
• Google’s Gemini-powered glasses can remember what you’ve seen and answer questions based on your environment. At a recent developer conference, a Google employee asked Gemini to recall the name of a coffee shop printed on a cup she had looked at earlier.
• Snap’s next-generation Spectacles, expected in 2026, promise AI that can “understand the world around you.”

Even better: Meta said it’s already sold over 2 million pairs of its Ray-Ban smart glasses since their 2023 launch.

The Market Is Set to Boom

After years of misfires, the numbers suggest this time could be different.

• ABI Research forecasts the smart glasses market will grow from 3.3 million units in 2024 to nearly 13 million by 2026.
• IDC expects growth from 8.8 million in 2025 to almost 14 million in 2026, especially among devices like Meta’s Ray-Bans.

“There’s finally now some good concepts of what’s working,” said Andrew Zignani, senior research director at ABI Research.

What’s Coming Next

Snap hasn’t revealed much about its upcoming Specs, but the company made its ambition clear: “The tiny smartphone limited our imagination. It forced us to look down at a screen, instead of up at the world.”

Meanwhile, Apple is rumored to be developing its own smart glasses, and Amazon may follow suit. Panos Panay, Amazon’s devices chief, hinted in February that AI-powered Alexa glasses could be part of the company’s future hardware roadmap.

AI platforms like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google Gemini are already prepping for this shift, turning your phone camera into a tool for understanding your surroundings. Even toy maker Mattel is reportedly working with OpenAI to embed similar tech in its products.

But Do People Actually Want Smart Glasses?

That’s the billion-dollar question.

Privacy concerns remain a major hurdle. Google Glass famously flopped in part because people were creeped out by the idea of hidden cameras. Today’s models try to address that by including lights that signal when they’re recording—but that may not be enough to win over the skeptical.

Then there’s the price. Meta’s Ray-Bans cost around $300—not outrageous, but not cheap either, especially as consumers grow cautious about spending on non-essential gadgets. For comparison, global smartwatch sales recently dropped for the first time in years, suggesting wearables may be losing steam.

Another challenge? Convincing people to wear glasses all day—especially those who don’t need prescription lenses.

Still, Tech Giants Are Willing to Bet on the Future

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently told a federal court that smart glasses—and even holograms—could be central to how we interact with technology in the future.

“Many in the industry believe that the smartphone will eventually be replaced by glasses or something similar,” said Ubrani. “It’s not going to happen today. It’s going to happen many years from now, and all these companies want to make sure that they’re not going to miss out on that change.”

Whether consumers will buy into the vision—or the glasses—is still up in the air. But for now, Big Tech is all-in.

Source: CNN – Google, Meta and Snap think this tech is the next big thing

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The head of one of the world’s leading AI companies has issued a stark warning: artificial intelligence could trigger a surge in unemployment that we’re not prepared for.

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, told CNN’s Anderson Cooper that AI is rapidly surpassing humans at nearly every intellectual task. “We’re going to collectively, as a society, grapple with it,” Amodei said. “AI is going to get better at what everyone does — including CEOs like me.”

How bad could it get? Amodei predicts that AI could wipe out half of all entry-level white-collar jobs, pushing unemployment in the U.S. as high as 20% within the next five years. For context, the last time unemployment neared that level was during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This isn’t just a casual forecast — it’s a warning from someone at the forefront of the AI revolution. And it comes as Anthropic unveils AI technology designed to work nearly a full human workday on complex tasks, with minimal supervision.

Why This Matters: White-Collar Jobs at Risk

Historically, technology has tended to replace low-skilled jobs, with the idea that displaced workers could retrain for better-paying roles. But Amodei’s warning flips that script: AI might soon replace specialized, highly educated professionals — people who’ve invested years in training and schooling. And retraining at that level may not be easy or even possible on a large scale.

He even suggests that governments consider taxing AI companies to help offset the societal impacts. “If AI creates huge total wealth, a lot of that will, by default, go to the AI companies and less to ordinary people,” Amodei said. “It’s not in my economic interest to say that, but I think this is something we should consider — and it shouldn’t be a partisan issue.”

Jobs in the Crosshairs: Who’s Most Vulnerable?

From paralegals to payroll clerks, financial advisers to software coders, many white-collar roles could face major upheaval. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently predicted that AI will write half of Facebook’s code within a year, and Microsoft’s Satya Nadella said AI already writes about 30% of Microsoft’s code.

Amodei shared that about 40% of people using Anthropic’s AI are employing it to fully automate jobs, while 60% use it to augment their work — and the automation number is growing. Just last week, Anthropic launched an AI model that can work independently for nearly seven hours straight.

A Rapid, Unprecedented Shift

What sets this AI revolution apart is its speed and scope. Amodei warns this wave of change is “faster, broader, harder to adapt to” than previous technological shifts. Most people don’t realize how quickly AI is evolving.

While some experts believe AI will mostly automate tasks rather than entire jobs, and others think the pace may slow as AI runs out of training data, there’s broad agreement on one thing: it’s time to start planning for AI’s economic impact.

University of Virginia economist Anton Korinek put it plainly: “Historically, the economy has created new jobs to replace old ones. But intelligent machines might be able to do those new jobs, too — and faster than humans.”

The Silver Lining: AI’s Potential to Help Humanity

Amodei isn’t sounding the alarm just to scare people. He believes AI can help solve major challenges — from curing diseases to advancing human knowledge. “I wouldn’t be building this technology if I didn’t think it could make the world better,” he said.

His warnings also build his reputation as a responsible leader who wants to steer AI development carefully, amid growing public and governmental scrutiny. Tech futurist Tracey Follows explained, “By raising these concerns now, Amodei is being transparent. If AI causes major disruption in the next five years, Anthropic can say they warned us.”

What’s Next? Facing the AI Future Together

Amodei told Cooper he’s “raising the alarm” because others in the industry haven’t been as vocal. “I don’t think we can stop this bus,” he said. “But I hope to steer the technology so we’re aware of and address the harms — while still unlocking the benefits.”

The AI revolution is already here — and it’s changing how we work faster than most of us realize. The question now is how society, business leaders, and policymakers will respond before the economic shockwaves hit.

Source: CNN – Why this leading AI CEO is warning the tech could cause mass unemployment

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Chinese AI startup DeepSeek quietly released an update to its R1 reasoning model early Thursday, stepping up the competition with major US players like OpenAI. Though the company hasn’t made an official public announcement, the update—dubbed R1-0528—is now available on the developer platform Hugging Face for early testers.

While DeepSeek has yet to publish detailed info or comparisons about the new model, independent benchmarks are already making waves. The LiveCodeBench leaderboard—a respected benchmark created by researchers at UC Berkeley, MIT, and Cornell—places DeepSeek’s updated R1 just behind OpenAI’s powerful o4 mini and o3 models in code generation. Impressively, it ranks ahead of xAI’s Grok 3 mini and Alibaba’s Qwen 3, signaling DeepSeek’s rising influence in the AI race.

A Quiet But Powerful Move

Earlier reports from Bloomberg revealed that DeepSeek described this release as a “minor trial upgrade,” with users encouraged to begin testing immediately. This update follows a string of breakthroughs from DeepSeek that have already disrupted industry assumptions.

Back in January, DeepSeek stunned the tech world by launching the original R1 model, challenging the belief that China’s AI progress was being held back by US export controls. The model matched or outperformed some of the leading US AI models — all while running at a fraction of the cost.

That announcement sent tech stocks outside China tumbling, rattling markets and raising questions about the future landscape of AI development. Since then, Chinese giants like Alibaba and Tencent have raced to release models aiming to surpass DeepSeek’s achievements.

The Global AI Race Heats Up

The AI arms race is intensifying globally. Google has rolled out discounted access tiers for its Gemini model, while OpenAI responded by lowering prices and introducing an efficient o3 mini model designed to use less computing power.

Meanwhile, DeepSeek is rumored to be preparing a major release: R2, the highly anticipated successor to R1. According to Reuters sources from March, R2 was initially expected to debut in May. The company also pushed out an upgrade to its V3 large language model earlier this year.

What This Means for the Future

DeepSeek’s advancements signal a shift in the global AI landscape. Their ability to develop high-performing AI models at a much lower cost challenges long-standing assumptions about the scale of investment and computing power needed to compete with US tech giants.

As DeepSeek and Chinese tech giants continue to push boundaries, the AI competition is entering a new phase — one that could reshape innovation, pricing, and accessibility worldwide.

Source: CNN – China’s DeepSeek releases update to AI model that sent US shares tumbling earlier this year

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Key Numbers at a Glance:

• Earnings per share (adjusted): $0.96 vs. $0.93 expected
• Revenue: $44.06 billion vs. $43.31 billion expected
• Net income: $18.8 billion, up 26% from $14.9 billion a year ago
• Data center revenue: $39.1 billion, up 73% year-over-year
• Overall revenue growth: 69% year-over-year

AI Boom Keeps Driving Nvidia’s Growth

The driving force behind Nvidia’s monster quarter? Its booming data center division — fueled by surging global demand for AI infrastructure. That segment alone accounted for a staggering 88% of total revenue.

CEO Jensen Huang called out the strong momentum, stating, “Global demand for Nvidia’s AI infrastructure is incredibly strong,” noting widespread deployment of its chips for training and running AI applications like ChatGPT.

Big cloud providers are leading the charge. Nvidia’s CFO Colette Kress highlighted that Microsoft has already deployed “tens of thousands” of Nvidia’s new Blackwell GPUs and plans to scale to “hundreds of thousands” in partnership with OpenAI.

Setback in China, but Outlook Still Strong

Despite the strong performance, Nvidia faced a major headwind in China. A U.S. export ban on its H20 chips — part of the Hopper family — forced the company to write down $4.5 billion in excess inventory and cost it an estimated $2.5 billion in lost sales this quarter.

Huang didn’t mince words: “The $50 billion market in China for AI chips is effectively closed to U.S. industry,” he said. “The H20 export ban ended our Hopper data center business in China.”

Nvidia’s gross margin took a hit as a result, coming in at 61%. Without the China-related write-down, it would’ve been 71.3%.

Looking ahead, Nvidia expects about $45 billion in sales next quarter — slightly below analyst forecasts of $45.9 billion. Without the China disruption, the company said its guidance would’ve been $8 billion higher.

Other Business Segments See Solid Growth

• Gaming: Still a major contributor, gaming revenue rose 42% year-over-year to $3.8 billion. Nvidia’s gaming chips continue to find use in both gaming consoles (like the upcoming Nintendo Switch 2) and AI applications.
• Automotive and Robotics: This segment surged 72% to $567 million, driven by growing adoption of Nvidia’s chips and software for autonomous vehicles.
• Professional Visualization: Revenue from this business, which includes Nvidia’s DGX Spark and DGX Station desktops, grew 19% to $509 million.

Shareholder Returns

Nvidia also returned capital to shareholders in a big way — spending $14.1 billion on share buybacks and paying out $244 million in dividends during the quarter.

Bottom Line

Even with geopolitical roadblocks, Nvidia’s growth story shows no signs of slowing down. The AI gold rush is real, and Nvidia continues to dominate the field with unmatched momentum — a fact investors clearly noticed as shares climbed to their highest level in four months, now sitting less than 5% below the all-time high.

Source: CNBC – Nvidia beats on earnings and revenue as data center sales jump 73%

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Jony Ive, the legendary designer behind Apple’s most iconic products, is officially joining OpenAI in a bold move to redefine the future of personal computing.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, has announced a strategic partnership and merger with Ive’s tech company, io, in a deal reportedly valued at $6.5 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and other sources. Ive’s renowned design firm LoveFrom will now take the lead on design initiatives for both OpenAI and io.

“We have the opportunity to completely reimagine what it means to use a computer,” said OpenAI CEO Sam Altman in an announcement video.

A New Vision for AI-Driven Hardware

This collaboration marks a turning point as tech leaders race to integrate AI into everyday devices—going far beyond phones and laptops. Ive and Altman are working on a mysterious AI-powered product aimed at creating a more human-centered, less disruptive computing experience than today’s smartphones.

While details remain under wraps, Altman teased that a prototype already exists and called it “the coolest piece of technology the world will have ever seen.” The first public glimpse of their work is expected sometime next year.

A Partnership Years in the Making

Ive has already been working with OpenAI for the past two years, quietly helping to explore next-gen AI interfaces. According to The New York Times, OpenAI previously held a 23% stake in io, making this expansion of the partnership a natural progression.

The timing of the announcement is no coincidence. Just one day earlier, Google unveiled its plans for AI-powered smart glasses—joining Meta, which has already sold over 2 million pairs of its Ray-Ban smart glasses. Meanwhile, other AI-centric gadgets like the Humane AI Pin have struggled to gain traction.

“The products we use to deliver powerful technology are decades old,” Ive remarked. “Surely, there’s something beyond these legacy devices.”

Ive’s Legacy and the Road Ahead

Jony Ive is best known for shaping the design of the iPhone, iMac, iPad, and Apple Park headquarters. After nearly 30 years at Apple, he left in 2019 to form LoveFrom, but his influence on modern consumer tech remains unmatched. Apple CEO Tim Cook once said Ive’s role in the company’s revival “cannot be overstated.”

With this new venture alongside OpenAI, Ive is poised to influence yet another generation of devices—this time infused with the power of artificial intelligence.

As OpenAI continues to dominate the AI conversation and Apple integrates ChatGPT into Siri, all eyes are now on what Ive and Altman will unveil in 2025.

Source: CNN – Former Apple design chief Jony Ive is joining OpenAI

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Apple is reportedly exploring a major shift in how it handles search on its Safari web browser, potentially bringing AI-powered search engines into the mix. This move could pose a significant challenge to Google’s longstanding dominance in the search market.

According to Bloomberg News, Apple executive Eddy Cue testified during the U.S. Justice Department’s antitrust case against Alphabet that Safari search traffic recently dropped for the first time. He attributed this decline to more users turning to AI-powered search engines, signaling a potential turning point for traditional search methods.

Currently, Google holds the default search engine position on Safari—a highly sought-after spot that comes with a hefty price tag. It’s estimated that Google pays Apple around \$20 billion annually for this privilege, which represents about 36% of Google’s search advertising revenue through Safari. However, if Apple shifts its focus to AI-powered alternatives, it could significantly impact Google’s bottom line.

This news comes at a time when Google is already facing increased competition from AI-focused startups like OpenAI and Perplexity. Apple has partnered with OpenAI to integrate ChatGPT into Siri, and Google is scrambling to secure a deal with Apple to embed its Gemini AI technology into the latest Apple devices.

Apple’s potential move could further shake up Google’s dominance, with some analysts predicting serious consequences. D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria warned that if Apple moves away from Google as its default search engine, it could result in a massive shift in advertising budgets. Advertisers, many of whom currently rely solely on Google’s search advertising platform, might divert their ad dollars to other viable search alternatives.

While Cue confirmed that Apple plans to include AI-driven search engines, such as OpenAI and Perplexity, as options in Safari, he emphasized that they likely won’t be the default search engines—at least not initially. The introduction of AI search engines could provide users with more choices, potentially changing the landscape of online search.

Google, which has long held an almost monopolistic share of the search market (around 90%), faces an uncertain future if alternatives become mainstream. As tech investors are closely watching these developments, the next steps could reshape how we search and how advertisers spend their marketing budgets.

Both Apple and Google saw their stock prices dip following the news—Alphabet shares dropped 6%, while Apple’s decreased by about 2%. Neither company, nor the Justice Department, responded to requests for comment at the time of the report.

As the AI-driven search race heats up, it’s clear that the battle for the future of search is just beginning. Stay tuned to see how this plays out.

Source: CNN – Apple looks to add AI search to Safari in potential blow for Google

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In a move aimed at securing more investment and keeping pace with the rapidly evolving AI landscape, OpenAI announced on Monday that it will remain under the control of its nonprofit parent. However, the company plans to restructure its for-profit arm to help raise additional capital necessary for advancing artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

This decision comes after a whirlwind of criticism and legal challenges, including a high-profile lawsuit from Elon Musk. Musk and others have accused OpenAI of drifting from its original mission to develop AI that benefits humanity.

In a blog post, OpenAI explained that it chose to keep the nonprofit in charge after consulting with civic leaders and engaging in discussions with the Attorneys General of California and Delaware. The company emphasized that it would work closely with its major backer, Microsoft, along with regulators and newly appointed nonprofit commissioners, to finalize the new structure.

The Push for More Capital

OpenAI had initially planned in December to transform into a public benefit corporation, which would allow the organization to raise more capital and reduce restrictions imposed by its current nonprofit framework. This move raised concerns about the allocation of assets between the nonprofit and for-profit arms and the balance between making profits and serving the public good, especially as OpenAI pushes the boundaries of AI development.

On Monday, the company clarified that the nonprofit will continue to control the public benefit corporation, making it a major shareholder in the newly structured entity. Public benefit corporations offer more flexibility than traditional nonprofits, allowing them to pursue profits while still focusing on social impact.

A Compromise That Works for Investors

Bret Taylor, OpenAI’s board chairman, called the announcement a “compromise” that preserves much of the existing structure. CEO Sam Altman echoed this sentiment, describing it as a solution that satisfies investors while ensuring enough funding to continue its ambitious AI projects.

OpenAI has been facing increasing pressure to attract more investment in the race to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) — AI that surpasses human intelligence. The startup plans to raise up to $40 billion in a funding round led by SoftBank Group, with a projected $300 billion valuation. This round, however, hinges on OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit model by the end of the year.

Raising Capital and Investor Concerns

Despite the announcement, some analysts remain skeptical about OpenAI’s ability to raise capital as efficiently with nonprofit control in place. Gil Luria, an analyst at D.A. Davidson, pointed out that “the nonprofit status significantly reduces OpenAI’s ability to raise capital,” as investors typically seek a return on investment, something harder to achieve with a nonprofit structure.

A History of Drama and Change

OpenAI’s governance structure gained attention in November 2023 after a dramatic boardroom shakeup that saw Altman ousted for a brief period over trust and communication issues. His reinstatement, after a wave of support from employees and investors, was a defining moment for the company, highlighting the challenges of balancing its nonprofit roots with the demands of rapidly expanding in a commercial market.

With this new restructuring plan, OpenAI aims to strike a delicate balance between maintaining its original mission and scaling up to meet the growing demand for advanced AI technology. Whether the move will satisfy all stakeholders, however, remains to be seen.

Source: CNN – OpenAI to remain under non-profit control in change of restructuring plans

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SoftBank Group Corp. is on the hunt for a record-breaking $16.5 billion loan to fuel its artificial intelligence (AI) investments in the United States, according to sources familiar with the matter. This would mark the company’s largest-ever loan solely in US dollars, underscoring SoftBank’s growing commitment to the booming AI sector.

The loan, a bridge facility with a term of approximately 12 months, is still in its early stages of negotiation with banks. Sources, who asked to remain anonymous, noted that the deal could evolve over the coming weeks. A SoftBank representative declined to comment on the discussions at this stage.

This strategic funding is part of SoftBank’s broader effort to accelerate its $500 billion AI infrastructure project in the US. Along with its robotics and semiconductor ambitions, the company is positioning itself as a key player in the AI space. Despite collaborating with major names like OpenAI, Oracle Corp., and Abu Dhabi’s MGX on the Stargate AI venture, SoftBank remains the primary financier for the data center project it promised to US President Donald Trump.

The loan could also enable SoftBank to take a leading role in a record-breaking $40 billion funding round for OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT. This round, which would value OpenAI at a staggering $300 billion, is set to become the largest financing round in history. The Stargate initiative is part of SoftBank’s broader effort to enhance the widespread adoption and availability of OpenAI services.

SoftBank’s latest loan request would far exceed its previous record, which was a $10 billion margin loan in 2021, secured with its shares in Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. That loan involved at least 14 banks and set the stage for SoftBank’s push into AI. Now, with even bigger ambitions, SoftBank’s bid for $16.5 billion highlights its determination to lead in the rapidly evolving tech landscape.

As SoftBank continues to invest in AI and related technologies, this loan marks a significant step in its quest to shape the future of artificial intelligence globally.

Source: Bloomberg – SoftBank Seeks Record $16.5 Billion Loan for AI Projects in US

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Elon Musk has made another bold move in the tech industry, selling his social media platform, X, to his artificial intelligence company, xAI, in an all-stock deal valued at $33 billion. The billionaire entrepreneur announced the transaction on Friday, describing it as a strategic step to integrate AI-driven advancements with X’s extensive user base.

Both X and xAI are privately held companies, meaning they are not obligated to disclose their financial details publicly. However, Musk emphasized the potential benefits of the deal, stating that it will “unlock immense potential by blending xAI’s advanced AI capability and expertise with X’s massive reach.”

The deal values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion. Musk originally acquired the platform—then known as Twitter—for $44 billion in 2022. Since then, he has significantly reshaped the company, cutting staff, altering content moderation policies, and rebranding it as X.

Musk launched xAI in 2023, focusing on artificial intelligence development. With this latest merger, he aims to integrate AI more deeply into X, leveraging the platform’s vast data and user interactions to enhance AI capabilities.

“xAI and X’s futures are intertwined. Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution, and talent,” Musk posted on X. “This combination will unlock immense potential by blending xAI’s advanced AI capability and expertise with X’s massive reach. The combined company will deliver smarter, more meaningful experiences to billions of people while staying true to our core mission of seeking truth and advancing knowledge.”

It remains unclear how this deal will impact everyday X users. xAI already utilizes data from X posts to train its AI models, and premium X subscribers have access to its AI chatbot, Grok. Whether this merger will introduce new AI-driven features or alter user experiences significantly is yet to be seen.

Musk’s latest move reinforces his long-term vision of integrating artificial intelligence into digital communication platforms, potentially reshaping the future of online interactions.

Source: AP News – Elon Musk sells X to his own xAI for $33 billion in all-stock deal

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