Tech

A recent Just Capital survey reveals a stark gap in AI optimism: 93 % of corporate leaders and 80 % of investors see AI’s net societal benefit within five years, versus only 58 % of the public. While 94‑98 % of business respondents expect AI to raise productivity, just 47 % of Americans share that view, and nearly half fear job loss. All groups worry about safety, but the public adds concerns over algorithmic control and environmental impact. The study highlights market opportunities for robust governance, transparent audits, energy‑efficient hardware, and ESG‑aligned AI compliance.

Meta is pivoting from its open‑source Llama models to a proprietary next‑ AI system codenamed “Avocado,” now slated for Q1 2026 after testing delays. The shift follows a $14.3 billion hiring spree, including Scale AI founder Alexandr Wang as chief AI officer, to compete with OpenAI, Google and Anthropic. While ad revenue remains strong ($160 bn+ annually), the company is expanding data‑center capacity and adopting third‑party clouds to support AI workloads. Investors will watch Avocado’s performance, cost efficiencies, and its impact on Meta’s ad business.

U.S. regulators have lifted the export ban on Nvidia’s H200 AI accelerator, reopening a potential $1‑2 billion revenue stream in China. While the chip offers superior performance and addresses current supply shortages, Beijing’s “self‑reliance” drive is rapidly advancing domestic AI‑chip ecosystems, narrowing the gap with U.S. technology. Chinese firms may adopt a hybrid strategy—using H200 for peak workloads while scaling home‑grown solutions—but long‑term policy and investment trends favor a move away from foreign silicon, making the opportunity likely temporary.

San Francisco’s Downtown Development Corporation, launched by Mayor Daniel Lurie, has secured over $60 million in early commitments from tech giants—including Google and OpenAI—and other donors such as Visa and Salesforce. The funds will fuel the “Heart of the City” program, covering grants, low‑interest financing, and legal support to revive vacant storefronts on Powell and Stockton, as well as a new Embarcadero Park. Officials cite falling crime, rising venture capital, and upcoming major events as signs of a post‑pandemic rebound and a growing AI‑driven economic surge.

Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison launched a $30‑per‑share cash hostile bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, drawing political backing from Jared Kushner and sparking antitrust concerns, while shares of both firms rose. The U.S. will allow Nvidia, AMD and Intel to export AI chips to restricted markets for a 25 % royalty, boosting their stocks. Meta’s AI strategy pivots from open‑source Llama to a proprietary “Avocado” model, causing internal disarray. Washington unveiled a $12 billion farm aid package funded by tariffs. McDonald’s will tighten franchise pricing oversight from 2026. IBM announced an $11 billion acquisition of Confluent to expand its hybrid‑cloud and real‑time data capabilities.

Fifth Third Bank partners exclusively with fintech Brex to provide commercial cards and expense‑management tools via Brex’s AI‑driven embedded‑payments platform. The deal supports Fifth Third’s merger with Comerica and gives Brex access to a nationwide branch network. Both firms gain AI‑powered spend controls, real‑time invoicing, predictive cash‑flow, and enhanced fraud monitoring. Financial terms undisclosed.

Paramount Skydance launched a hostile $30‑per‑share all‑cash bid for Warner Bros. Discovery, outbidding Netflix’s $27.75 cash‑and‑stock offer, sending Paramount shares up 9% and WBD up 4.4%. Meanwhile, the U.S. approved Nvidia’s H200 AI chips for export to selected foreign customers with required U.S. revenue repatriation, nudging its stock higher. Major U.S. indexes fell as investors priced in a ~90% chance of a 25‑basis‑point Fed rate cut at the year‑end meeting, warning of a 2‑3% equity pullback if the cut is missed. Private‑credit markets are now mirroring high‑yield bonds, raising underwriting‑standard concerns.

The EU has launched an antitrust probe into Google’s use of copyrighted web and YouTube content to train its AI models, examining whether the firm imposes unfair terms on publishers, grants itself privileged data access, and disadvantages rival AI developers. The investigation could lead to mandatory licensing schemes that compensate creators. It follows recent EU enforcement actions against U.S. tech firms, including fines on X and a probe into Meta’s WhatsApp data use, highlighting growing regulatory scrutiny of Big Tech’s data practices in Europe.

U.S. authorities dismantled a China‑linked smuggling ring that moved over $160 million of export‑controlled NVIDIA H100 and H200 GPUs. Operation Gatekeeper led to the guilty plea of Texas businessman Alan Hao Hsu and his firm Hao Global, plus charges against New York‑based Fanyue Gong and Canadian Benlin Yuan for using falsified documents and “straw purchasers” to reroute chips to mainland China, Hong Kong and other prohibited sites. The bust underscores heightened enforcement of AI‑hardware export controls and the broader U.S.–China rivalry over advanced semiconductor technology.

House Democrats are launching the Democratic Commission on AI and the Innovation Economy to lead federal policy on artificial intelligence as firms ramp up lobbying and a $100 million AI‑backed super‑PAC targets the 2026 midterms. Led by Reps. Ted Lieu, Josh Gottheimer and Valerie Foushee, the commission will convene industry, stakeholders and committees to craft a unified legislative agenda, address state‑level regulatory conflicts, and focus on a federal risk‑assessment framework, data‑sharing sandbox, and secure AI‑hardware supply chains. The effort aims to provide clearer oversight, boost venture funding and protect national security.