Tech

US stocks experienced a volatile day, closing mixed. Initial optimism about potential US-China trade de-escalation faded after Trump threatened action on cooking oil. Powell hinted at a possible end to Fed tightening. Major bank earnings exceeded expectations. Oracle will use AMD’s AI chips, diversifying from Nvidia. Trump is credited for brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff highlighted the company’s focus on generative AI at the World Economic Forum in Davos, 2025. Salesforce is strengthening its generative AI strategy by partnering with prominent AI developers. This move aims to alleviate investor anxieties regarding increasing competition in the AI sector and the significant impact of artificial intelligence on business.

OpenAI has formed an Expert Council on Well-Being and AI, comprised of eight specialists, to guide the responsible development of its AI technologies, including ChatGPT and Sora. The council aims to define healthy AI interactions and promote user well-being. This initiative comes amid growing regulatory scrutiny and concerns about AI’s potential negative impacts, especially on vulnerable populations. OpenAI is also collaborating with researchers and mental health professionals to test and refine its policies. The creation of the council demonstrates OpenAI’s commitment to ethical AI development and user safety.

Following DOJ engagement, Meta removed a Facebook group allegedly used to target ICE agents. Attorney General Bondi stated the DOJ will engage tech companies to eliminate platforms inciting violence against law enforcement. Meta cited “Coordinating Harm” policies. Apple and Google also removed related apps, sparking debate over free speech vs. public safety. ICEBlock’s creator criticized the removal as a constitutional rights suppression. The situation highlights the challenges tech platforms face balancing content moderation and civil liberties.

OpenAI is aggressively pursuing strategic partnerships and hardware development, signaling a shift from solely focusing on algorithms to prioritizing infrastructure and custom silicon. Collaborations with Broadcom and acquisitions like Jony Ive’s startup aim to optimize AI accelerators and create innovative AI-native devices. The Stargate initiative solidifies OpenAI’s control over AI infrastructure through deals with Nvidia and AMD. Furthermore, OpenAI is actively cultivating its developer ecosystem, transforming ChatGPT into an AI operating system and fostering tight integration to enhance its platform’s stickiness. This vertical integration strategy mirrors those of Apple and Microsoft, aiming to establish OpenAI as a dominant force in the AI landscape.

California enacted legislation aimed at protecting children online, addressing concerns about AI chatbots, social media, and digitally altered content. SB 243 requires AI chatbots to disclose their AI nature and prompt minor users to take breaks. AB 56 mandates social media platforms to display mental health risk warnings, while AB 621 increases penalties for deepfake pornography. AB 1043 requires age verification tools in app stores. The laws necessitate changes in tech business models and align with a global trend toward greater AI regulation.

Oura, a Finnish health tech company, secured over $900 million in Series E funding, valuing it at $11 billion. Led by Fidelity, the investment will accelerate innovation and global expansion in the smart ring market. Oura, known for its wellness-focused Oura Ring, has sold over 5.5 million units and generated over $500 million in revenue in 2024. The company is expanding its services with features like Health Panels and partnerships with Dexcom, aiming for comprehensive health management and personalized insights through its AI-powered Advisor.

Meta is implementing stricter content policies on Instagram for users under 18, aligning them more closely with PG-13 movie ratings. New accounts default to private, and explicit content, including sexualized imagery and drug/alcohol references, will be filtered. Instagram will no longer proactively recommend posts with explicit language. The move addresses child safety concerns and aims to improve the online experience for teens, responding to scrutiny over potential negative impacts on mental health. The rollout began in the US, UK, Australia, and Canada.

Salesforce is aggressively pursuing generative AI partnerships with companies like OpenAI and Anthropic to integrate AI models into its Agentforce 360 software. This aims to address investor concerns about AI competition impacting Salesforce’s core business. The integration enhances customer service capabilities by automating interactions and providing real-time insights. Despite these efforts, Salesforce shares have underperformed. Other companies like Atlassian and Microsoft are also forging similar AI partnerships. Salesforce plans to facilitate transactions within ChatGPT and focus Anthropic collaboration on regulated industries.

Oracle Cloud Infrastructure will deploy 50,000 AMD GPUs by late 2026, intensifying competition in cloud AI. AMD shares rose slightly on the news, while Oracle and Nvidia dipped. This reflects a trend of cloud providers diversifying GPU options beyond Nvidia, especially for AI inferencing. The partnership utilizes AMD’s Instinct MI450 chips for scalable AI computation. OpenAI is expanding its AMD infrastructure with a multi-year deal, potentially acquiring AMD shares. They also signed a $300 billion cloud agreement with Oracle, showing broader investment in diverse computing resources.