Alphabet

Alphabet praises DeepSeek, but it’s massively ramping up its AI spending

AI /

Booming AI budgets seemed at risk last week when DeepSeek crashed Nvidia’s stock based on speculation that its cheaper AI models would lower demand for AI chips and data centers. Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has certainly noticed the Chinese AI company, praising its work as “tremendous” in Alphabet’s latest earnings call (while adding that some of Gemini’s models are […]

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FTC says partnerships like Microsoft-OpenAI raise antitrust concerns

Government & Policy /

The Federal Trade Commission said in a staff report issued Friday that there are potential competitive issues in partnerships between big tech companies and generative AI developers — specifically, Microsoft’s backing of OpenAI and Amazon and Alphabet/Google’s partnerships with Anthropic. “The FTC’s report sheds light on how partnerships by big tech firms can create lock-in,

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UK competition regulator clears Alphabet’s investment in Anthropic

Government & Policy /

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has okayed Alphabet’s partnership and investment in AI rival Anthropic, concluding that it doesn’t qualify for investigation under current merger regulations. The announcement comes a month after the CMA revealed it was launching a formal “stage 1” probe into Google’s parent’s various investments in Anthropic, a three-year-old San

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Wing begins delivering blood samples via drone in London

Biotech & Health /

Alphabet X spinoff Wing on Wednesday confirmed that it has started delivering blood samples via drone. The program, announced in September, is shuttling samples between London’s Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals. Wing is running up to 10 deliveries a day, Monday through Friday. Each run can contain several different samples and takes around three minutes.

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UK competition regulator to investigate Alphabet’s investment in Anthropic

Government & Policy /

The U.K.’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is launching a formal probe into Alphabet’s investment in AI rival, Anthropic. The investigation comes three months after the CMA confirmed it was inviting “interested parties” to comment on Alphabet’s various investments in Anthropic, which includes a reported $300 million early last year followed by another reported $2 billion. The probe

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Eric Schmidt’s SandboxAQ aims for $5B valuation for its AI/quantum Google moonshot

AI /

VCs are spending gobs of money on AI startups – especially those run by big names in tech – so SandboxAQ is putting its hand out again, even though it raised a whopping $500 million in early 2023. The spinout from Google parent company Alphabet is reportedly seeking to raise another round that would value

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YouTube blocks videos from Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, others in dispute with SESAC

Media & Entertainment /

A number of YouTube videos featuring music from artists such as Adele, Green Day, Bob Dylan, Nirvana, and R.E.M. have been unplayable in the United States since Saturday. For example, if you try to play Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone” (whether it’s the classic album recording or a live performance), you are instead told: “This

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Google CEO Sundar Pichai announces $120M fund for global AI education

AI /

Speaking Saturday at the UN Summit of the Future, Google CEO Sundar Pichai described AI as “the most transformative technology yet” and announced a new fund for AI education and training around the world. Pichai pointed to four broad opportunities he sees for AI and sustainable development, according to a transcript of his prepared remarks

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Sergey Brin says he’s working on AI at Google ‘pretty much every day’

AI /

Google co-founder and ex-Alphabet president Sergey Brin said he’s back working at Google “pretty much every day” because he hasn’t seen anything as exciting as the recent progress in AI — and doesn’t want to miss out. Brin revealed the tidbit in an interview during the All-In Summit in L.A. this week. Last year, several

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