Maximilian Schreiner
Max is the managing editor of THE DECODER, bringing his background in philosophy to explore questions of consciousness and whether machines truly think or just pretend to.
Read full article about: French prosecutors raid X's Paris offices over data and child abuse allegations
French prosecutors have raided the Paris offices of Elon Musk's platform X. The cybercrime unit is investigating multiple allegations, including unlawful data extraction and aiding the distribution of child sexual abuse material. Sexual deepfakes are also part of the investigation. Musk and former X CEO Linda Yaccarino have been summoned for hearings in April, according to the BBC. X has previously called the investigation politically motivated.
At the same time, the UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has opened an investigation into Musk's AI tool Grok. The probe focuses on whether personal data was used without consent to create sexualized images. The UK media regulator Ofcom and the European Commission are also continuing their reviews of the platform. X has not commented on the investigations.
OpenAI's dissatisfaction with Nvidia chips sparked Cerebras deal
The ChatGPT developer is reportedly unhappy with the speed of certain Nvidia chips and is negotiating with startups that offer alternatives.
"Project Vault": US builds $12 billion strategic mineral reserve
The US government wants to protect American companies from rare earth supply shortages through “Project Vault.”
Read full article about: The AI boom could cost Apple up to $57 more per iPhone
The AI boom could cost Apple up to $57 more per iPhone – for memory chips alone.
"The rate of increase in the price of memory is unprecedented," says Mike Howard, an analyst at TechInsights, speaking to the Wall Street Journal. By the end of this year, the price of DRAM will quadruple from 2023 levels, and NAND will more than triple.
For Apple, the numbers are stark: The base-model iPhone 18 due this fall could cost $57 more in memory alone compared with the current iPhone 17 – a significant hit to profit margins on a device that retails for $799. This aligns with recent rumors that Apple may delay the base model's release to later this year.
The cause: AI companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta are now outbidding Apple for scarce components. Nvidia has even overtaken Apple as TSMC's largest customer, a position Apple held for years.
Pentagon and Anthropic clash over AI weapons and surveillance safeguards
The Pentagon wants unrestricted access to AI technology. Anthropic is demanding guarantees against autonomous weapons control and domestic surveillance. A $200 million contract hangs in the balance.
Read full article about: OpenAI planning IPO for late 2026, fears Anthropic might go public first
OpenAI is preparing for an IPO in the fourth quarter of 2026, the Wall Street Journal reports. The startup, valued at $500 billion, is holding informal talks with Wall Street banks and building out its finance team. Recent hires include Ajmere Dale as Chief Accounting Officer and Cynthia Gaylor for investor relations.
According to the report, OpenAI executives are worried internally that competitor Anthropic might beat them to the public markets. Anthropic has told financial partners it's open to an IPO by the end of 2026 and is expanding its finance team with experts like Andrew Zloto and former Blackstone investor Kevin Chang.
CEO Sam Altman said in a December podcast that he's not exited about running a public company. Some of those responsibilities will fall to Fidji Simo, the former Instacart CEO who now leads OpenAI Applications.
OpenAI is trying to raise more than $100 billion. The deal would value the startup at $830 billion. SoftBank is considering investing around $30 billion, while Amazon is negotiating a stake of up to $50 billion. Both AI startups are still burning billions of dollars annually. Anthropic expects to break even in 2028, while OpenAI doesn't anticipate reaching that milestone until 2030.
Read full article about: SpaceX eyes merger with xAI that would unite Grok, Starlink, and X under one roof
SpaceX is negotiating a merger with Elon Musk's AI company xAI ahead of a planned IPO, Reuters reports. The deal would bring SpaceX, Starlink satellites, the social media platform X, and the Grok chatbot under one corporate roof.
According to Reuters, the merger would involve exchanging xAI shares for SpaceX stock. Two companies were reportedly incorporated in Nevada on January 21 to handle the transaction. One of them lists SpaceX and its CFO Bret Johnsen as managing partners. Some xAI executives may receive cash instead of shares.
No final agreement has been signed yet, and the timeline and structure remain undecided, Reuters says. SpaceX is currently the world's most valuable private company at $800 billion, while xAI was valued at $230 billion in November. According to Bloomberg, SpaceX is also exploring a merger with Tesla.