Canadian AI firm Cohere announced a deal to acquire Germany's Aleph Alpha, creating a combined entity valued at roughly $20 billion. The transaction, pending regulatory approval, will be financed by a €500 million commitment from German retailer Schwarz Group, which will also supply its sovereign cloud platform, STACKIT. Cohere aims to position the new company as a privacy‑focused alternative for enterprises in highly regulated sectors, challenging the dominance of U.S. AI providers. Read more →

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman sent a public letter to the residents of Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, expressing deep regret that the company did not alert police about a ChatGPT user who later carried out a mass shooting. The 18‑year‑old suspect, Jesse Van Rootselaar, had been banned from the platform after posting violent scenarios. Altman said OpenAI will tighten its safety protocols and work closely with authorities to prevent similar tragedies. Read more →

Toronto‑based Cohere and Heidelberg‑based Aleph Alpha announced a merger in Berlin that values the combined entity at roughly $20 billion. The deal gives Cohere’s shareholders about 90% of the new firm and Aleph Alpha’s shareholders 10%, effectively making it a Cohere acquisition framed as a merger. German Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger and Canada’s AI and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon attended the launch, underscoring the geopolitical stakes. The German government will serve as an anchor customer, providing early revenue and political backing as the two firms aim to offer a non‑U.S. alternative for enterprise and public‑sector AI services. Read more →