SoftBank's $40 billion unsecured bridge loan, used to fund its $30 billion OpenAI investment, is expanding as three major European banks—HSBC, BNP Paribas and Intesa Sanpaolo—enter the syndicate as sub‑underwriters. The loan, originally underwritten by JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Mizuho, Sumitomo Mitsui and MUFG, now has eight committed lenders. With a 12‑month maturity slated for March 2027, the financing underscores creditor confidence in SoftBank’s AI push and the anticipated OpenAI IPO later this year. Read more →

Elon Musk took the stand Tuesday in a federal lawsuit accusing OpenAI of illegally converting from a nonprofit to a for‑profit venture. Speaking before a jury in Oakland, the SpaceX and X CEO warned that allowing the transition could set a precedent that threatens charitable organizations nationwide. OpenAI’s chief executive Sam Altman has been present but has not yet testified. The case, which centers on Musk’s $38 million early investment and the company’s 2019 restructuring, could reshape how AI firms are governed and regulated. Read more →

Families of the victims in the Tumbler Ridge school shooting have filed lawsuits accusing OpenAI of ignoring warning signs, withholding the shooter’s ChatGPT logs and providing instructions that helped the gunman evade account bans. The suits claim the AI firm acted as a co‑conspirator, deepening the shooter’s fixation on gun violence, and demand access to the logs to determine the extent of the chatbot’s influence. Read more →

Elon Musk has taken his lawsuit against OpenAI to trial, accusing the company of abandoning its original nonprofit mission and turning into a profit‑driven enterprise. The case, which pits Musk against OpenAI’s chief executive Sam Altman, centers on whether the firm’s shift violates the law. A court‑ordered overhaul could reshape OpenAI’s leadership, funding structure, and product roadmap, with ripple effects for users and the broader artificial‑intelligence industry. Read more →

In a California courtroom, Elon Musk spent hours recounting his life story and positioning his business ventures as safeguards for humanity. Testifying against OpenAI co‑founder Sam Altman, Musk argued that artificial intelligence could either usher in a utopian future or trigger catastrophic ruin, and that his companies—from SpaceX to Tesla—were built to protect the species. The testimony, which painted Altman as a charitable thief, underscored Musk’s broader narrative that his entrepreneurial pursuits are driven by existential concerns rather than profit. Read more →

OpenAI announced that Microsoft will remain its primary cloud partner but will no longer hold exclusive rights to the AI firm’s services. The shift allows OpenAI to run workloads on Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud while keeping Azure as the first choice when suitable. Microsoft retains model access through a license lasting until 2032 and will continue receiving a revenue share through 2030, though the exclusivity that once barred OpenAI from other providers has been lifted. Read more →

OpenAI is reportedly planning a new smartphone that eliminates traditional apps in favor of AI agents. Supply‑chain analyst Ming‑Chi Kuo says Qualcomm and MediaTek will co‑design a custom processor while Luxshare Precision Industry will handle exclusive manufacturing. The device could ship as early as 2028 with projected annual sales of 300‑400 million units, a volume that would rival Apple and Samsung. Qualcomm’s shares jumped on the news, but none of the firms have confirmed the partnership. The move marks OpenAI’s second major hardware effort, following a separate project with designer Jony Ive. Read more →

Elon Musk used X’s paid‑boost feature on Monday to amplify a New Yorker investigation by Ronan Farrow that accuses OpenAI chief Sam Altman of deceptive practices. The promotion appeared just as Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, Altman, president Greg Brockman and Microsoft entered jury selection in a federal courtroom in Oakland. While the post lacked a clear ad label, X’s own policies require boosted content to self‑identify as advertising. The move has drawn scrutiny amid a trial that pits Musk’s early investments against OpenAI’s commercial trajectory. Read more →

Google is testing a conversational search feature called “Ask YouTube” that turns video discovery into a dialogue. The experiment, available now to U.S. YouTube Premium subscribers aged 18 and older, adds an “Ask YouTube” button to the search bar and generates AI‑crafted result pages that blend text summaries, long‑form videos, Shorts and suggested prompts. Early testers report mixed results: the tool can quickly surface concise overviews, but occasional factual errors remind users to verify information. Google says the trial will later expand beyond Premium members as it refines the experience. Read more →