From CNBC Technology · 22 stories
OpenAI Proposes 5% Equity Stake to U.S. Government Amid AI Industry Scrutiny
OpenAI is in early discussions with the U.S. government to potentially sell a 5% equity stake to foster better relations. This proposal may expand to other AI firms like Google and Meta as a way to share AI-driven wealth with the public. The initiative comes amid increasing governmental scrutiny over AI developments and deployment.
Tesla Reports 25% Increase in Q2 2026 Vehicle Deliveries, Exceeding Expectations
Tesla reported a 25% year-over-year increase in vehicle deliveries for Q2 2026, totaling 480,126 units. This represents a recovery in sales after two years of decline, driven largely by strong demand for the Model 3 and Model Y. The growth exceeded Wall Street expectations but did not prevent a subsequent 7% drop in Tesla's stock price.
Meta Ventures into Cloud Industry with 'Meta Compute' Service
Meta Platforms plans to launch 'Meta Compute,' a cloud service offering excess AI computing capacity. This move challenges major cloud providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. It's seen as a strategy to enhance profitability and utilize Meta's AI infrastructure investments.
Amazon Readies Satellite Internet Service with 396 Leo Satellites
Amazon has deployed 396 Leo satellites, ensuring continuous service across initial latitudes for its satellite broadband contender, Leo. The service aims for a mid-2026 commercial launch, joining the competitive landscape dominated by SpaceX's Starlink, which had earlier launches and coverage expansion.
Quantum Systems raises $1.2 billion, boosting valuation to $8 billion
Quantum Systems secured $1.2 billion in Series D funding, elevating its valuation to $8 billion. This investment reflects a growing trend in the defense industry, with significant capital flowing into tech-driven military solutions amid geopolitical shifts.
Donald Trump's Tech Stock Purchases Coincide with AI Action Plan Announcement and Market Movements
Donald Trump purchased tech stocks worth up to $5 million, including shares in Apple, Amazon, and NVIDIA, coinciding with his AI Action Plan launch. These moves came amid tariff policy announcements affecting market trends, highlighting his significant financial engagements during his presidency.
Rivian Boosts 2023 Delivery Forecast Amid Strong Q2 Performance
Rivian has increased its vehicle delivery forecast for 2023 to 65,000-70,000 units, up from an earlier range of 62,000-67,000, following a strong second quarter featuring robust growth in deliveries. This update comes amid wider industry challenges and reflects confidence in demand, particularly for the new R2 SUV.
Amazon and Microsoft Launch Competing AI Deployment Units with $3.5 Billion Commitment
Amazon and Microsoft have launched new AI deployment units with a combined investment of $3.5 billion, leveraging the forward-deployed engineer (FDE) model. AWS's $1 billion organization embeds engineers with clients, while Microsoft's $2.5 billion Microsoft Frontier Co. emphasizes enterprise AI with 6,000 employees. These initiatives signify a growing trend in AI implementations.
Apple Plans 10 Million Foldable iPhone Units Amid Rising Demand
Apple has increased its production target for foldable iPhone Ultra models to 10 million units, up from an initial forecast of 7-8 million. The company aims to launch five new iPhone models by 2027 and is negotiating with Chinese chip suppliers amid component shortages. This move reflects Apple's strategy to capture a larger share of the smartphone market.
Palantir's Alex Karp Criticizes OpenAI and Anthropic's AI Token Models
Palantir CEO Alex Karp publicly criticized the token models used by OpenAI and Anthropic, emphasizing rising costs and inefficacies. He argued that businesses are moving towards open-weight models and building proprietary AI tools due to increased costs and concerns about data usage. His comments have prompted a mixed reaction in the AI community.
Congressional Members Disclose SpaceX Stock Purchases After IPO
Two congressional members, Meuser and Cisneros, have reported stock purchases in SpaceX post-IPO. This disclosure raises questions about potential conflicts of interest due to their committee assignments overseeing financial services and defense.
Wall Street sees mixed results as AI boosts cybersecurity stocks
Wall Street experienced mixed stock performance with strong gains in cybersecurity linked to AI developments. The sector rose as investors anticipated increased spending on cybersecurity tools following advancements in AI vulnerability detection.
Amazon Develops AI Chips for Echo, Fire TV and Upgrades Alexa Technology
Amazon is developing its own AI chips to enhance devices like Echo Show and Fire TV, as confirmed by hardware chief Panos Panay. This move allows on-device AI processing for better performance and security. The company is also advancing its Alexa voice assistant to understand user context through an enhanced version, Alexa+.
Corporate Sponsors Align with Trump's Freedom 250 Amid Political Connections
Freedom 250, a Trump-associated event, draws sponsorship from companies with federal contracts. This raises concerns about access to the Trump administration for corporate interests.
Meta to Sell Excess Computing Power Amid AI Demand
Meta plans to sell surplus computing capacity to external clients as part of its strategy to capitalize on the AI boom. This move, announced alongside a significant stock price increase, reflects an industry trend towards monetizing infrastructure.
SpaceX IPO may inform strategies for upcoming mega-cap public listings
SpaceX's recent IPO performance may influence the public offerings of firms like Anthropic and OpenAI. Market experts indicate that the conditions faced by SpaceX could serve as a model for future mega-cap IPOs, particularly regarding index inclusion.
Robinhood CEO predicts AI agents will match human traders' capabilities
Robinhood CEO Vlad Tenev predicts that AI agents will soon be able to match human traders' capabilities, aiming to democratize trading tools for retail investors. This development could significantly enhance trading accessibility for everyday users, aligning their abilities more closely with institutional investors.
Samsung and SK Hynix shares drop over 9% as global chip selloff spreads
Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix shares fell significantly amid a global decline in tech stocks, losing over 9%. This downturn impacted South Korea's benchmark Kospi index due to the heavy weighting of these semiconductor firms.
BYD and Xiaomi shares rise as June delivery figures show strong growth
Shares of BYD and Xiaomi increased by 9% and 5% respectively due to positive June delivery figures. Xiaomi reported over 30,000 deliveries for the third consecutive month, while BYD's sales rose 5.46% year-over-year, indicating strong demand in the electric vehicle market.
Ant Group invests $73.58M in humanoid robotics firm Zeroth, totaling 12 deals
Ant Group has invested 500 million yuan ($73.58 million) in Zeroth, its 12th humanoid robotics investment since 2025. This push into humanoid robots reflects Ant's strategy to diversify after its IPO was halted and indicates growing interest in robotics in China.
Chip stocks tumble after strong second quarter, led by Micron's 11% drop
High-performing chip stocks, including Micron, Intel, and AMD, declined significantly at the start of Q3. This downturn followed a strong Q2, where the semiconductor sector added significant market value amid AI demand, raising concerns about potential oversupply from major players like Meta.
Jim Cramer advises on market rotation investment strategies
Jim Cramer suggests investors capitalize on a recent market rotation to shift from underperformers to stronger stocks. He identifies buying opportunities in AI infrastructure companies while cautioning that not all rebounds will last long.