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SoftBank is in discussions to potentially invest up to $25 billion in OpenAI, aspiring to become its largest investor. This substantial investment underscores SoftBank's ambition to lead in the AI sector, despite the financial and legal hurdles OpenAI faces. OpenAI is also seeking up to $40 billion in additional funding, which could boost its valuation to $340 billion, decreasing its dependency on Microsoft and providing essential resources for developing superintelligent AI systems.

Jared Zhao, co-founder of Polyture, has launched Athenic AI, a company focused on transforming data analytics. Athenic AI aims to deliver comprehensive, user-friendly data insights tailored to specific organizational needs and has raised $4.3 million in seed funding to enhance its capabilities and market reach. This initiative highlights the increasing interest in AI's ability to revolutionize industries through improved data analysis.

Elon Musk has acknowledged that Tesla's Hardware 3 will need an upgrade to support unsupervised self-driving, contradicting previous statements and raising concerns about customer trust and regulatory scrutiny. This situation underscores the challenges Tesla faces in achieving full autonomy amid increasing competition and market changes. Meanwhile, Waymo, Alphabet Inc.'s autonomous vehicle subsidiary, has initiated fully driverless robotaxi rides for employees in Atlanta, with plans for public service by 2025. Backed by a $5.6 billion funding round, Waymo's market expansion reflects its dedication to transforming transportation with autonomous technology.

Google has rolled out a voluntary exit program for its Platform and Devices team in the US, offering severance packages to streamline operations and integrate AI capabilities across its product lines. This action follows the consolidation of Google's Android, Pixel hardware, and Chrome teams to improve product integration and stay competitive, despite fears of potential talent loss and project disruptions. Furthermore, Google's new AI model, Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental, promises improved performance in coding and mathematics while facing competition from cost-effective AI models by Chinese startup DeepSeek.

Microsoft has introduced new Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models featuring Copilot+ PC certification, incorporating advanced AI capabilities to boost productivity and efficiency. These devices come with Intel Core Ultra or Snapdragon X processors, with the Surface Laptop expected to add 5G connectivity later this year. Microsoft's shift to Qualcomm's Arm-based processors represents a strategic move to improve battery life and AI performance, highlighting the intensifying competition in the PC processor market.