Google faces mounting evidence of its search monopoly. A federal judge recently ruled – for the second time in a year – that Google illegally maintains a monopoly in ad tech. Google's response?
The United States set out to win a trade war with China. It failed. Years of tariffs, tech restrictions, and tough rhetoric have backfired, leaving America in a weaker position while China charges ahead with innovation and global influence.
Good Morning from San Francisco, Meta just kicked Apple's AI tools to the curb. All of them. 🥾 No
The European Union unveiled an ambitious plan to catch up in the global AI race by building five massive computing facilities. Each "AI gigafactory" will house 100,000 AI chips - four times more than current installations.
The initiative comes as part of a broader $219 billion AI investment strategy. The EU aims to transform its industrial strengths and talent pool into engines of AI innovation. Their plan includes specialized labs to help startups access high-quality training data and a new AI Act Service Desk to guide companies through regulations.
This move follows criticism from tech leaders who claim EU rules stifle innovation. At a recent Paris summit, OpenAI and U.S. officials urged Europe to embrace AI opportunities rather than focus on restrictions.
The timing is crucial. The U.S. recently announced Stargate, a $500 billion AI venture backed by tech giants. Meanwhile, Chinese company DeepSeek claims its models match American capabilities despite using less advanced hardware.
To fund these gigafactories, the EU will partner with private investors. Twenty investors have already committed $150 billion for AI projects in Europe. The bloc also plans to triple its data center capacity within seven years.
The initiative marks a shift in EU strategy. While maintaining its regulatory framework, Brussels now emphasizes infrastructure and support for AI development. They're opening applications for gigafactory investments, with the German research center Jülich emerging as an early candidate.
Europe faces steep competition. While the U.S. leads in commercial AI and China excels in implementation, the EU hopes its industrial base and research capabilities will help it carve out a distinct position in the AI landscape.
Under the plan, member states and companies will share costs through public-private partnerships. The EU also promises a Cloud and AI Development Act to boost private investment in infrastructure.
Why this matters:
Google faces mounting evidence of its search monopoly. A federal judge recently ruled – for the second time in a year – that Google illegally maintains a monopoly in ad tech. Google's response?
Google broke antitrust laws by crushing competition in online advertising, a federal judge ruled Thursday. The verdict marks Google's second monopoly defeat in eight months and could force the tech giant to sell key parts of its $31 billion ad business.
Google lets anti-abortion centers place misleading ads targeting women who need legally-required ultrasounds before getting an abortion, a new investigation reveals. These crisis pregnancy centers (CPCs) can't actually provide the required medical services.
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