SoftBank Group has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, Samsung TVs to integrate Google Photos starting in 2026, and China mandates 50% domestic chip equipment in facilities expansion.
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Show Notes
Meta Acquires AI Startup Manus for $2 Billion Amid U.S. Scrutiny
Meta Platforms is acquiring Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup that creates AI agents for tasks like job screening and vacation planning, for a reported $2 billion. The acquisition is important to CEO Mark Zuckerberg as Manus’s substantial annual revenue could alleviate investor worries regarding Meta’s infrastructure costs. However, the deal faces U.S. scrutiny, particularly from Senator John Cornyn, due to Manus’s parent company being founded in Beijing in 2022. Meta countered by asserting that after the acquisition, Manus will cut all ties with Chinese investors and halt all operations in China.
Read More: TechCrunch
SoftBank Completes $40 Billion Investment in OpenAI
SoftBank Group has completed its $40 billion investment in OpenAI, according to a CNBC report citing sources familiar with the matter. This investment follows SoftBank’s agreement in early 2025 to lead a funding round of up to $40 billion in OpenAI, a deal that now stands as one of the largest private technology investments on record and aligns with founder and CEO Masayoshi Son’s strategy of building a vast private technology investment program focused particularly on artificial intelligence and its related infrastructure.
Read More: Reuters
Samsung to Bring Google Photos to Its TVs in 2026
Samsung has announced plans to integrate Google Photos directly into its TVs starting in 2026, eliminating the need for users to cast or sideload the app to view their photos and videos on the big screen. The initial rollout will feature a six-month exclusive of the “Memories” feature, which curates photos and videos, and users will need to sign in to their Google accounts to activate the service. Additionally, Samsung plans to incorporate AI-powered features, including “Nano Banana-powered templates,” image generation and editing, and the “Remix” feature for style conversion, enhancing how users interact with their photo library on their television.
Read More: TechCrunch
China Mandates 50% Domestic Equipment Use for Chipmakers
China has introduced a requirement, largely unwritten, mandating that chipmakers use at least 50% domestically made equipment when constructing or expanding facilities. This policy is Beijing’s response to stricter U.S. export controls and aims for a self-sufficient semiconductor supply chain. Authorities enforce this through the state approval process and procurement tenders, encouraging manufacturers to prioritize Chinese suppliers, with the eventual goal of 100% domestic use, though flexibility exists for advanced manufacturing where local equipment is less available.
Read More: Reuters
CMU Researchers Develop Breakthrough Autofocus Lens Technology
CMU researchers have created a breakthrough “spatially-varying autofocus” lens technology that overcomes the limitation of traditional cameras by bringing an entire scene into sharp focus across the image. This innovative system uses a computational lens and two autofocus methods to effectively give each pixel an adjustable lens. While not yet commercialized, the technology holds significant potential for applications like improved microscopes, enhanced depth perception in VR, and clearer vision for autonomous vehicles.
Read More: The Verge
U.S. Grants Samsung and SK Hynix Annual License for China Shipments
The U.S. government has granted Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix a temporary, annual license for 2026, allowing them to continue shipping chip manufacturing equipment to their facilities in China. This new system replaces the previous “validated end user” exemption that was set to expire, as the U.S. tightens export controls on advanced technology to China. China remains a vital production base for the South Korean firms, whose memory chip prices are currently high due to strong AI data center demand.
Read More: Reuters
Satya Nadella Says 2026 Will Mark AI’s Shift to Widespread Use
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella sees 2026 as the year AI really hits its stride, moving past the initial testing phase and into “widespread diffusion”, meaning it will be deployed everywhere in the real world. He says this next stage is all about “sophisticated engineering” to build complex systems that basically act as “scaffolding for human potential.” Nadella made it clear that AI has to actually deliver real benefits for society and be smart about using resources like power and computing to get “societal permission.” He stressed that we’re only in the “opening miles of a marathon,” so the full scope of what this tech can do is still a long way off.
Read More: Economic Times
Audiobooks Surge in Popularity, but AI Threatens Narrators
Audiobooks have become a significant success for publishers, with digital sales rising and often surpassing print sales for certain popular titles. This growth is attributed to the audience’s desire for a direct or highly engaging listening experience, often with consistent narration and lower price points, which is especially effective for celebrity and comedian memoirs. Despite this success, the industry’s future is uncertain as advances in AI, including voice cloning, pose a threat to the job security of professional narrators due to the potential for publishers to adopt cost-effective synthetic voices.
Read More: Wall Street Journal
Warner Bros Discovery Expected to Reject Paramount’s Hostile Bid
Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) is expected to reject Paramount Skydance’s (PSKY.O) higher, $108.4 billion hostile takeover bid, despite a personal guarantee from Larry Ellison. WBD reportedly prefers a rival, lower-value $82.7 billion cash-and-stock deal with Netflix. The rejection of the Paramount offer is due to concerns over valuation, strategic fit, and the potential for greater regulatory scrutiny, as a combined WBD-Paramount would be larger than Disney. The Netflix deal is favored for its clearer financing and lower execution risks, though WBD would incur a $2.8 billion breakup fee if it backs out of the current agreement.
Read More: Reuters
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