🗞 OpenAI's $40B Raise, Intel's CHIPS Funding, and Google's Gemini 2.0 Pro

🔎 The Latest on the AI Frontier:

• OpenAI's $40B SoftBank Round: Valuation could hit $340B for data center expansion

• Intel Gets $2.2B CHIPS Boost: Funding backs US semiconductor manufacturing

• Apple CEO on DeepSeek: Cook endorses cost-efficient AI development approach

• Google's Gemini 2.0 Pro Launch: Enhanced model debuts for advanced users

• DeepSeek Faces US Probe: Investigation into GPU smuggling allegations

• Ai2 Releases Tülu 3: Open-source model challenges DeepSeek performance

• Other news you might find interesting

💰 OpenAI in discussions to secure $40B funding round led by SoftBank, potentially reaching $340B valuation

• Company aims to raise between $15B-$25B from SoftBank alone, marking a significant jump from its $157B October valuation.

• 2024 financial performance shows $3.7B in revenue against $5B in losses, highlighting aggressive growth strategy.

• Capital would support operational costs and fund Stargate project - a nationwide AI data center infrastructure initiative.

📈 Intel secures $2.2B in CHIPS Act funding for domestic semiconductor manufacturing expansion

• Company received initial $1.1B in late 2024, followed by another $1.1B in January 2025, with $5.66B more pending distribution.

• Funds will support manufacturing and advanced packaging operations across facilities in Arizona, New Mexico, Ohio, and Oregon.

• Despite potential uncertainty around Trump administration's proposed federal funding freeze, Intel's leadership expresses optimism about continued U.S. semiconductor manufacturing support.

🤖 Apple's CEO weighs in on AI competitor DeepSeek's cost-efficient model development

• Cook views DeepSeek's innovation in lowering AI model training and operational costs as a positive industry development.

• Apple maintains its hybrid approach, combining on-device processing with private cloud computing while integrating with OpenAI's ChatGPT.

• Strategy positions Apple favorably as AI development costs decrease, reducing pressure for immediate heavy investment in the sector.

🚀 Google silently releases Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental with enhanced capabilities for advanced users

• Latest model promises improved factual accuracy and superior performance in programming and mathematical tasks, available to Gemini Advanced subscribers.

• Release comes amid industry attention on DeepSeek's freely available models that compete with leading U.S. AI platforms.

• Currently in early preview with some limitations, including no real-time information access and restricted app feature compatibility.

🔍 US investigates DeepSeek over potential Nvidia GPU smuggling through Singapore

• Government examines if Chinese startup illegally acquired advanced chips amid export restrictions, following company's claim of using only 2,000 H800 GPUs.

• Trump's AI advisor claims evidence suggests DeepSeek distilled OpenAI's model outputs, prompting Microsoft and OpenAI investigation.

• Concerns arise after DeepSeek's $6M model development cost claim impacted US markets, with China's history of chip smuggling through Malaysia, Singapore, and UAE.

🔬 US-based Ai2 launches Tülu 3 405B model, claims superior performance to DeepSeek V3

• Open-source model applies Reinforcement Learning from Verifiable Rewards (RLVR) at 405B parameter scale, matching GPT-4o performance.

• Company states model shows consistent edge over DeepSeek V3, particularly in safety benchmarks.

• All components are freely available and permissively licensed for replication.

🖨 More news you might find interesting:

• Apple Intelligence to expand its reach with eight new language updates in April.

• Google launches AI phone call assistant to handle business inquiries.

• Former Google and Meta executives launch AI startup Palona for personalized customer service.

• France's Mistral AI launches Mistral Small 3 model, matching larger AI performance at lower cost.

• Microsoft and partners commit $72M to launch Princeton-based AI Hub.

• Samsung warns of weaker AI chip sales amid US-China trade restrictions.

• Tech analysts assess DeepSeek's market impact as temporary disruption.

• Goldman Sachs hires Amazon AI expert Daniel Marcu to lead global AI initiatives.

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