TL;DR

OpenAI inks $30B Oracle cloud deal; Meta escalates AI talent war; U.S. eases chip software curbs on China.

Highlights

• OpenAI signs a $30B multi-year deal with Oracle for 4.5 GW of U.S. data center capacity, reducing reliance on Microsoft Azure 1.
• U.S. lifts EDA software and ethane export restrictions on China after a rare-earths agreement; Synopsys , Cadence , and Siemens resume full service to Chinese chip designers 2.
• Meta launches Meta Superintelligence Labs, offering compensation packages up to $300M over four years to attract top AI researchers from OpenAI , Google DeepMind , and Anthropic 3.
• Over 45 European CEOs, including ASML and Airbus , request a two-year delay to the EU AI Act, citing lack of implementation guidance 4.
• Google expands Veo 3 video generator to Gemini Pro users in 159 countries; rollout coincides with a spike in AI-generated racist content on TikTok 56.
• Baidu revamps its search engine with advanced AI features, chatbot responses, and launches the MuseSteamer image-to-video generator for enterprises 7.
• Iris Energy orders 2,400 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs for $130M to expand AI cloud infrastructure; stock hits 52-week high 8.
• Tesla begins supervised Full Self-Driving (FSD) trials in Madrid, seeking EU-wide regulatory approval for its driver-assist system 9.
• OpenAI and SpaceX disavow Robinhood’s tokenized equity products as Robinhood, Kraken , and Gemini expand blockchain-based stock offerings for non-U.S. users 1014.
• Google releases 30+ Gemini-powered education tools and extends collaborative video features to schools via Workspace for Education 11.
• Ford CEO warns AI could replace up to half of U.S. white-collar jobs; similar predictions from Anthropic and Amazon , while Nvidia and OpenAI express more optimistic views 12.
• Sahara AI ’s SAHARA token launches on Binance and major exchanges at a $1B+ valuation, signaling rapid uptake for decentralized AI projects 15.

Commentary

OpenAI ’s $30B Oracle deal for 4.5 GW of data center capacity highlights the escalating demand for compute resources and signals a shift toward multi-cloud strategies among leading AI developers 1. This arrangement not only reduces OpenAI ’s dependence on Microsoft Azure but also cements Oracle ’s position as a major AI infrastructure provider 1. For cloud and hardware vendors, securing energy and chip supply remains a critical competitive factor as AI workloads scale.

The U.S. decision to lift EDA software and ethane export curbs on China, following a rare-earths agreement, provides immediate relief to Chinese semiconductor design firms and stabilizes global supply chains for AI hardware and tools 2. This move may ease near-term uncertainty for AI companies relying on cross-border chip design and manufacturing, though broader tech tensions remain unresolved 2.

Talent competition is intensifying, with Meta ’s new Superintelligence Labs aggressively recruiting top researchers from OpenAI , Google DeepMind , and Anthropic —sometimes with compensation packages rivaling Fortune 500 CEOs 3. This bidding war underscores the scarcity of frontier AI expertise and may drive up costs and turnover across the sector, impacting research continuity and product development 3.

On the product front, Google ’s global Veo 3 rollout 5 and Baidu ’s major AI-driven search overhaul 7 reflect the rapid expansion of generative and multimodal AI capabilities. However, Veo 3’s association with a surge in AI-generated hate content on TikTok exposes persistent moderation and trust challenges 6. Meanwhile, regulatory uncertainty is growing in Europe, with industry leaders seeking a two-year delay to the EU AI Act due to a lack of detailed implementation rules—potentially slowing AI deployment and investment in the region 4.

AI professionals should monitor hyperscaler infrastructure commitments, evolving U.S.-China tech policy, the ongoing AI talent war, and the regulatory climate in key markets. The intersection of infrastructure, talent, and regulation will shape near-term opportunities and risks as generative AI tools proliferate and enterprise adoption accelerates.