OpenAI's $40B Funding Talks, Google Unveils Gemini 2.0 Pro, and Apple's DeepSeek AI Insights - Daily AI Brief #95

Hi there,

In today's news, OpenAI collaborates with U.S. labs for AI-driven research, Google launches the Gemini 2.0 Pro AI Model, and Apple CEO Tim Cook discusses DeepSeek AI Models. And as you might have expected, OpenAI and SoftBank are in talks for a $40 billion funding round.

Top stories

OpenAI Collaborates with U.S. Labs for AI-Driven Research

OpenAI has partnered with the U.S. National Laboratories to apply its reasoning models in scientific research, aiming to advance fields like healthcare and national security using the NVIDIA supercomputer Venado. Read more

Trump Administration May Restrict Nvidia's H20 Chip Sales to China

The Trump administration is contemplating new restrictions on Nvidia's H20 chip sales to China, amid concerns over China's AI advancements. Read more

Google Launches Gemini 2.0 Pro AI Model

Google has introduced its Gemini 2.0 Pro Experimental AI model via a changelog for the Gemini chatbot app, targeting improvements in factuality and performance in coding and mathematics tasks. Read more

Apple CEO Tim Cook on DeepSeek AI Models

Apple CEO Tim Cook discussed the potential of DeepSeek's AI models for efficiency during an earnings call, while addressing concerns about IP theft claims by OpenAI. Read more

Google Tests 'Ask for Me' AI Feature

Google is experimenting with a feature that allows AI to call businesses for users to gather service and pricing information. Read more

OpenAI Seeks $40 Billion Funding Led by SoftBank

OpenAI is in discussions to raise up to $40 billion, aiming for a valuation of $340 billion, with SoftBank potentially investing between $15 billion and $25 billion. The funding is intended to bolster OpenAI's operations and its Stargate project for AI data centers in the U.S. Read more

Avride and Grubhub Launch Campus Delivery Robots

Autonomous technology startup Avride has partnered with Grubhub to deploy food delivery robots on US college campuses, starting with Ohio State University. Read more

AIBotics to Acquire DigiTrax for $40 Million

AIBotics plans to acquire DigiTrax, a startup with seven AI-music patents, for $40 million. The acquisition is expected to be finalized by February 2025. Read more

ElevenLabs Valued at $3.3 Billion After Funding

ElevenLabs, an AI startup, has increased its valuation to $3.3 billion after securing $180 million in a Series C funding round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The funds will support research and development in voice AI technology. Read more

Other Stories

• U.S. Investigates DeepSeek for AI Chip Use

• Freightmate Ai Secures $5 Million for Tech Enhancement

• Ladris Names New VP of AI and Public Safety

• Komprise Launches Sensitive Data Management Features

• AI Identifies Genetic Factors and Drug Treatments for Parkinson’s

• Suki Secures Investment from Zoom Ventures

• ABB CEO on Data Centre Growth Amid Competition

• Indigo.ai Raises €10M for AI Expansion

• Medsender Secures $5 Million Series A Funding

• Oman to Update AI Policy in 2025

• Backline AI Secures $9M for Security Platform

• Hirundo Reduces Bias in AI Model by 76%

• CSA Launches STAR for AI to Enhance Trust in AI Services

• Grameenphone and Ericsson Collaborate on AI BSS Overhaul

• UBS and Microsoft Partner on AI Platform for Wealth Management

• Cerebras Sees High Demand for DeepSeek AI Model

• ESA and KP Labs Launch PINEBERRY Project

• Elham Tabassi Joins Brookings as AI Director

• Intel Halts Falcon Shores AI Chip Development

• Vantage Data Centers Secures $13 Billion for Expansion

• Intel Receives $2.2 Billion for Semiconductor Production

• Check Point Opens AI Research Center, Reports Record 2024 Results

• Illinois Supreme Court Adopts AI Policy for Courts

• SICK Acquires Accerion to Boost Robotics

• Cognizant and Medidata Partnership for Life Sciences

• Aligned Secures $8 Million for AI Sales Rooms

• Ai2 Releases Open-Source Tülu 3 Model

• Stanford HAI Awards $2.37 Million in AI Research Grants

• Koi Computers Launches Servers with AMD EPYC 9005

• OpenAI CEO Calls for US AI Investment

• DataBank Secures $250 Million Equity Investment

• IBM and e& Collaborate on AI Governance

• Salesforce to Upskill 30,000 Saudis and Open HQ

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