Good morning. Anyone feeling lucky?
In the latest tech buzz, the spotlight is on Abidur Chowdhury, the industrial designer known for his contributions to the new iPhone Air. After a notable six-year stint at Apple, Chowdhury has reportedly left the company, prompting speculation about which AI startup he is joining. The anticipation builds as industry insiders ponder the potential of his next venture.
My guess? It might be io, an entity under the umbrella of OpenAI. While Chowdhury and Jony Ive barely overlapped at Cupertino, the connection between industry titans is undeniable.
Google Launches Gemini 3
Shifting gears, Google has made headlines with the launch of its latest AI model, Gemini 3, just under a year after its predecessor’s debut. During the announcement, CEO Sundar Pichai branded G3 as the “most intelligent model” to date. However, the term lacks a universal definition, raising questions about the metrics used to gauge intelligence in AI.
What we do know is that Gemini 3 excels in coding and reasoning, outperforming its predecessor. Notably, this model will be integrated into Google’s lucrative search engine from the outset, marking a significant step for a company committed to investing a staggering $85 billion in AI-related capital expenditures this year and even more in 2026.
The launch is accompanied by a suite of features, including a Gemini Agent designed for multi-step task completion—think organizing your inbox—and a revamped Gemini app that aims to deliver more comprehensive answers. Additionally, businesses can take advantage of a new agent-centric software development platform named Antigravity.
The question remains: how long will Google maintain its lead against fierce competitors like OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and others? Time will tell.
Meta Acquisitions Don’t Violate Antitrust Law
In other news, a U.S. judge recently ruled that Meta’s acquisitions of Instagram and WhatsApp did not breach antitrust laws, delivering a significant win for the tech giant. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) had been contending that Meta illegally monopolized the social networking market. With millions of users, these platforms generate tens of billions in ad revenue quarterly.
However, the judge noted that the FTC struggled to define Meta’s market against the backdrop of rapidly evolving social media dynamics, where competition from TikTok and others is intensifying. U.S. District Judge James Boasberg stated, “Whether or not Meta enjoyed monopoly power in the past, the agency must show that it continues to hold such power now,” indicating that the FTC has not met this burden.
While the FTC can appeal, it remains to be seen how this ruling will shape the landscape of social media regulation.
Cloudflare Recovers After Major Outage
On the infrastructure front, Cloudflare experienced a major outage this week, affecting numerous platforms including OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Uber, and Spotify. CEO Matthew Prince stated that the outage was not due to a cyber attack but stemmed from a “chance to one of our database systems’ permissions.”
This incident highlights the vulnerability of Internet infrastructure, as a series of minor issues led to a significant failure, with Cloudflare’s network unable to route traffic effectively. Prince expressed regret over the outage, calling it “deeply painful” for the team and noting it was the worst outage since 2019.
More Tech News
In additional tech developments:
- Kraken has reached a valuation of $20 billion, following a recent fundraising of $200 million.
- TP-Link has accused Netgear of launching a smear campaign related to its ties to China.
- Anthropic has secured a partnership with Microsoft and Nvidia, involving a $30 billion purchase of cloud capacity.
- Donald Trump has called for a federal AI standard amid a backdrop of minimal regulation from the White House.
- Zoox has launched robotaxi rides in San Francisco, challenging Waymo.
- xAI is reportedly seeking to raise $15 billion at a valuation of $230 billion, doubling its worth since March.
- The U.S. government plans to lend $1 billion to restart the Three Mile Island nuclear plant, with prior collaborations with Microsoft.
As the AI landscape continues to evolve, industry professionals remain on high alert for shifts that could redefine the market dynamics. Stay tuned for more updates as they unfold.
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