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SoftBank is a Japan-based telecom and e-commerce conglomerate that has expanded mainly through acquisitions, and its key assets include a 40%-owned mobile and fixed broadband telecom operator business in Japan. It also owns 90% of semiconductor chip designer Arm Holdings following the 2023 IPO of this business, and has a vast portfolio of mainly internet- and e-commerce-focused early-stage investments. It is also general partner of the $100 billion SoftBank Vision Fund 1 and sole investor in SoftBank Vision Fund 2, both of which primarily invest in pre-IPO internet and AI companies.

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On Wednesday, Sam Altman-led OpenAI launched Codex CLI, a new open-source coding agent, along with two AI reasoning models.
What Happened: The newly launched open-source coding agent is OpenAI's most notable open-source release since 2019.
The AI startup also unveiled the full-scale version of its "o3" model—described as its most advanced AI system to date—and a more compact, efficient variant known as "o4-mini."
Taking to X, formerly Twitter, Altman said, "o3 and o4-mini are super good at coding, so we are releasing a new product, Codex CLI, to make them easier to use. This is a coding agent that runs on your computer. It is fully open source and available today; we expect it to rapidly improve."
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">o3 and o4-mini are super good at coding, so we are releasing a new product, Codex CLI, to make them easier to use. this is a coding agent that runs on your computer. it is fully open source and available today; we expect it to rapidly improve.
&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1912558495997784441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Codex CLI is built to operate directly on a user's machine while connecting to the cloud to leverage the reasoning capabilities of its o3 and o4-mini models. Beyond generating code snippets, it can independently determine which tools to use locally to carry out tasks.
The company also noted that Codex CLI will soon support features from its recently released GPT-4.1 model.
To drive adoption, OpenAI has launched a $1 million grant program, offering selected developers $25,000 in API credits to build innovative projects using Codex CLI.
Moreover, according to OpenAI, training the o3 model required roughly ten times more computational resources than its earlier o1 model, previously considered its top performer in reasoning.
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Why It's Important: This launch comes at a time when OpenAI faces mounting <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/03/44474850/chinas-deepseek-ups-the-heat-in-openai-rivalry-upgrades-v3-model-improving-coding-and-reasoning-capability">pressure from competitors</a> such as China's DeepSeek, which in January launched its R1 model, an open-source AI, reportedly capable of mimicking OpenAI's advanced reasoning abilities.&nbsp;
In February, Anthropic also introduced a model capable of delivering both rapid, instinctive responses and more deliberate, step-by-step reasoning when necessary—a level of adaptive flexibility that OpenAI's models have yet to fully replicate.
Last month, Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google released its Gemini 2.5 Pro, a reasoning-focused model that outperformed OpenAI's o3-mini <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44487389/sundar-pichai-shows-off-googles-most-intelligent-ai-ever-with-a-dinosaur-video-game-that-even-you-could-make-with-a-simple-prompt">across several benchmark tests</a>.
OpenAI has also completed a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">historic $40 billion funding round</a>, raising its valuation to $300 billion. Major contributors to the round include SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>).
This reportedly marks the largest funding round ever recorded and nearly doubles OpenAI's earlier valuation of $157 billion.
Photo Courtesy: Meir Chaimowitz on Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google&#8217;s Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Facing Heat From China's DeepSeek And US Rivals, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Launches Codex CLI: 'A Coding Agent That Runs On Your Computer'

Stargate is considering a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/stargate" rel="noreferrer noopener">future investment in</a> the U.K. to build the global infrastructure needed to support advanced artificial intelligence models.
Sir Keir Starmer&#8217;s government recently announced plans to boost investment in its growing AI industry, including developers&#8217; access to energy, the Financial Times <a target="_blank" href="https://www.ft.com/content/435f0142-8bc1-43dd-9648-d7f05de1dee6" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The OpenAI and SoftBank (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>)- backed AI infrastructure joint venture is raising $100 billion to invest in AI infrastructure projects.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44327422/softbank-to-build-676-million-ai-data-center-in-japan-linked-to-openai-partnership" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoftBank To Build $676 Million AI Data Center In Japan, Linked To OpenAI Partnership</a>
The figure could reach $500 billion over the next four years. Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) will supply 64,000 AI chips for the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44188361/nvidia-powers-openai-and-oracles-100-billion-stargate-first-ai-data-center-set-to-launch-in-texas" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stargate data center</a> in Texas. OpenAI tapped Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) to supervise the supercomputer being built in the Abilene data center.
Investment in the U.K. has been considered part of a future international expansion despite the focus on the U.S.
U.K.&#8217;s plans to boost data centers&#8217; access to electricity have stimulated the project&#8217;s interest, the Financial Times reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.&nbsp;
OpenAI said the U.K. was one of its key overseas markets.
Lately, OpenAI has been lobbying European governments to relax regulations and invest in data center infrastructure.
Last Wednesday, the European Commission announced its plan to invest more in AI data centers, including regulatory relaxations.
However, the project&#8217;s ambition remains vulnerable to President Donald Trump&#8217;s new tariff policies.
Trump&#8217;s 145% tariff on China alone could translate into over $11 billion surge in annual costs for U.S. data centre developers, Financial Times cited Altana.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43139410/softbanks-role-in-500-billion-stargate-ai-venture-seen-as-major-growth-driver-analyst-says" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SoftBank&#8217;s Role in $500 Billion Stargate AI Venture Seen as Major Growth Driver, Analyst Says</a></li>
</ul>
Photo by AKOBCHUK via Shuttesrtock

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OpenAI And SoftBank's Stargate Considers Major UK Investment To Fuel AI Growth

Mira Murati, the former chief technology officer of ChatGPT-parent OpenAI, is reportedly seeking to raise a staggering $2 billion seed round for her new AI venture, Thinking Machines Lab.
What Happened: The amount is twice the amount Murati was targeting just under two months ago, when she was said to be seeking around $1 billion at a $9 billion valuation, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mira-murati-new-ai-startup-thinking-machines-funding-2025-4">reported</a> Business Insider, citing people familiar with the matter.
If confirmed, it would be one of the largest seed rounds in tech history, dwarfing previous records and reaffirming the continued investor frenzy around artificial intelligence.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
Consider OpenAI cofounder Ilya Sutskever, who raised <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40722123/openai-co-founder-ilya-sutskevers-ai-startup-raises-1b-from-andreessen-horowitz-sequoia-as-sam-altma">$1 billion in seed funding</a> for his new venture, Safe Superintelligence — a company that has already been pegged with a massive <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43772135/ex-openai-chief-scientist-ilya-sutskevers-ai-startup-valued-at-30-billion-in-latest-funding-round-report">$30 billion valuation</a>.
Another notable example is Sierra, a conversational AI startup launched in 2023 by Bret Taylor, who also chairs OpenAI and previously co-led Salesforce. That company has reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41591558/bret-taylors-ai-startup-sierra-hits-4-5b-valuation-just-a-year-after-launch-openai-chairs-latest-ven">reached a valuation of $4.5 billion</a>.
It also reflects a broader trend: seed rounds, especially in AI, are getting bigger. In 2015, the largest seed round was just $50 million. In 2025, PitchBook lists the largest closed seed at $200 million, <a href="https://fortune.com/2025/04/10/mira-murati-2-billion-seed-raise-ai-boom-economic-chaos/">noted</a> Fortune.
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Why It Matters: Murati launched Thinking Machines shortly after <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41037848/openai-cto-mira-murati-steps-down-i-want-to-create-the-time-and-space-to-do-my-own-exploration-elon">departing OpenAI in late 2024</a>. Though details of the company's product or service remain vague, its website states its mission is "to make AI systems more widely understood, customizable, and generally capable."
Thinking Machines&#8217; <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43803027/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-and-sam-altmans-chatgpt-parent-bleed-talent-to-ex-open-ai-cto-mira-muratis-new-ai-venture">team includes OpenAI veterans</a> such as chief scientist John Schulman, who co-led the development of ChatGPT, and advisors Alec Radford and Bob McGrew. Schulman reportedly left Anthropic after a short tenure to reunite with Murati on the new venture.
Meanwhile, earlier this month, OpenAI also secured a historic $40 billion funding round, pushing its valuation to $300 billion. Major backers in the round include SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) and Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>).
According to data from PitchBook, this marks the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">largest funding round ever recorded</a> and nearly doubles OpenAI's prior valuation of $157 billion.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google&#8217;s Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Former OpenAI CTO Mira Murati Targets Record-Breaking $2 Billion Seed Round For New AI Startup

On Wednesday, OpenAI countersued Elon Musk, accusing him of using harassment tactics to slow the company's progress and disrupt its plans for growth, including a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/02/43646042/elon-musks-97-4-billion-openai-takeover-bid-reportedly-not-received-by-chatgpt-parent-another-one-of-his-tactics-says-sam-altman">contentious bid</a> for control.
What Happened: In the lawsuit, OpenAI alleges that Musk's tactics include press attacks, legal harassment, and an unsolicited bid for the company's assets.
The filing states, &#8220;Musk has tried every tool available to harm OpenAI,&#8221; and asks the court to stop him from taking further &#8220;unlawful&#8221; actions, reported Reuters.
The dispute centers on <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44066117/elon-musk-battles-openai-over-move-to-for-profit-model-and-experts-are-pushing-back">OpenAI&#8217;s transition to a for-profit model</a>, which is crucial for its current $40 billion fundraising round. OpenAI aims to complete this transition by the end of the year, but Musk has attempted to block it.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43491547/openais-sam-altman-looks-to-raise-funds-from-abu-dhabis-mgx-amid-increased-competition-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI's Sam Altman Looks To Raise Funds From Abu Dhabi's MGX Amid Increased Competition: Report</a>
In a post on X, OpenAI added that Musk's actions were "bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit."
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Elon's nonstop actions against us are just bad-faith tactics to slow down OpenAI and seize control of the leading AI innovations for his personal benefit. Today, we counter-sued to stop him.
&mdash; OpenAI Newsroom (@OpenAINewsroom) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAINewsroom/status/1910105151492575611?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 9, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Why It Matters: OpenAI was co-founded in 2015 by 11 people, including Musk and current CEO Sam Altman. However, Musk parted ways with the company in 2018, prior to its rise as a major tech player following the release of ChatGPT.
In 2023, Musk founded his separate artificial intelligence company, xAI, and has since opposed OpenAI&#8217;s shift toward a for-profit structure.
Earlier this year, OpenAI&#8217;s board rejected a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43755069/openai-board-rejects-elon-musks-97-billion-acquisition-proposal-days-after-sam-altman-calls-it-a-move-to-slow-down-a-competitor">$97 billion acquisition proposal</a> from Musk, which was seen as an attempt to slow down a competitor.
Meanwhile, OpenAI has also finalized a historic <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">$40 billion funding round</a>, elevating its valuation to $300 billion. This funding is backed by major players like Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>).
Image via Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43426111/openai-rethinks-open-source-as-deepseek-gains-ground-sam-altman-hints-at-major-changes-in-ai-model-development" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DeepSeek Impact Makes OpenAI Rethink Open Source — Sam Altman Hints At Major Changes In Model Development</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Legal

Elon Musk Sued By Sam Altman-Led OpenAI Over 'Harassing' Tactics: ChatGPT Maker Alleges Tesla CEO 'Tried Every Tool' Available To Cause Harm

OpenAI is reportedly in discussions to acquire the AI hardware startup co-founded by Jony Ive and Sam Altman in a deal worth approximately $500 million.
What Happened: OpenAI is considering purchasing io Products, a company that focuses on creating AI-enabled devices, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2025/04/07/openai-reportedly-mulls-buying-jony-ive-and-sam-altmans-ai-hardware-startup/?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAD_uBwDYVYnR2c7KWaVm_nY-ox0apur5w8aw4jUS-Oy0OFvTa8r9WhYT944FJeyI5KNKwEaGPaLH64zjhG8FdXJ3ZOX0R_0cINQS_QTsFXKDNzdnHfyKzDhjiF_N-aVQOYsGzbLYnTj9mgv0coigBvdnJ-nJ77e2KDSUrkWafSx-">reported</a> TechCrunch (<a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-discussed-buying-jony-ive-sam-altmans-ai-device-startup">via</a> The Information).
The <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40973399/apples-former-design-maestro-jony-ive-confirms-hes-joined-forces-with-openais-sam-altman-for-a-new-a">startup was co-founded</a> by former Apple design lead Ive, who left the tech giant in 2019 to start his own design firm, LoveFrom, and OpenAI CEO Altman.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
io Products, which has received funding from Laurene Powell Jobs' Emerson Collective and others, has been developing a range of products, including smart home gadgets.
The report indicates that OpenAI may choose to partner with io Products instead of acquiring it outright. The small team at io Products includes former Apple designers Tang Tan and Evans Hankey.
Subscribe to the <a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a> to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: Earlier this year, OpenAI closed a historic $40 billion funding round, pushing its <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft">valuation to $300 billion</a>, with major backing from SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and other prominent investors.
According to research firm PitchBook, this marks the largest funding round ever recorded and nearly doubles OpenAI's previous valuation of $157 billion.
OpenAI is reportedly projecting its revenue to reach $12.7 billion this year. The company also announced that its enterprise versions of ChatGPT now have 1 million paying users, alongside the introduction of a new $200-per-month &#8220;Pro&#8221; plan offering access to its most advanced AI models.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp">OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google&#8217;s Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

OpenAI Eyes $500 Million Deal To Acquire Jony Ive And Sam Altman's AI Hardware Startup: Report

Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) has paused discussions and postponed the development of sites in Indonesia, the U.K., Australia, Illinois, North Dakota and Wisconsin, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-03/microsoft-pulls-back-on-data-centers-from-chicago-to-jakarta?srnd=phx-technology&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The stock is trading lower on Friday amid President Donald Trump&#8217;s <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44631606/trumps-tariff-exemptions-include-semiconductors-pharmaceuticals-oil-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">semiconductor tariff announcements</a>.
Microsoft recently dumped negotiations to lease space between London and Cambridge to host advanced NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) chips, Bloomberg cited unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44523216/microsoft-plans-proprietary-ai-to-power-business-software-and-reduce-openai-dependence-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Plans Proprietary AI To Power Business Software And Reduce OpenAI Dependence: Report</a>
The company has also halted negotiations for data center space near Chicago.
Microsoft recently ditched a proposal to obtain more cloud-computing capacity from CoreWeave, its CEO Michael Intrator, told Bloomberg.
Microsoft has paused work on parts of a data center campus near Jakarta.
Microsoft has also postponed its planned expansion at a Mount Pleasant, Wisconsin, site.
Microsoft has postponed negotiations, including a deal for a server farm complex in North Dakota with Applied Digital Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/APLD#NASDAQ">APLD</a>) and Ada Infrastructure&#8217;s Docklands data center&nbsp;in London.
A Microsoft spokesperson told Bloomberg that Microsoft&#8217;s $3.3 billion project in Wisconsin will likely come online in 2026. A company spokesperson in Jakarta told Bloomberg that Microsoft&#8217;s planned Indonesia Central cloud region is on track to go live in the second quarter of 2025.
In March, TD Cowen analysts told Bloomberg that Microsoft postponed new <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44515782/microsoft-halts-expansion-plans-yet-analysts-still-rank-it-among-top-investment-picks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">data center projects</a> in the U.S. and Europe, signaling potential AI computing overcapacity.
In February, the analysts highlighted leases Microsoft had abandoned in the U.S. They described the latest move as the company&#8217;s choice to forgo some new business from ChatGPT maker OpenAI.
TD Cowen&#8217;s supply chain checks indicated Microsoft&#8217;s pullback has led to Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google and  Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) to backfill the capacity in international markets.
Chinese upstart DeepSeeks&#8217;s open-source AI model led to Wall Street questioning the sustainability of Microsoft, Meta and Amazon.com Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) capex outlays on AI models.
Microsoft stock is down 11% year-to-date. Reportedly, SoftBank (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) may become OpenAI's top backer, surpassing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round">Microsoft's $14 billion stake</a>.
MSFT Price Action: MSFT stock was down 2.17% at $365 premarket Friday at publication.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"></a><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44627035/pony-ai-teams-up-with-luxembourg-transit-giant-to-launch-level-4-autonomous-vehicle-trials" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pony AI Teams Up With Luxembourg Transit Giant to Launch Level 4 Autonomous Vehicle Trials</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Global

AMZN

APLD

Microsoft Halts Data Center Expansions Due To Semiconductor Tariff Concerns, AI Overcapacity Fears

President Donald Trump's <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/news/global/25/04/44631606/trumps-tariff-exemptions-include-semiconductors-pharmaceuticals-oil-and-more">new reciprocal tariffs</a> could undermine the billion-dollar AI infrastructure projects being spearheaded by leading tech companies, analysts warn.
What Happened: On Thursday, analysts highlighted the negative impact of the Trump administration's tariffs on technology equipment, which were levied at 34% on China, 32% on Taiwan, and 25% on South Korea, while also imposing a 10% baseline tariff on all imports to the U.S., reported Reuters.
The tariffs threaten to raise the costs of essential hardware used in artificial intelligence infrastructure, such as data centers, servers, and chips.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/04/44640656/apple-making-iphones-in-america-a-fantasy-that-sounds-great-behind-the-microphones-says-top-analyst-dan-ives">Apple Making iPhones In America A Fantasy That Sounds Great &#8216;Behind The Microphones,&#8217; Says Top Analyst Dan Ives</a>
&#8220;Capital expenditure by tech giants will get reshuffled,&#8221; said Abhishek Singh, partner at Everest Group. &#8220;Expect major players in AI infrastructure and consumer tech to reallocate short-term spending away from expansion and toward procurement hedging or sourcing shifts.&#8221;
The tariffs are expected to increase the cost of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43908921/microsoft-pulls-plug-on-ai-data-center-leases-says-analyst-oversupply-situation-likely">building data centers</a> in the U.S., potentially delaying large-scale AI projects.
D.A. Davidson analyst Gil Luria pointed out that companies like Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) have already begun to scale back their data center investments due to financial uncertainty.
&#8220;Microsoft has already started articulating a more balanced, cautious approach to their data center build-out,&#8221; Luria noted.
The most high-profile project affected is the $500 billion Stargate venture between Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>), SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), and OpenAI, aimed at building 20 data centers across the U.S.
&#8220;Stargate was already unlikely to get to that scale even before these things happened. Given the shock to the economy that these tariffs represent, it is highly unlikely that such a risky endeavor will be able to raise anywhere near that number in terms of debt financings,&#8221; stated Luria.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters: President Trump&#8217;s sweeping new trade tariffs jolted global markets on Thursday, sparking a dramatic sell-off reminiscent of the pandemic-era crashes.
Wall Street witnessed a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/04/44631916/wall-street-wipes-out-2-trillion-apple-eyes-worst-day-since-covid-19-pandemic-oil-plummets-whats-driving-markets-thursday">staggering $2 trillion wiped</a> from market value, with the 10 largest U.S. companies alone accounting for $1 trillion of those losses.
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) plunged 9.25%, Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) fell 7.81%, Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) dropped 8.98%, and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) slid 8.9%.
Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) declined 5.47%, while Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) lost 8.96%. Alphabet Inc.'s Class A shares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) dipped 4.02%, and Class C shares (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) were down 3.92%, according to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com/">data from Benzinga Pro</a>.
Photo Courtesy: Jack_the_sparow on Shutterstock
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/01/43373775/tim-cook-praises-chinas-deepseek-for-driving-efficiency-stresses-apples-prudent-and-deliberate-approach-toward-capital-expenditure" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tim Cook Praises China's DeepSeek For Driving Efficiency, Stresses Apple's ‘Prudent And Deliberate' Approach Toward Capital Expenditure</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Markets

AAPL

TSLA

Trump's Reciprocal Tariffs Threaten To Derail Big Tech's Billion-Dollar AI Infrastructure Plans, Analyst Singles Out This OpenAI-Linked Project As Likely To Get Hit

Dutch advanced chipmaking equipment supplier ASML Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASML#NASDAQ">ASML</a>) plans to quintuple its Japan-based maintenance staff for the machines in the next few years, Nikkei <a target="_blank" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Tech/Semiconductors/ASML-to-quintuple-advanced-EUV-chip-tools-staff-in-Japan" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> Tuesday.
ASML manufactures extreme ultraviolet (EUV) lithography equipment for making advanced technology chips.
In December, Rapidus became the first Japanese chipmaker to receive EUV machines.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43945751/huawei-boosts-ai-chip-production-despite-taiwan-semi-and-asml-ban-aims-to-challenge-nvidia-in-china" rel="noreferrer noopener">Huawei Boosts AI Chip Production Despite Taiwan Semi And ASML Ban, Aims to Challenge Nvidia In China</a>
Japan continues bolstering its advanced semiconductor technology position, as in the U.S., Europe, and China.
Japanese multinational investment holding company Softbank Group Corp (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/04/44589685/softbank-weighs-165-billion-loan-that-could-back-openais-40-billion-raise-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">weighing a loan</a> of up to $16.5 billion to finance its&nbsp;U.S. artificial intelligence ambitions. The loan may help SoftBank lead a $40 billion&nbsp;funding round&nbsp;in OpenAI. The move values the ChatGPT parent&nbsp;at $300 billion.
Contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSM#NYSE">TSM</a>) is expanding globally with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/01/42843001/taiwan-semiconductor-ramps-up-production-in-japan-us-and-germany-to-diversify-away-from-china" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants in the U.S., Japan, and Germany</a>.
Meanwhile, ASML continues to gain traction, which is backed by the higher demand for semiconductor chips.
In March, ASML and imec forged a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/eurozone/25/03/44253751/asml-boosts-ai-chip-rd-in-europe-amid-us-sanctions-china-slowdown-and-subsidy-uncertainty" rel="noreferrer noopener">five-year deal</a> complemented by funding made available by the Chips Joint Undertaking, the Flemish government, and&nbsp;the Dutch government to boost semiconductor R&amp;D and sustainable innovation with EU and government backing to develop sub-2nm chips and advance AI-ready semiconductor solutions.
ASML Holding stock has plunged 34% in the last 12 months. The company disclosed in its&nbsp;annual report that the U.S. semiconductor sanctions on China hurt 2024 demand, with China making up 36% of its sales.
ASML customers slashed capital spending amid U.S. chip restrictions, impacting AI and semiconductor growth. Additionally, reports indicated President Donald Trump&#8217;s plans to scrap&nbsp;the U.S. CHIPS Act.
The EUV lithography market size was worth $10.09 billion in 2023 and is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2025/03/21/3047088/0/en/Extreme-Ultraviolet-EUV-Lithography-Market-to-Hit-USD-35-70-billion-by-2032-Driven-by-Rising-Demand-for-Advanced-Semiconductor-Manufacturing-SNS-Insider.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">expected to reach</a> $35.70 Billion by 2032 and grow at a CAGR of 15.1% over the forecast period 2024-2032.
The growth potential reflects technological advancements, increasing semiconductor complexity, and the demand for smaller, more powerful chips. Industries like AI, high-performance computing, 5G, and IoT.
Price Action:&nbsp;ASML stock is down 4.55% at $638.55 at the last check on Thursday.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43938789/intel-deploys-asmls-advanced-euv-machines-aims-to-challenge-taiwan-semiconductors-lead" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intel Deploys ASML&#8217;s Advanced EUV Machines, Aims to Challenge Taiwan Semiconductor&#8217;s Lead</a></li>
</ul>
Photo via Shutterstock

Asia

ASML

Chip Equipment Maker ASML To Boost Japan Workforce 5x Amid Global Race For Advanced Semiconductor Tech

<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/arm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British chip designer</a> Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) explored snapping up semiconductor intellectual property supplier Alphawave.
That is, until discussions collapsed.
Qualcomm Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>), an Arm rival, also considered acquiring Alphawave, according to Reuters. Both companies are vying for serializer-deserializer technology. This type of tech enabled companies like Broadcom Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AVGO#NASDAQ">AVGO</a>) to win AI chip customers like Alphabet Inc&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google and OpenAI.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44235249/slowdown-and-tariff-talk-grips-the-hottest-sector-on-wall-street-semiconductor-etf-now-has-a-negative-1-year-return" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Slowdown And Tariff Talk Grips The Hottest Sector On Wall Street &#8211; Semiconductor ETF Now Has A Negative 1-Year Return</a>
The technology gained traction by enabling chatbots and other applications to operate smoothly by simultaneously stringing thousands of chips together.
Arm&#8217;s chips have <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" rel="noreferrer noopener">gained traction among</a> cloud computing companies as the electricity of AI data centers has surged over the years. Arm expects its&nbsp;data center central processing unit&nbsp;market share to reach 50% by the end of 2025, up from around 15% in 2024.
Both Arm and Qualcomm supply companies with data center CPUs.
Reportedly, Arm planned to&nbsp;boost prices by&nbsp;up to 300% and has discussed manufacturing its chips. It aims to increase annual smartphone revenue by ~$1 billion over the next ten years.
Arm, majority owned by Japanese conglomerate SoftBank Group, recorded over 90% market share within the mobile applications market. According to <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1132112/arm-market-share-targets/#:~:text=Arm%20Holdings%20market%20share%20across%20key%20technology%20markets%20worldwide%202020%2D2022&amp;text=As%20of%202022%2C%20Arm%20Holdings,and%20embedded%20computing%20markets%20globally." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Statista</a>, it boasted a 65% share of the Internet of Things and embedded computing markets globally in 2022.
Price Action: ARM stock is down 0.13% at $106.84 at last check Wednesday.
Also Read:
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</ul>
Image: Shutterstock

AVGO

QCOM

Chip Giants Arm, Qualcomm Target Alphawave To Capture AI Success Like Broadcom

SoftBank Group Corp&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) is weighing a loan of up to $16.5 billion to finance its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/softbank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. artificial intelligence ambitions</a>.
The bridge loan would have a term of about 12 months.
The loan may help SoftBank lead a $40 billion funding round in OpenAI, Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-04-01/softbank-seeks-record-16-5-billion-loan-for-ai-projects-in-us?srnd=homepage-asia&amp;sref=TBDibEcD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter. The move values the ChatGPT parent <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44580172/openai-finalizes-historic-40-billion-funding-round-valuing-company-at-300-billion-with-backing-from-softbank-and-microsoft" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">at $300 billion</a>.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
The Japanese tech investor remains engaged in its $500 billion AI infrastructure project in the U.S., along with other projects in robotics and semiconductors. The Japanese company is partnering with OpenAI, Oracle Corp, and Abu Dhabi&#8217;s MGX on the Stargate AI deal.
On Tuesday, Japan Credit Rating Agency and S&amp;P Global Ratings flagged potential financial strains for SoftBank from its financing needs.
SoftBank&#8217;s founder and chief, Masayoshi Son, has frequently obtained large loans from creditors.
SoftBank is considering a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44544278/softbank-looks-at-investing-1-trillion-for-us-ai-push-with-robot-run-industrial-parks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">$1 trillion investment</a> in U.S. AI industrial parks using autonomous robots.
SoftBank may reportedly become OpenAI&#8217;s top backer, investing up to $25 billion, surpassing Microsoft Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) $14 billion stake.
OpenAI expects to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than triple</a> its revenue this year to $12.7 billion from $3.7 billion in 2024 and sales to increase to $29.4 billion in 2026. Still, OpenAI does not expect to be cash-flow positive until 2029, when it projects revenue to top $125 billion as it grapples with AI development costs.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/03/44524590/in-geopolitical-chess-chinas-latest-energy-norms-block-nvidias-chip-strategy-amid-us-sanctions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">In Geopolitical Chess, China&#8217;s Latest Energy Norms Block Nvidia&#8217;s Chip Strategy Amid US Sanctions</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

SoftBank Weighs $16.5 Billion Loan That Could Back OpenAI's $40 Billion Raise: Report

OpenAI has finalized a record-setting $40 billion funding round, boosting the company's valuation to $300 billion, with major investments from SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), and other key backers.
What Happened: This financing round is the largest in history, according <a href="https://pitchbook.com/news/articles/openai-largest-vc-funding-round-40-billion">to</a> research firm PitchBook, and almost doubles OpenAI's previous valuation of $157 billion.
SoftBank led the latest funding round with an initial investment of $7.5 billion, accompanied by $2.5 billion from a group of investors, reported Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the agreement.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
Other investors in the group are Microsoft, Coatue Management, Altimeter Capital Management, and Thrive Capital.
A second round of funding, totaling $30 billion, is expected by the end of 2025. This will consist of $22.5 billion from SoftBank and $7.5 billion from the investor group, the report noted.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It Matters:&nbsp; OpenAI reportedly expects its revenue to surge to $12.7 billion this year. The company also revealed it has 1 million paid users for its corporate versions of ChatGPT, with a new $200-per-month "Pro" plan for access to advanced AI models.
On Monday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also announced plans to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44577187/sam-altman-led-openai-releases-open-weight-ai-model-with-reasoning-capabilities-as-deepseek-and-meta-taste-success">release a new open-weight</a> language model with reasoning capabilities.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://benzinga.com/25/03/44554189/openai-and-microsoft-back-mcp-standard-in-major-shift-toward-interoperable-ai-agents-that-can-think-click-and-navigate-the-web-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-appears-to-be-mulling-over-it-in-shakespearean-fashion-to-mcp-or-not-to-mcp" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI And Microsoft Back MCP Standard For Web-Surfing AI Agents; Google's Sundar Pichai Asks A Shakespearean Question</a></li>
</ul>
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

OpenAI Finalizes $40 Billion Funding Round, Valuing Company At $300 Billion With Backing From SoftBank And Microsoft

On Monday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that the company plans to release its new open-weight language model with reasoning capabilities in the coming months. This decision might have been driven by the <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/01/43381133/chinas-deepseek-r1-lands-on-microsoft-azure-and-awsthe-same-model-that-shook-silicon-valley">impressive success of</a> DeepSeek&#8217;s R1 model and the growing popularity of Meta Platforms, Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) Llama models.
What Happened: In a post shared on X, formerly Twitter, Altman revealed that the model would be the first of its kind since GPT-2 and would feature publicly accessible trained parameters or weights, allowing developers to fine-tune the model for specific tasks.
&#8220;We've been thinking about this for a long time, but other priorities took precedence,&#8221; Altman said, adding, &#8220;Now it feels important to do.&#8221;
Altman also said that the company plans to get feedback from developers through a series of global events.
See Also: <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44566020/arm-aims-for-50-data-center-cpu-market-share-by-2025-challenging-intel-and-amd">Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD</a>
"We still have some decisions to make, so we are hosting developer events to gather feedback and later play with early prototypes," he said. The first event will take place in San Francisco, followed by sessions in Europe and Asia-Pacific regions.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">TL;DR: we are excited to release a powerful new open-weight language model with reasoning in the coming months, and we want to talk to devs about how to make it maximally useful: <a href="https://t.co/XKB4XxjREV">https://t.co/XKB4XxjREV</a> we are excited to make this a very, very good model! __ we are planning to…
&mdash; Sam Altman (@sama) <a href="https://twitter.com/sama/status/1906793591944646898?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 31, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
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OpenAI provides access to its AI via a chatbot and cloud-based services. In contrast, models like&nbsp;R1, Llama, and other open-weight alternatives can be freely downloaded and customized.
A model's&nbsp;weights&nbsp;represent the internal values of a neural network, determined during training. Open-weight models offer a&nbsp;cost-effective&nbsp;solution and can be adapted for specialized applications, such as processing&nbsp;sensitive or confidential data, <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/openai-sam-altman-announce-open-source-model/">reported</a> Wired.
After DeepSeek launched its model in January, Altman remarked that <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43426111/openai-rethinks-open-source-as-deepseek-gains-ground-sam-altman-hints-at-major-changes-in-ai-model-development">OpenAI was &#8220;on the wrong side of history&#8221;</a> when it came to open models, hinting at a possible change in stance.
OpenAI might aim to demonstrate its ability to train the new model efficiently, especially since DeepSeek's model was reportedly developed at a significantly lower cost than most large AI models.
"This is amazing news," Clement Delangue, co-founder and CEO of Hugging Face, a company known for hosting open AI models, told the publication. "With DeepSeek, everyone's realizing the power of open weights."
OpenAI is also <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44066117/elon-musk-battles-openai-over-move-to-for-profit-model-and-experts-are-pushing-back">transitioning to a for-profit company</a> by the end of the year to secure a $40 billion funding round led by SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), which will support the development of future AI models.
This move comes after the company closed a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41149788/openai-valuation-soars-to-157b-in-latest-funding-round">$6.6 billion funding round</a> in October.
Meanwhile, Meta has seen significant success with its AI model family, &#8216;Llama,&#8217; which reached a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44393122/mark-zuckerberg-announces-that-metas-llama-model-hits-1-billion-downloads-each-llama-download-represents-a-vote-of-confidence-in-open-source-ai-says-vp">milestone of 1 billion downloads</a>. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg highlighted this achievement, underscoring the growing confidence in open-source AI models.
Photo by jamesonwu1972 on Shutterstock
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a>&nbsp;and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Sam Altman-Led OpenAI Releases Open-Weight AI Model With Reasoning Capabilities As DeepSeek And Meta Taste Success

Arm Holdings (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) expects its<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/arm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> data center central processing unit</a> market share to reach 50% by the end of 2025, up from around 15% in 2024.
Arm&#8217;s infrastructure chief, Mohamed Awad, told Reuters that the UK-headquartered Arm&#8217;s technology, which is 90% owned by Japan&#8217;s SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>), offers lower power consumption than Intel Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/INTC#NASDAQ">INTC</a>) and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMD#NASDAQ">AMD</a>) processors.
Awad noted that by consuming more of Arm&#8217;s intellectual property, data center chips entitled them to a higher royalty rate.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/regulations/25/03/44235249/slowdown-and-tariff-talk-grips-the-hottest-sector-on-wall-street-semiconductor-etf-now-has-a-negative-1-year-return" rel="noreferrer noopener">Slowdown And Tariff Talk Grips The Hottest Sector On Wall Street &#8211; Semiconductor ETF Now Has A Negative 1-Year Return</a>
Arm&#8217;s chips have become increasingly popular among cloud computing companies as AI data centers use electricity.
Arm stock plunged close to 20% in the last 12 months.
Arm last month reported <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/02/43513408/arm-holdings-stock-slides-on-q3-earnings-revenue-beat-eps-beat-revised-guidance-and-more" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">third-quarter revenue</a> of $983 million, up 19%, beating analyst estimates of $946.73 million. The adjusted earnings of 39 cents per share beat analyst estimates of 34 cents per share. Arm expects fourth-quarter revenue of $1.175 billion-$1.275 billion versus the $946.73 million analyst consensus. The company anticipates fourth-quarter adjusted earnings of 48 cents-56 cents per share versus 34 cents consensus estimate.
Arm&#8217;s foray into the chip sales market reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44497080/qualcomm-accuses-arm-of-antitrust-violations-across-us-eu-and-korea-over-chip-access" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">directly competes with</a> its clients, including Qualcomm Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QCOM#NASDAQ">QCOM</a>) and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), for AI and data center chip deals.

Price Action: ARM stock is down 5.83% at $101.51 at last check Monday.
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Photo: Piotr Swat/Shutterstock

INTC

Arm Aims for 50% Data Center CPU Market Share by 2025, Challenging Intel and AMD

Backed by companies like Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), and Meta Platforms Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Scale AI is reportedly seeking a valuation of up to $25 billion in a new tender offer.
What Happened: Scale AI is in talks to launch a tender offer that could value the company at nearly double its <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/05/38944368/ai-startup-scale-secures-1b-from-investors-including-amd-amazon-meta-doubling-valuation-to-13-8b">previous valuation of $14 billion</a> from last year, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/scaleai-valuation-tender-offer-shares-2025-3">reported</a> Business Insider, citing multiple sources who have seen the deal.
The terms of the deal, where existing shares are sold by early investors or employees, are still being finalized, and the final valuation could fluctuate, the report noted.
Founded in 2016, the San Francisco-based company plays a critical role in the AI ecosystem by providing high-quality labeled data, essential for training models like OpenAI's ChatGPT.&nbsp;
However, the company is also facing scrutiny. The U.S. Department of Labor is reportedly <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44186059/us-labor-department-probes-nvidia-amazon-backed-startup-scale-ai">investigating Scale AI's compliance</a> with the Fair Labor Standards Act, raising questions about labor practices amid its rapid growth.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It's Important: On Friday, Elon Musk also acquired his social media platform X through xAI <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44549314/elon-musk-acquires-his-own-social-media-platform-x-through-xai-in-33-billion-deal-says-combined-entity-now-worth-80-billion">in a $33 billion deal</a>.
Last month, it was reported that Ilya Sutskever, OpenAI&#8217;s co-founder and former chief scientist, is reportedly securing over $1 billion in funding for his AI startup, Safe Superintelligence (SSI), driving its <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43772135/ex-openai-chief-scientist-ilya-sutskevers-ai-startup-valued-at-30-billion-in-latest-funding-round-report">valuation past $30 billion</a>.
SoftBank Group (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) is also reportedly in discussions to lead a new funding round for OpenAI, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/01/43374528/softbank-may-lead-openais-40-billion-funding-round-at-a-300-billion-valuation-despite-deepseek-disruption-report">aiming to raise $40 billion</a>. This investment could push the ChatGPT creator's valuation to $300 billion, marking a record for private company funding.
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/author/benzinga-neuro" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Neuro</a> and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Shutterstock

Nvidia-Backed Scale AI Reportedly Eyes $25 Billion Valuation In Tender Offer Amid Explosive Demand For Labeled Data And Machine Learning Tools

SoftBank Group Corp (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/softbank" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eying an investment</a> of more than $1 trillion to create industrial parks for artificial intelligence across the U.S., Bloomberg <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-28/softbank-may-pledge-1-trillion-for-ai-effort-in-us-nikkei-says?sref=TBDibEcD" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cites</a> a Nikkei report on Friday.
Founder and CEO Masayoshi Son will likely visit the U.S. to discuss his ideas for such industrial parks.
The factories would likely use AI-equipped robots operating autonomously due to the labor crisis.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/02/43676475/softbank-backed-arm-holdings-155-post-ipo-surge-bolstered-by-ai-growth-and-smartphone-integration" rel="noreferrer noopener">Softbank-Backed Arm Holdings 155% Post-IPO Surge Bolstered by AI Growth and Smartphone Integration</a>
Son tapped OpenAI and Oracle Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ORCL#NYSE">ORCL</a>) in January for a $100 billion joint venture to fund AI infrastructure in the U.S/, with plans to boost that to at least $500 billion for data centers and physical campuses.
OpenAI and Oracle <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44327422/softbank-to-build-676-million-ai-data-center-in-japan-linked-to-openai-partnership" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plan to begin</a> filling a new data center in Texas with AI chips from NVIDIA Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) to get the first facility for their $100 billion Stargate infrastructure venture up and running.
Reportedly, SoftBank may become <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round" rel="noreferrer noopener">OpenAI's top backer</a>, investing up to $25 billion, surpassing Microsoft's $14 billion stake. The deal could value OpenAI&nbsp;at $300 billion compared to its&nbsp;previous valuation of $157 billion in the October funding round.
SoftBank will commit an initial $7.5 billion to the company and $2.5 billion from an investor syndicate. The second tranche of $30 billion will include $22.5 billion from SoftBank and $7.5 billion from a syndicate.
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Photo: Shutterstock

SoftBank Looks At Investing $1 Trillion For US AI Push With Robot-Run Industrial Parks

Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) is exploring the development of its own <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/microsoft" rel="noreferrer noopener">high-performance artificial intelligence</a> platform model, Nikkei Asia <a target="_blank" href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Editor-s-Picks/Interview/Microsoft-mulls-developing-own-high-end-generative-AI-CEO-Nadella" rel="noreferrer noopener">cited</a> CEO Satya Nadella on Thursday.
Nadella shared plans to build its capability to complement what it had been doing with OpenAI. Microsoft plans to offer such technology through its business software lest it adds value to customers.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44515782/microsoft-halts-expansion-plans-yet-analysts-still-rank-it-among-top-investment-picks" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft Halts Expansion Plans, Yet Analysts Still Rank It Among Top Investment Picks</a>
While Microsoft has been leveraging the OpenAI-developed generative AI ChatGPT technology, having its proprietary platform will make it easier to provide services optimized for its business software.
As of Thursday, OpenAI&nbsp;inched <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44513286/softbank-may-want-to-outdo-microsoft-with-40-billion-investment-in-openais-latest-funding-round" rel="noreferrer noopener">closer to&nbsp;finalizing</a> a $40 billion funding round led by&nbsp;SoftBank Group Corp (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>).
The deal could value OpenAI&nbsp;at $300 billion compared to its&nbsp;previous valuation of $157 billion in the October funding round.
SoftBank will commit an initial $7.5 billion to the company and $2.5 billion from an investor syndicate. The second tranche of $30 billion will include $22.5 billion from SoftBank and $7.5 billion from a syndicate.
Reportedly, OpenAI and Microsoft are facing tensions in their partnership due to financial strain and rising expenses at OpenAI. OpenAI requested Microsoft for additional funding and computing power, but Microsoft has been hesitant since OpenAI's leadership changes.&nbsp;
OpenAI expects to more than triple its revenue in 2025 to $12.7 billion versus $3.7 billion in 2024. Sales are expected to proliferate to $29.4 billion in 2026. Still, OpenAI doesn't expect a positive cash flow until 2029, when it projects revenue to top $125 billion.
A lot has been brewing in the AI space. The emergence of&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44511372/alibaba-strikes-back-new-ai-model-takes-on-deepseek-amid-1-trillion-tech-shakeup" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese AI startup</a>&nbsp;DeepSeek&nbsp;and claims of affordable AI models led to&nbsp;Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) losing $600 billion in market cap in&nbsp;a single day. DeepSeek's AI model fueled a domestic price war, prompting Chinese Big Tech companies to roll out affordable AI models.
Price Action: MSFT stock is up 0.40% at $391.54 at the last check on Thursday.
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Photo via Shutterstock

Microsoft Plans Proprietary AI To Power Business Software And Reduce OpenAI Dependence: Report

ChatGPT parent OpenAI&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/openai" rel="noreferrer noopener">inched closer to</a> finalizing a $40 billion funding round as of Thursday, led by&nbsp;SoftBank Group Corp (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBF#OTC">SFTBF</a>) (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) and investors&nbsp;Magnetar Capital,&nbsp;Coatue Management,&nbsp;Founders Fund, and&nbsp;Altimeter Capital Management.
Magnetar Capital could contribute up to $1 billion, Bloomberg <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-03-26/openai-close-to-finalizing-its-40-billion-softbank-led-funding?sref=TBDibEcD" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a>, citing unnamed sources familiar with the matter.
The deal could value the company&nbsp;at $300 billion compared to its&nbsp;previous valuation of $157 billion in the October funding round.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44163030/chatgpt-parent-openais-specialized-ai-agents-could-cost-up-to-20-thousand-per-month-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">ChatGPT Parent OpenAI&#8217;s Specialized AI Agents Could Cost Up To $20 Thousand Per Month: report</a>
SoftBank will commit an initial $7.5 billion to the company and $2.5 billion from an investor syndicate. According to the report, the second tranche of $30 billion will include $22.5 billion from SoftBank and $7.5 billion from a syndicate.
SoftBank&nbsp;is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/01/43327823/softbank-eyes-historic-25-billion-investment-in-openai-poised-to-dethrone-microsoft-as-chatgpt-parents-biggest-investor" rel="noreferrer noopener">reportedly negotiating an</a> investment of $15 billion—$25 billion in&nbsp;OpenAI, making it the largest investor in the&nbsp;ChatGPT&nbsp;creator. This would surpass&nbsp;Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>), which has&nbsp;invested nearly $14 billion.
Reportedly, OpenAI and Microsoft negotiated to convert Microsoft&#8217;s $14 billion investment in OpenAI into equity in the AI company.
<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41407196/openais-for-profit-structure-adds-valuation-complexity-to-microsoft-and-other-equity-investors-repor" rel="noreferrer noopener">Reports also indicated</a> that OpenAI and Microsoft are facing tensions in their partnership due to financial strain and rising expenses at OpenAI. OpenAI asked Microsoft for additional funding and computing power, but Microsoft has been hesitant since OpenAI&#8217;s leadership changes. OpenAI&#8217;s projected computing expenses could reach $37.5 billion annually by 2029.
Separately, SoftBank has committed billions to the Stargate Project, a Texas-based joint venture with partners including OpenAI,&nbsp;Oracle Corp, and MGX.
OpenAI expects to more than triple its revenue this year to $12.7 billion. In 2024, it generated $3.7 billion in revenue. OpenAI expects sales to proliferate to $29.4 billion in 2026.
Still, OpenAI doesn&#8217;t expect to be cash-flow positive until 2029, when it projects revenue to top $125 billion as it grapples with AI development costs.
As of February, SoftBank committed&nbsp;$40 billion in OpenAI at a $260 billion valuation, CNBC <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/03/26/openai-expects-revenue-will-triple-to-12point7-billion-this-year-sources-say.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a>. It expects to earmark part of the funding to OpenAI&#8217;s commitment to Stargate.
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Image via Shutterstock

SoftBank May Want To Outdo Microsoft With $40 Billion Investment in OpenAI's Latest Funding Round

Perplexity is intensifying competition in the artificial intelligence search market, challenging Alphabet Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) dominance. Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas stated on X Tuesday that &#8220;Native transactions are the best way to go after the AdWords revenue.&#8221; He believes this approach, though complex to implement seamlessly, is <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43488268/googles-gemini-ai-could-soon-include-adssundar-pichai-hints-at-future-monetization-beyond-subscriptions">crucial for competing with Google</a>.
What Happened: Srinivas announced Perplexity&#8217;s introduction of answer modes to improve its core search product for specific verticals like travel, shopping, places, images, videos, and jobs. He highlighted the travel vertical, where Perplexity now enables native hotel bookings, a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40972869/jeff-bezos-backed-perplexity-ai-in-discussion-with-marriott-and-nike-as-it-prepares-to-challenge-to">feature developed in collaboration</a> with TripAdvisor and Selfbook. 
Srinivas emphasized the importance of moving beyond text-based answers to structured responses for verticals with entities like images, videos, and transactional capabilities. &#8220;Going beyond answering a wall of text and being good at structured answers for verticals with entities like images, videos, cards with built-in commercial transactions is a necessary step for being a daily-usage product and taking on Google,&#8221; he said.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Native transactions are the best way to go after the AdWords revenue. It will take a while to get right and make it seamless. Google is positioned in an evil but legal way to claim maximum credit for any brand awareness that another platform (research or social) provides users. <a href="https://t.co/rUA7R3mEzw">https://t.co/rUA7R3mEzw</a>
&mdash; Aravind Srinivas (@AravSrinivas) <a href="https://twitter.com/AravSrinivas/status/1904652822156894335?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 25, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
This development comes as Alphabet reported that its AI-powered search features are generating revenue at similar rates to traditional search results. During <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/02/43485518/google-ais-search-revenue-matches-traditional-ads-says-alphabet-but-there-is-rising-competition-from-openai-perplexity-deepseek">Alphabet's fourth-quarter 2024 earnings call</a>, Chief Business Officer Philipp Schindler stated that AI overviews are delivering revenue &#8220;at approximately the same rate&#8221; as conventional search results. 
This is significant, as search advertising remains Alphabet&#8217;s largest revenue source, generating $54 billion in the fourth quarter, a 13% year-over-year increase.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/25/03/44486235/chinas-milk-tea-chain-chagee-files-for-nasdaq-ipo-under-cha-taking-on-starbucks-in-growing-market">China&#8217;s Milk Tea Chain Chagee Files For Nasdaq IPO Under &#8216;CHA,&#8217; Taking On Starbucks In Growing Market</a>
Why It Matters: Alphabet faces growing competition from companies like OpenAI, Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) with its AI-powered Bing, DeepSeek, and Perplexity. 
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai hinted at potential monetization strategies for Gemini AI, including the future integration of ads. During the earnings call, Pichai acknowledged that while the company is currently focused on subscription tiers, advertising is likely to play a <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/02/43488268/googles-gemini-ai-could-soon-include-adssundar-pichai-hints-at-future-monetization-beyond-subscriptions">role in Gemini&#8217;s monetization</a>.
Perplexity, backed by Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) founder Jeff Bezos and Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>), is reportedly in talks to raise up to $1 billion in a new funding round, potentially <a href="https://in.benzinga.com/25/03/44432846/backed-by-jeff-bezos-and-nvidia-perplexity-ai-eyes-18-billion-valuation-in-new-funding-rounddoubling-in-just-4-months">valuing the company at $18 billion</a>. 
Perplexity&#8217;s rapid growth has also drawn scrutiny. Media companies have accused the startup of scraping and republishing <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41442679/rupert-murdochs-dow-jones-new-york-post-sue-jeff-bezos-backed-perplexity-for-copyright-infringement">content without attribution</a>. 
Alphabet stock outpaces Microsoft in growth and momentum, per <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/quote/GOOGL">Benzinga Edge Ranking</a>— For more insights, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/screener/top-momentum-stocks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sign up for Benzinga Edge</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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Google's Ad Dominance Faces Challenge As Perplexity Introduces Answer Modes, Aravind Srinivas Advocates 'Native Transactions'

Alibaba Group Holding&nbsp;(NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) Chairman Joe Tsai has expressed apprehension about a potential bubble in the AI data center construction sector. 
What Happened: At&nbsp;the HSBC Global Investment Summit&nbsp;in Hong Kong, Tsai cautioned that the rapid expansion of data centers could surpass the early demand for artificial intelligence (AI) services. He pointed out the reckless rush by tech firms, investment funds, and other entities to set up server bases from the U.S. to Asia, potentially leading to numerous projects being developed without a well-defined customer base, reported the <a href="https://www.scmp.com/business/banking-finance/article/3303769/some-ai-related-bets-are-speculative-and-creating-bubble-alibabas-tsai-says">South China Morning Post</a>.
&#8220;People are talking literally about $500 billion, several $100 billion [projects]. I don't think that is entirely necessary,&#8221; Tsai stated. The Alibaba Chair spoke specifically about the AI investments in the U.S.
"I start to get worried when people are building data centers on speculation,&#8221; Tsai added.
Major tech companies like&nbsp;Microsoft Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) and&nbsp;SoftBank Group Corp.&nbsp;(OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SFTBY#OTC">SFTBY</a>) are investing billions in AI development. Alibaba itself has plans to invest over 380 billion yuan ($70 billion) in AI&nbsp;within the next three years.
Tsai voiced concerns about projects seeking funding without first securing uptake agreements. He specifically pointed out the heavy spending by US companies like&nbsp;Amazon.com, Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>),&nbsp;Alphabet Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>), and&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) on AI infrastructure.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44468827/palantir-market-cap-surges-over-50-billion-in-2025-wont-be-a-seller-says-analyst-as-he-foresees-pltr-as-a-play-on-global-economy-and-ai">Palantir Market Cap Surges Over $50 Billion In 2025: Won&#8217;t Be A &#8216;Seller,&#8217; Says Analyst As He Foresees PLTR As An AI Play</a>
Why It Matters: Tsai&#8217;s concerns resonate with &nbsp;Edward Yardeni, the President of Yardeni Research who stated that the "AI bubble" <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/03/44371661/ai-bubble-bursting-magnificent-7s-profit-margins-face-pressure-as-capital-spending-can-tumble-in-2025">could be "bursting.&#8221;</a> He stated, "The fear now is that open-source large language models (LLMs) like DeepSeek and Manus, developed in China, require much less powerful semiconductors to operate."
"If so, then AI capital spending will tumble along with the profit margins on AI systems," warned Yardeni.
In February, TD Cowen analysts noted that Microsoft is canceling some U.S. data center leases, raising concerns about potential overinvestment in AI computing capacity.
However, Goldman Sachs analysts predict that AI-related investments in chips and hardware could add $305 billion in revenue by the end of 2025. The analysts also noted that while <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/03/44465542/ai-investments-set-to-power-chip-revenue-boom-adoption-rises-among-large-companies-goldman-sachs">tech giants</a> are investing heavily in AI infrastructure, leading to a significant semiconductor revenue boom, most companies are still in the early stages of adoption.
Given these factors, Tsai&#8217;s warning about a potential bubble in data center construction is significant and warrants attention from investors and tech companies alike.
Alibaba holds a momentum rating of 96.04% and a growth rating of 73.41%, according to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/report/BABA" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga&#8217;s Proprietary Edge Rankings</a>. The Benzinga Momentum metric measures a stock's relative strength based on its price movement patterns and volatility over multiple timeframes, ranked as a percentile against other stocks. For an in-depth report on more stocks and insights into growth opportunities,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/screener/top-momentum-stocks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sign</a>&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/screener/top-momentum-stocks" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">up for Benzinga Edge.</a>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

BABA

Alibaba's Tsai Sounds Alarm On Signs Of AI Bubble In US: 'People Are Building Data Centers On Speculation'

The Osaka High Court ruled on Tuesday that Japan&#8217;s ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, marking a pivotal moment for civil rights in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/japan">world&#8217;s third-largest economy</a>. 
The landmark decision aligns with four previous high court rulings, intensifying pressure on Japanese lawmakers to recognize same-sex unions, <a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2025/03/4f73f4cbd390-update1-japan-high-court-rules-same-sex-marriage-ban-unconstitutional.html">reported</a> Kyodo News.
Three same-sex couples challenged civil law provisions that restrict marriage rights, arguing the current statutes violate constitutional guarantees of equality. While the court declined to award damages, the ruling represents a significant legal precedent in Japan, the only Group of Seven nation without legal protections for same-sex partnerships.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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