Tech World Abuzz with Deepfakes, EV Battery Advancements, Trade Tensions, Wealth Tax Debates, and Nvidia-OpenAI Relationship
The technology and economic landscapes were active this week, with developments ranging from AI deepfakes to electric vehicle batteries, trade policy impacts, wealth tax controversies, and the relationship between Nvidia and OpenAI.
A new analysis revealed a marketplace, Civitai, backed by Andreessen Horowitz, was facilitating the creation of bespoke AI deepfakes of real women. According to a study by researchers at Stanford and Indiana University, users were buying custom instruction files to generate celebrity deepfakes, some designed to create pornographic images banned by the site. The study examined user requests for content, called "bounties," between mid-2023 and the end of 2024, finding a significant portion requested animated content.
The electric vehicle (EV) market continued its rapid growth, with EVs accounting for over a quarter of new vehicle sales globally in 2025, up from less than 5% in 2020, according to MIT Technology Review. China led the way, with over 50% of new vehicle sales being battery electric or plug-in hybrids. Europe also saw strong adoption, with more purely electric vehicles hitting the roads in December than gas-powered ones. The US lagged behind, experiencing a slight sales decline from 2024. As EVs become more prevalent, the battery industry is also expanding, with further advancements expected in the coming years.
Trade policy also remained a key topic, with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management's chief investment officer, Lisa Shalett, stating that a potential second Trump administration has "laid bare how America built the new exceptionalism." She suggested that other countries would now begin leveraging their own economic firepower against trade partners. Shalett explained that America's healthy economy had been underpinned by monetary stimulus, fiscal stimulus, and imported disinflation from trade with China, a combination that had been "extraordinarily powerful for corporate earnings and growth over the past 15 years."
California Governor Gavin Newsom continued to voice his concerns about the proposed billionaire wealth tax. In an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek last Thursday, Newsom argued that the tax could hurt the state in the long term. "The fact is it actually will reduce investments in education," he said. "It will reduce investments in teachers and librarians, childcare. It will reduce investments in firefighting and police." Newsom believes the wealth tax would eventually lead to a decline in the state's tax base, reducing revenue for social services. His comments came as some billionaires in the state have expressed intentions to relocate if the tax is implemented.
Finally, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang addressed reports of unhappiness with OpenAI's business approach. Speaking with reporters in Taiwan, Huang denied a Wall Street Journal report that he disliked OpenAI's business approach and was concerned about competition from Alphabet and Anthropic. He called the report "nonsense" and affirmed his support for OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. While Huang acknowledged that a $100 billion investment was never a commitment, he stated that Nvidia still plans to make a "huge investment" in OpenAI. "I really love working with Sam," Huang said.
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