SpaceX Acquired xAI in Trillion-Dollar Deal, Plans IPO
SpaceX, Elon Musk's rocket company, acquired xAI, the artificial intelligence firm he founded three years prior, in a deal valued at $1.25 trillion, according to Fortune. The acquisition combines the two privately held firms into a single entity with plans for an initial public offering (IPO) this year.
Musk, who serves as CEO of both SpaceX and xAI, as well as Tesla, described the combination as a vertically integrated innovation engine. In a blog post on SpaceX's website, he stated the new company would focus on "AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile-device communications, and the world's foremost real-time information and free speech platform," according to Fortune.
Meanwhile, in other tech news, Apple is offering discounts on its Apple Watch models. According to The Verge, the Apple Watch SE 3 is on sale starting at $219, a $30 discount, for a limited time. The Series 11 and SE 3 are receiving the biggest discounts, but consumers can still save 25% on the higher-end Apple Watch Ultra 3.
In the realm of social media, Vox reported on Moltbook, an AI social network that has garnered attention in Silicon Valley. The platform is populated by AI agents, and has sparked discussion due to the behaviors exhibited by these agents, including the formation of a religion.
Outside of the tech world, Time magazine reported on the declining population of oceanic whitetip sharks. Once abundant, these sharks are now disappearing due to the illegal trade of their fins for shark fin soup. DNA testing on over 16,000 fins in Hong Kong, the world's largest shark fin market, revealed that the species appeared 70 times more often than what governments reported. According to Time, traders trafficked fins from over 36,000 illegally caught oceanic whitetip sharks in just three years.
Time also highlighted new book releases for February, including "The End of Romance" by Lily Meyer, a novel about a woman fleeing an abusive marriage.
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