SpaceX Acquired xAI in Trillion-Dollar Deal, US Abstains From AI Safety Report
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, described the combination as forming "the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile-device communications, and the world's foremost real-time information and free speech platform," according to a blog post on SpaceX's website cited by Fortune.
Meanwhile, the United States declined to endorse the second International AI Safety Report, published ahead of the AI Impact Summit scheduled for February 19-20 in Delhi, Time reported. The report, guided by 100 experts and backed by 30 countries and international organizations, including the United Kingdom, China, and the European Union, highlighted that artificial intelligence is improving faster than anticipated and that current risk management techniques are insufficient. Yoshua Bengio, the report's chair and Turing Award-winning scientist, confirmed the U.S.'s lack of support.
In other news, multiple sources reported on various developments, including Bill and Hillary Clinton's upcoming testimony before the House Oversight Committee regarding Jeffrey Epstein, according to Vox. The Epstein files also exposed Trump and Musk. The NFL is reviewing Steve Tisch's communications with Epstein following document releases, according to multiple news sources.
The Department of Health and Human Services is reportedly using AI tools to screen grants and job descriptions for compliance with executive orders related to gender ideology and DEI, as reported by multiple news sources. Pornhub has restricted access for unverified UK users in response to the upcoming Online Safety Act, according to multiple news sources.
Additionally, Indonesia is creating a new state-owned enterprise (SOE) under its sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, with a $6 billion investment to revitalize its struggling textile industry and shield it from challenges like competition from China and potential U.S. tariffs, according to multiple news sources. While the SOE aims to boost exports and protect against cheap imports, some experts worry it could stifle private investment and job creation, potentially acting as a dominant competitor in the market.
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