Homechevron_rightArchiveschevron_rightBusiness and Economy

Archives

Explore Stories by Date

21 Jan 2026

Google Gemini stays ad-free as DeepMind CEO questions OpenAI's rush to introduce ChatGPT ads

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis expressed surprise at OpenAI's decision to introduce ads in ChatGPT, stating Google has no plans for Gemini ads. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Hassabis emphasized the need to think carefully about how advertising fits into AI assistants meant to work for users, raising concerns about user trust and the quality of the experience.

8 Sources

OpenAI and Anthropic intensify enterprise AI push as business customers become primary revenue focus

OpenAI and Anthropic revealed at Davos that enterprise customers now represent 40% and 80% of their respective businesses. Both artificial intelligence startups are racing to expand their enterprise footprint, with OpenAI projecting enterprise revenue to reach 50% by year-end as competition intensifies for lucrative business contracts.

3 Sources

Elon Musk races to take SpaceX public by July to fund orbital AI data centers in space

Elon Musk is reportedly preparing a SpaceX IPO by July to raise billions for AI data centers in space, marking a dramatic shift from his long-held position against going public before reaching Mars. The move aims to help xAI compete with OpenAI and Google while addressing the massive power demands of artificial intelligence infrastructure.

4 Sources

AI Apps Drive Consumer Spending Past Games for First Time as Mobile Revenue Hits $85 Billion

Consumer spending on mobile apps reached a historic milestone in 2025, with non-game apps surpassing games globally for the first time. Generative AI apps led the surge, tripling in-app purchase revenue to exceed $5 billion as downloads doubled to 3.8 billion. ChatGPT alone generated $3.4 billion, while users spent 48 billion hours engaging with AI assistants.

2 Sources

Jensen Huang says AI infrastructure buildout will create more jobs for skilled trades workers

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argued at the World Economic Forum that AI will drive demand for plumbers, electricians, and construction workers as the industry undertakes what he calls the largest infrastructure buildout in human history. While AI threatens white-collar displacement, Huang says trade workers could earn six-figure salaries building chip factories and data centers needed to power the AI boom.

19 Sources

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang visits China as Beijing weighs H200 AI chip approval amid trade tensions

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has arrived in China for his annual Lunar New Year visit, but this time the stakes are higher. Beijing is deciding whether to approve imports of Nvidia's H200 AI chip, with Chinese tech giants like Alibaba, Tencent, and ByteDance receiving preliminary clearance to prepare massive orders exceeding 200,000 units each.

13 Sources

OpenAI pledges Stargate AI data centers will fund own energy and not spike local utility bills

OpenAI announced that its Stargate AI data centers will pay for their own energy infrastructure and minimize water use, addressing growing community opposition. The $500 billion initiative includes site-specific community plans to ensure operations don't increase local electricity prices. The move follows similar pledges from Microsoft and pressure from President Trump for tech companies to cover their own power costs.

9 Sources

20 Jan 2026

Google's Gemini AI sees developer requests surge twice as much in five months

Google's Gemini AI models are experiencing explosive growth, with developer requests more than doubling in just five months. The surge signals improving model quality and increased revenue for Google Cloud, though profitability margins remain a challenge. Meanwhile, Google's partnership with Walmart aims to transform e-commerce through natural language shopping.

2 Sources

CEOs Report No Financial Returns from AI Despite Massive Investment in Enterprise Tools

A PwC CEO survey of 4,454 business leaders across 95 countries reveals that 56% of companies see no revenue growth or cost savings from AI. Only 12% report both increased revenue and reduced costs. Despite lackluster returns, 69% of CEOs say generative AI will require workforce upskilling, yet fewer than half have clear plans. The findings suggest companies are adopting AI mainly for maintaining market relevance rather than proven financial gains.

5 Sources

Chinese AI startups surge with investor backing despite chip controls and profitability hurdles

China's AI boom accelerates as startups raise hundreds of millions in funding rounds, with Zhipu AI and MiniMax making stellar Hong Kong stock exchange debuts. But beneath the excitement, Chinese AI faces critical challenges: US export controls on microchips, mounting losses, and the puzzle of achieving profitability while competing with OpenAI and other Western rivals.

4 Sources

Microsoft reveals 40 jobs most exposed to AI as translators, writers, and educators face scrutiny

Microsoft researchers analyzed over 200,000 workplace interactions with Copilot to identify which jobs have the highest AI applicability score. Translators, historians, writers, and customer service representatives top the list of roles most aligned with AI capabilities. The study reveals that knowledge-based jobs requiring Bachelor's degrees face significant exposure, while hands-on roles like water treatment operators remain largely unaffected.

2 Sources

PwC Survey: 56% of Companies Getting Nothing from AI as Leaders Forget the Basics

PwC's global chairman Mohamed Kande revealed at Davos that 56% of companies see zero returns from AI investments due to insufficient foundational groundwork. The 29th global CEO survey shows only 10-12% of firms report tangible benefits, while CEO confidence in revenue growth hits a five-year low at 30%.

3 Sources

Micron snaps up Taiwan chip fab for $1.8 billion to meet surging AI memory demand

Micron Technology signed a letter of intent to acquire Powerchip's P5 fabrication site in Taiwan for $1.8 billion, adding 300,000 square feet of cleanroom space to ramp up DRAM production. The deal comes as memory markets remain tight, with Micron having already pre-sold all its high-bandwidth memory output for 2026 amid soaring demand from AI infrastructure.

2 Sources

19 Jan 2026

OpenAI shifts 2026 strategy to practical adoption as revenue soars to $20 billion

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar announced the company will prioritize practical adoption of AI in 2026, focusing on closing the gap between AI capabilities and real-world usage. With annualized revenue growing from $2 billion to over $20 billion between 2023 and 2025, the company targets health, science, and enterprise sectors while managing $1.4 trillion in infrastructure commitments.

5 Sources

Andreessen Horowitz commits $3 billion to AI infrastructure, betting against bubble fears

Andreessen Horowitz has committed $3 billion to AI infrastructure investments, focusing on developer tools, coding applications, and foundational models rather than consumer-facing AI. Led by Martin Casado, the venture capital firm's strategy targets technical buyers while sidestepping data center investments, with early bets like Cursor already showing massive returns despite soaring valuations across the sector.

3 Sources

Get all updates into your inbox 💌, Stay Up-to-date for Free 🥳

Your Daily Dose of Curated AI News

Don’t drown in AI news. We cut through the noise - filtering, ranking and summarizing the most important AI news, breakthroughs and research daily. Spend less time searching for the latest in AI and get straight to action.

The Outpost

News

About