OpenAI Weighs 'Nuclear Option' of Antitrust Complaint Against Microsoft
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Ars Technica: OpenAI executives have discussed filing an antitrust complaint with US regulators against Microsoft, the company's largest investor, The Wall Street Journal reported Monday, marking a dramatic escalation in tensions between the two long-term AI partners. OpenAI, which develops ChatGPT, has reportedly considered seeking a federal regulatory review of the terms of its contract with Microsoft for potential antitrust law violations, according to people familiar with the matter. The potential antitrust complaint would likely argue that Microsoft is using its dominant position in cloud services and contractual leverage to suppress competition, according to insiders who described it as a "nuclear option," the WSJ reports.
The move could unravel one of the most important business partnerships in the AI industry -- a relationship that started with a $1 billion investment by Microsoft in 2019 and has grown to include billions more in funding, along with Microsoft's exclusive rights to host OpenAI models on its Azure cloud platform. The friction centers on OpenAI's efforts to transition from its current nonprofit structure into a public benefit corporation, a conversion that needs Microsoft's approval to complete. The two companies have not been able to agree on details after months of negotiations, sources told Reuters. OpenAI's existing for-profit arm would become a Delaware-based public benefit corporation under the proposed restructuring.
The companies are discussing revising the terms of Microsoft's investment, including the future equity stake it will hold in OpenAI. According to The Information, OpenAI wants Microsoft to hold a 33 percent stake in a restructured unit in exchange for foregoing rights to future profits. The AI company also wants to modify existing clauses that give Microsoft exclusive rights to host OpenAI models in its cloud. The restructuring debate attracted criticism from multiple quarters. Elon Musk alleges that OpenAI violated contract provisions by prioritizing profit over the public good in its push to advance AI and has sued to block the conversion. In December, Meta Platforms also asked California's attorney general to block OpenAI's conversion to a for-profit company.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Firefox for Chromebook [Installation] - About Chromebooks
Firefox for Chromebook [Installation] About Chromebooks
Categories: Linux
KDE Plasma's big 6.4 update makes setting up your home in Linux a lot comfier - XDA
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Open 3D Engine 25.05 Brings Vulkan Improvements, Simulation Enhancements - Phoronix
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New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
Categories: Linux
New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
Categories: Linux
New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
Categories: Linux
New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
Categories: Linux
New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
Categories: Linux
New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
Categories: Linux
New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
Categories: Linux
New Chaos RAT Variants Targeting Windows and Linux Systems to Steal Sensitive Data - GBHackers News
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5 More Lightweight Linux Distros That Go Easy on Your Old Windows PC - How-To Geek
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We’re partnering with CTC Global to increase and improve U.S. electrical grid capacity.We’re partnering with CTC Global to increase and improve U.S. electrical grid capacity.
Today we announced a collaboration with CTC Global Corporation (CTC Global) to accelerate the deployment of next-generation transmission technology for the U.S. power gr…
Categories: Technology
Iran Bans Officials From Using Internet-Connected Devices
An anonymous reader shares a report: Iran's cybersecurity authority has banned officials from using devices that connect to the internet, apparently fearing being tracked or hacked by Israel. According to the state-linked Fars news agency, Iranian officials and their bodyguards have been told they are not allowed to use any equipment that connects to public internet or telecommunications networks.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Salesforce Announces 6% Price Increase as It Pushes AI Features
Salesforce will raise prices by an average of 6% across its Enterprise and Unlimited Editions starting August 1, 2025, while simultaneously launching new AI-focused product tiers that significantly expand the cost structure for its platform. The price increases will affect Sales Cloud, Service Cloud, Field Service, and select Industries Clouds, though the company's Foundations, Starter, and Pro Editions will remain unchanged, the company said Tuesday.
Salesforce is justifying the move by citing "significant ongoing innovation and customer value delivered through our products." The company is also rolling out new Agentforce add-ons starting at $125 per user monthly, which provide unlimited AI agent usage for employees, while premium Agentforce 1 Editions begin at $550 per user monthly and include comprehensive AI capabilities plus cloud-specific features. Slack pricing has also been restructured, with the Business+ plan now costing $15 per user monthly and a new Enterprise+ tier added, though basic Slack access will be free for all Salesforce customers.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Arch Linux Breaks New Ground: Official Rust Init System Support Arrives - Linux Journal
Categories: Linux
Meetings After 8 p.m. Are On the Rise, Microsoft Study Finds
Meetings starting after 8 p.m. are up 16% compared to a year ago, and at 10 p.m. almost a third of active workers are still monitoring their inboxes, according to research from Microsoft. Bloomberg: The company's annual work trends study, which is based on aggregated and anonymized data from Microsoft 365 users and a global survey of 31,000 desk workers, also found that almost 20% of employees actively working weekends are checking email before noon on Saturdays and Sundays [non-paywalled source], while over 5% are active on email again on Sunday evenings, gearing up for the start of the work week.
[...] Meetings are often spontaneous. Some 57% of the gatherings tallied by Microsoft came together without a calendar invite, and even 10% of scheduled meetings were booked at the last minute. [...] Mass emails, those which loop in more than 20 participants, are on the rise, climbing 7% from last year.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
We’re expanding our Gemini 2.5 family of modelsWe’re expanding our Gemini 2.5 family of modelsSenior Director
Gemini 2.5 Flash and Pro are now generally available, and we’re introducing 2.5 Flash-Lite, our most cost-efficient and fastest 2.5 model yet.Gemini 2.5 Flash and Pro are now generally available, and we’re introducing 2.5 Flash-Lite, our most cost-efficient and fastest 2.5 model yet.
Categories: Technology