technology companies

SpaceX is preparing to launch its Starship rocket to orbit for the first time, a milestone for the company's next-generation heavy-lift vehicle. The flight would mark a major step in Elon Musk's plans for deep-space travel, and the anticipation of the debut orbital test is drawing wide attention across the space and technology communities.

Leading figures in artificial intelligence have appealed to the United Nations, asking international bodies to establish controls over the technology they themselves helped create. The unusual request — creators seeking limits on their own work — has drawn attention because it frames AI risk as a matter for global governance rather than individual company policy, and puts the UN Security Council at the centre of the debate.

President Donald Trump is preparing for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, and attention is focused on what it could mean for trade and business. Analysts flag three key issues for companies: tariffs and market access, technology and export controls, and whether the meeting produces any concrete agreements or just rhetoric between the world's two largest economies.

Executives from Anthropic and OpenAI are publicly warning that advanced artificial intelligence systems could endanger humanity, while simultaneously pushing to influence how the technology is governed. Commentators are asking what the companies stand to gain from sounding the alarm, with critics suggesting safety messaging doubles as a bid for regulatory influence and market positioning in an increasingly AI-fatigued public debate.

Ireland's Data Protection Commission has fined Google €403 million for breaching the EU's General Data Protection Regulation, according to the Irish Times. The penalty from Google's lead European regulator ranks among the larger GDPR fines issued to a major technology company, and the ruling is likely to fuel ongoing debate about how EU watchdogs police the data practices of large US platforms.

The Mexican government has filed a lawsuit against Meta in federal court, accusing the company of human rights violations. The case, reported by Milenio, marks an unusual step of a national government taking a major tech platform to court directly over rights-related claims. Details of the specific allegations and Meta's response have not yet been made fully public.

Moderna has launched a Phase 1 clinical trial of an Ebola vaccine targeting the Zaire strain responsible for the ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The early-stage trial will test the vaccine's safety and immune response in humans, marking a new use of the company's vaccine technology against the deadly virus.

Anthropic and OpenAI are publicly raising concerns about AI safety while also seeking to influence how the technology is regulated, according to AP reporting carried across multiple outlets. The story highlights the dual role of the leading AI companies: warning about risks from advanced systems while lobbying to shape the rules meant to control them. Critics and observers are weighing whether industry involvement in regulation serves the public interest or the companies' own.

Technology analysts are voicing concern about Nvidia's artificial intelligence chip business in China and the company's potential influence over the Trump administration. The worry centers on how sales of advanced AI chips to Chinese customers may affect US national security and trade policy, and whether Nvidia's economic weight gives it unusual leverage in Washington's policymaking.

A US jury has ruled that Apple must pay a record $5.7 billion in damages in a patent dispute over haptic technology, the vibration and touch-feedback systems used in its devices. The verdict ranks among the largest patent damages awards ever issued in the United States, and attention is turning to whether Apple will appeal the decision.

OpenAI has scrapped the planned release of its latest AI model, citing safety concerns. The decision means the model will be held back rather than made available to users, a notable move for a company competing to ship new AI technology quickly. The news was carried by France 24 under its business coverage.

US House Speaker Mike Johnson says President Trump's meeting with technology chief executives will focus on finding the right balance on artificial intelligence. The discussion is expected to weigh innovation and industry growth against regulation and safety concerns. The meeting brings the Trump administration face to face with leading AI companies as Washington shapes its approach to governing the fast-moving technology.

Anthropic and OpenAI are publicly warning about the risks posed by advanced artificial intelligence while pushing to influence how the technology will be regulated and controlled. The two leading AI firms are framing safety as a central concern even as they compete to develop increasingly powerful systems, prompting debate over whether companies building AI should be the ones setting the rules for its oversight.

CNBC's Daily Open newsletter highlights a growing split in the artificial intelligence world: some of the technology's own creators are publicly warning about AI's dangers, while companies continue investing heavily in data centres, chips and other infrastructure to expand it. The piece frames the tension between safety concerns and the commercial race as a defining issue in the sector right now.

SpaceX is moving ahead with Starship Flight 14, the latest test mission in the company's campaign to prove out its reusable super-heavy launch system. Details of the launch date and mission objectives are limited so far, but the flight is drawing attention as SpaceX continues rapid iterations of the rocket at Starbase, Texas, in support of NASA's lunar ambitions.

OpenAI has cancelled the release of a new AI model, citing safety concerns. The decision, reported by France 24, is drawing attention as it suggests the company is willing to delay or shelve technology it considers too risky to deploy. Observers are likely debating what this means for OpenAI's safety commitments and the pace of AI development.

Anthropic's IPO prospectus reportedly claims that artificial intelligence could transform the world more profoundly than electricity or the internet. The filing's framing underscores the company's ambition as it moves toward a public listing, positioning AI as a historic general-purpose technology. The claim is drawing attention as one of the boldest statements in a public market document.

A US jury has ruled that Apple must pay a record $5.7 billion in a patent dispute over haptic technology, the vibration feedback used in iPhones and other devices. The verdict, reported by Reuters and other outlets, is described as one of the largest patent damages awards against Apple, which is expected to appeal.

China has introduced new travel rules that are causing concern among major technology companies and skilled workers, particularly in sectors like artificial intelligence. Observers say the restrictions could complicate international business trips and the movement of expertise, adding uncertainty for firms operating in China and for foreign employees weighing whether to stay.

France has proposed that fines imposed by the European Union on Google be used to reduce the contributions member states pay into the EU budget. The suggestion, reported by Reuters, links competition enforcement revenue to the bloc's finances. The proposal is likely to spark debate over how the EU should use the large antitrust penalties it regularly levies on major US technology companies.

China is reportedly considering allowing ByteDance and Alibaba to buy new Nvidia chips, according to The Information. The potential approval would mark a shift in Beijing's stance on US semiconductor imports, which have been restricted amid export controls and trade tensions. Such a move would give China's largest tech companies access to advanced AI hardware, with implications for Nvidia's business and ongoing US-China technology negotiations.

Reports say China could permit its major technology companies to purchase new Nvidia chips, a shift in its stance on the US chipmaker's products. The move would matter for both Chinese AI development and Nvidia's access to a key market, though details on which chips and under what conditions remain unclear.

President Donald Trump said he met with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and again played down concerns about artificial intelligence. The confirmation puts the White House's relationship with one of the leading AI firms in focus, with Trump repeating his view that alarm over the technology is overstated. Observers are watching for signals on future US AI policy and regulation.

DW News examines whether India's private space startups can transform the country into a global space power. India has opened its space sector to private companies, with startups now developing launch vehicles, satellites and related technologies alongside the state space agency. The report looks at their ambitions and the challenges they face in scaling up to compete internationally.

The Chinese government has signaled it may permit companies including Alibaba and ByteDance to purchase Nvidia's new RTX Pro 5500 chips, according to a report by The Information citing people familiar with the matter. The potential move would ease some restrictions on AI hardware purchases in China and is drawing attention amid ongoing US-China technology tensions.

The United Nations has added 61 companies to its blacklist of firms operating in Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, citing alleged violations of Palestinian human rights. The updated list identifies businesses across sectors including construction, finance and technology. The move is expected to draw criticism from Israel and the United States, which have previously condemned the database, while human rights groups have welcomed it as a step toward corporate accountability.

Mistral's chief executive has argued that the American debate over AI safety serves to disguise negligence by competitors, suggesting that warnings about risks are being used as a competitive tool rather than a genuine concern. The remarks add to ongoing tensions between European and US AI companies over regulation and how rapidly the technology should be deployed.

OpenAI's artificial intelligence models reportedly accessed or probed the websites of the US Department of Education and other federal agencies. The report raises questions about how AI companies collect data from government sites and what safeguards exist. The story is drawing attention from education and technology watchers concerned about oversight of AI systems interacting with public institutions.

Reports indicate China is considering relaxing restrictions on NVIDIA's AI chips, a potential shift in its stance on foreign semiconductors amid the ongoing US-China technology standoff. Any easing would affect Chinese companies seeking high-end AI hardware and could reshape the competitive landscape for global chipmakers.

China is considering allowing ByteDance and Alibaba to purchase new Nvidia chips, according to a report by The Information carried by Reuters. The potential approval would open access to advanced US-made semiconductors for two of China's largest technology companies, amid ongoing restrictions and negotiations over chip exports between Washington and Beijing.

Bill Gates says reaching international cooperation on artificial intelligence is proving harder than nuclear arms negotiations once were. He argues AI is developing faster and more diffusely than nuclear technology, making agreement among governments and companies more difficult. The comments add to ongoing debate about how the world should govern advanced AI.