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1.	OpenAI to Combine ChatGPT, Codex and Browser Into 'SuperApp' By Sri Muppidi Source: The Information

OpenAI plans to create a desktop "superapp" by combining its popular ChatGPT platform with its coding agent Codex and browser Atlas. The plans come after CEO of Applications Fidji Simo told staff the startup would deprioritize "side projects" that aren't focused on coding and business customers.

Simo will be focused on the sales and marketing of the "superapp" and oversee the change, according to an OpenAI spokesperson. OpenAI president Greg Brockman will help Simo oversee the product and related organizational changes. The superapp will also incorporate AI capabilities that can take actions on behalf of a user.

"Companies go through phases of exploration and phases of refocus; both are critical," said Simo in an X post. "But when new bets start to work, like we're seeing now with Codex, it's very important to double down on them and avoid distractions. Really glad we're seizing this moment."

The Wall Street Journal was first to report details on the superapp. This article has been updated to clarify the roles of Simo and Brockman.

2.	Jeff Bezos in Raising $100 Billion for AI Manufacturing Fund By Julia Hornstein Source: The Wall Street Journal

Jeff Bezos is in talks to raise a $100 billion fund to buy manufacturing companies and implement AI to speed up their automation, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The fund will aim to purchase industrial companies in industries such as aerospace, chipmaking and defense.

In the past few months, Bezos has met with large asset managers and sovereign wealth funds in the Middle East and Singapore, according to the report. Bezos is also the co-CEO of Project Prometheus, an AI startup that has raised over $6 billion.

The fund, if raised, would rival some of the biggest funds in the world, including Softbank's $100 billion Vision Fund. It follows major pushes by investment firms to modernize defense, supply chain, manufacturing and frontier technologies: In October, JP Morgan announced it plans to invest $1.5 trillion into such industries over the next decade.

3.	Uber to Invest Up to $1.25 Billion in Rivian By Martin Peers Source: The Information

Uber said it would invest up to $1.25 billion in electric vehicle maker Rivian over the next five years, and it will buy thousands of Rivian robotaxis. The announcement adds Rivian to a range of self-driving partnerships Uber has announced. Rivian stock was trading up 7% in pre-market trading on Thursday.

On Monday, Uber had announced an expanded partnership with Nvidia, which has developed self-driving software. The two companies said they planned to launch a fleet of Nvidia-powered self driving cars in Los Angeles and San Francisco in the first half of next year.

While Rivian is best known for its electric trucks—including one used by Amazon, also a big shareholder—the automaker is this year releasing an SUV that will pit it more directly against Tesla. Rivian has also developed autonomous driving software, also pitting it against Tesla as well as companies such as Alphabet's Waymo.

4.	Meta to Cut Back on Third-Party Moderators, Rely More on AI By Jyoti Mann Source: The Information

Meta Platforms is scaling back on its use of third-party vendors for content moderation in favor of artificial intelligence systems, the company announced Thursday.

The parent company of Facebook, Instagram and Threads said it will roll out more AI systems to review content across its platforms over the next few years. Meta said it will continue to employ human content reviewers, but its AI systems will increasingly handle tasks such as moderating graphic content, illicit drug sales and scams.

"As we do this, we'll reduce our reliance on third-party vendors for content enforcement and focus on strengthening our internal systems and workforce," the company said in a blog post. According to Meta, early experiments have shown its AI systems can catch content violations more accurately, and are better at detecting scams. As a result, it plans to invest more in internal AI-driven enforcement.

The company is also launching a Meta AI support assistant on Facebook and Instagram, to help with account issues.

5.	Supermicro Employees Charged Over Alleged Billion-Dollar AI Chips Smuggling By Qianer Liu Source: The Information

The U.S. Justice Department has charged three Super Micro Computer employees with illegally shipping at least $2.5 billion worth of advanced AI servers to China, violating U.S. export controls. U.S. officials didn't name the specific chips involved, though Nvidia commands a dominant share of the AI chip market.

One of those charged is Supermicro's co-founder and board member Yih-Shyan "Wally" Liaw. Supermicro said the alleged conduct "is a contravention of the Company's policies and compliance controls" and the company has been "cooperating fully with the government's investigation."

Prosecutors said the defendants and their co-conspirators installed thousands of hollow, non-functioning server replicas at warehouses in order to deceive U.S. companies' compliance teams, while the actual chips were already en route to China. The DOJ said that the defendants used dryers to remove labels from the machines, citing a surveillance video tape.

Chip smugglers have been using such tactics for years. The Information's article in 2024 showed how smugglers disguised as legitimate chip buyers leased data centers and moved the chips to China as soon as Nvidia staff finished inspecting the facilities. The Information also reported on the U.S. government's probe into Supermicro in 2024.

6.	Alibaba Aims for $100 Billion Cloud and AI Sales Within Five Years By Juro Osawa Source: The Information

Alibaba Group CEO Eddie Wu said Thursday that the Chinese tech giant aims to generate more than $100 billion in annual cloud computing and AI revenue within the next five years. In the 11 months through February, such revenue at Alibaba stood at about $14.5 billion.

Alibaba is counting on AI businesses—such as selling AI models and applications to enterprise users—to accelerate the growth of its overall cloud services revenue. The new target highlights the critical importance of AI-driven cloud growth for Alibaba, especially when the company's core e-commerce business is stagnant due in part to weak consumer spending in China.

That was demonstrated on Thursday, when Alibaba reported that its revenue from e-commerce merchants, known as customer management revenue, rose only 1% in the quarter through December. By contrast, revenue from Alibaba's cloud revenue grew 35% thanks to rapid adoption of AI-related products, the company said.

Earlier this week, Alibaba announced a drastic reorganization, moving all of its major AI businesses under a newly created division managed directly by Wu. He said the reorganization is part of Alibaba's effort to adapt to the new era of AI development that is driven by the proliferation of AI agents. "We need to achieve a very close integration between AI models and AI applications."

7.	Kalshi Raises $1 Billion at $22 Billion Valuation in Round Led by Coatue By Yueqi Yang Source: Wall Street Journal

Prediction market Kalshi is raising $1 billion at a $22 billion valuation in a new funding round led by investment firm Coatue Management, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The round would double Kalshi's valuation from last December, when it raised $1 billion at a $11 billion valuation in a round led by Paradigm, with participation from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, and others. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the new funding round.

The two biggest prediction markets, Kalshi and Polymarket, have both seen their volume surge  since last year, as more people used the platforms to bet on sports, geopolitical events and market prices. But they are also battling lawsuits with state regulators, who claim the platforms offer illegal sports gambling. About half of the trading volume on Kalshi were sports-related bets, according to data from Artemis.

Separately, Polymarket on Wednesday signed a deal that made it the official prediction-market partner for Major League Baseball. Polymarket agreed to try to help limit prediction contracts that could be easily manipulated.

8.	Canva Plans Public Debut Next Year By Anita Ramaswamy Source: The Information

Design software firm Canva is planning to go public next year, The Information reported Thursday.

Canva has been adding new artificial intelligence features to its design software, which is used primarily by individuals and small businesses. The company is planning an overhaul to focus on AI design tools as well as a new, usage-based pricing model, which it intends to announce at its annual conference in April, according to a source with knowledge of the situation.

The company has been mulling an IPO since at least 2024, when it replaced its chief financial officer and launched an offering for large companies, but so far hasn't taken the plunge.

Software stocks have taken a beating over the last year on fears of disruption by AI. Shares of rival design software firm Figma have fallen 27% since its July IPO.

Canva last August conducted an employee stock sale valuing it at $42 billion. The company grew its revenue more than 40%, to $3 billion, last year and has been profitable on a free cash flow basis for several years.

9.	Crypto.com Cut 12% of Workforce, Citing AI By Yueqi Yang Source: The Information

Crypto.com, a digital-asset exchange headquartered in Singapore, reduced its workforce by about 12%, joining the list of companies using artificial intelligence to drive efficiencies across its business, a spokesperson said.

The company had about 1,500 people before the layoff, according to a previous disclosure on its website. The layoffs targeted roles that "do not adapt in our new world," said Kris Marszalek, CEO of crypto.com, in an X post on Thursday.

The layoffs come as the crypto industry is suffering another market downturn. Gemini, the crypto exchange founded by Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, in February announced plans to cut 25% of its workforce.

Block co-founder Jack Dorsey last month announced the company was cutting 40% of its staff in a bet that AI will make the payments firm more efficient.

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