🤯Musk’s $97.4B OpenAI Bid

Today we will discuss: 

• Sponsored: Notion’s startup offer—Notion’s latest deal gives startups unlimited AI

• Musk moves to take over OpenAI—A $97.4 billion bid backed by several investors and xAI seeks control of OpenAI’s nonprofit, complicating Altman’s plans

• Paris AI pact splits global leaders—US and UK decline to sign global AI declaration

• In other AI news today—The EU pledges $200B to boost AI, Google adds NotebookLM to One AI Premium, and Apple partners with Alibaba on iPhone AI features in China

• Don’t miss last week’s Workflow Wednesday—AI workflows for CRM automation, LinkedIn outreach, and follow-up—now available at only $20/month!

• Saved the best for last—9 must-try AI tools

Musk leads $97.4B bid to take over OpenAI nonprofit

Key Points 

• Elon Musk and a group of investors have offered $97.4 billion to acquire OpenAI’s nonprofit.

• The bid challenges Altman’s plans to restructure OpenAI and invest $500 billion in AI infrastructure through Stargate.

♨️News - A group of investors led by Elon Musk has made a bold $97.4 billion offer to acquire the nonprofit that controls OpenAI, escalating his ongoing battle with Sam Altman. 

Musk’s AI company, xAI, is backing the bid, with the possibility of merging with OpenAI if the deal goes through. His attorney, Marc Toberoff, submitted the proposal to OpenAI’s board on Monday, seeking full control of the nonprofit’s assets.  

“It’s time for OpenAI to return to the open-source, safety-focused force for good it once was,” Musk said in a statement via Toberoff. “We will make sure that happens.”  

🥸Why this matters - Musk’s unsolicited offer throws a wrench into Altman’s efforts to reshape OpenAI’s structure. Altman has been working on converting OpenAI’s nonprofit subsidiary into a for-profit company, with the nonprofit retaining equity. He also has ambitious plans to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure through a venture called Stargate.  

One of the biggest questions in the transition has been how to value the nonprofit. Musk’s bid sets a high benchmark and raises the possibility that he—or whoever controls the nonprofit—could secure a significant stake in OpenAI’s new for-profit entity.  

🤭Altman’s response - Altman took a jab at Musk on X, posting, “no thank you but we will buy twitter for $9.74 billion if you want,” tweaking Musk’s bid by moving the decimal point and referencing the platform’s former name.

Read the full story here.

US and UK withhold support for AI summit declaration—here’s why

Key Points 

• The Paris AI Summit saw 61 countries sign a declaration on AI governance, but the US and UK declined.

• The US cited ideological concerns and maintaining AI leadership, while the UK emphasized national interests and security.

• The divide underscores the ongoing challenges of global AI regulation in a politically tense environment.

📜Context of the news - The Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris was expected to end with a joint declaration on AI governance, signed by world leaders. While the statement is less ambitious than previous agreements like the Bletchley and Seoul declarations, it still emphasizes AI that is “open, inclusive, transparent, ethical, safe, secure, and trustworthy.”

☕News - A total of 61 countries, including China, India, Japan, Australia, and Canada, signed the declaration. However, both the US and the UK declined to participate.

🧐Why US, UK backed out - For the US, this decision reflects a broader diplomatic stance under Trump’s second term, which has already seen the country withdraw from international agreements like the WHO and the Paris Climate Accord. Speaking at the summit’s closing ceremony, Vice President JD Vance reinforced this position, stating that AI must remain free from ideological bias and that the U.S. will not allow its AI leadership to be “co-opted into a tool for authoritarian censorship.”

The UK, meanwhile, cited national interest as its primary reason for not signing. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Keir Starmer emphasized that while France is a close AI partner, Britain will only commit to initiatives that align with its own priorities. Some officials argued the declaration wasn’t strong enough on security, while a Labour MP suggested the UK had little choice but to follow the US, as a more restrictive stance on AI could push American companies away from British regulators.

🙃In conclusion - The split over the Paris declaration is yet another sign of how difficult it is to find common ground on AI policy—especially in today’s tense geopolitical landscape.

Read the full story here. 

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