The global AI technology sector is experiencing a flurry of major announcements, with leading companies making significant moves in funding, compute infrastructure, and product iteration.
AI Giants Accelerate Funding and Compute Deployment
According to the Financial Times, emerging AI company DeepSeek is reportedly seeking its first funding round, which could value the firm at an astounding $45 billion. Concurrently, Chinese AI large model developer Kimi is also rumored to be closing a new $2 billion financing round, potentially pushing its valuation past $20 billion, underscoring the sustained capital influx into the AI sector.
In terms of compute infrastructure, Anthropic announced a landmark partnership with SpaceX. Under the agreement, Anthropic will gain access to the entirety of SpaceX's Colossus 1 data center compute resources, adding over 300 megawatts of power this month, involving more than 220,000 Nvidia GPUs. This expansion is set to significantly boost service capacity for Claude Pro and Claude Max subscribers. Anthropic simultaneously adjusted usage limits for Claude Code and Claude API, doubling the five-hour rate limit for Claude Code and removing peak-time throttling for Pro and Max accounts, while substantially increasing API rate limits for Claude Opus models. The companies also expressed interest in jointly exploring the development of gigawatt-scale orbital AI compute infrastructure.
Meanwhile, recent earnings reports indicate that AMD's data center business has become its primary revenue driver, further highlighting the immense demand for high-performance computing hardware in the AI era.
New Developments in AI Applications and Platform Commercialization
OpenAI is expanding its ChatGPT advertising system, launching a beta version of a self-serve Ads Manager for U.S. advertisers and officially introducing a cost-per-click (CPC) bidding model, alongside conversion measurement tools (Conversions API and pixel tracking). Previously, ChatGPT ads only supported cost-per-mille (CPM) bidding. The new CPC model helps advertisers directly link spending to actual user actions. OpenAI emphasizes that user conversation content will not be shared with advertisers and that the platform is still in its early stages, with continuous future expansions planned.
In the AI gaming sector, Astrocade announced it has secured $56 million in funding, led by Sequoia, with renowned AI expert Fei-Fei Li joining as Chief Scientific Officer. This signals a promising future for AI innovation in game development and user experience.
Tech Giant Product Strategies and User Experience
Apple Inc. has reached a $250 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit concerning delayed features in its new Siri. The settlement covers owners of Apple Intelligence-compatible devices purchased in the U.S. between June 10, 2024, and March 29, 2025, specifically including iPhone 15 Pro series and all iPhone 16 series (including 16e) models. Individual claimants could receive up to $95 per device. Apple stated the settlement aims to swiftly resolve the dispute and refocus on product innovation.
Google Android lead Sameer Samat explicitly denied rumors that Android would adopt a "Liquid Glass" UI design. Speculation arose after a 15-second teaser video. This clarification precedes The Android Show event on May 12, where more information regarding Android 17 is expected.
Samsung (China) Investment Co., Ltd. announced its decision to cease sales of all home appliance products, including TVs, monitors, air conditioners, and refrigerators, in the Chinese mainland market, citing rapidly changing market conditions. The company committed to providing after-sales service in accordance with regulations, and its mobile phone business remains unaffected.
