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The Breakdown

This Month

“This was a difficult decision, but one that we think is best for the company long term,” CEO Andy Jassy told employees in a memo.

Amazon CEO explains why he’s happy to run DeepSeek

Andy Jassy rushed to make DeepSeek’s open-source models available to his customers, in a move that will put downward pressure on the total costs of AI projects.

  • Tess Bennett
Alphabet chief executive Sundar Pichai.

Google playing catch-up on the hottest AI consumer trend of the year

AI agents can take over consumers’ web browsers to order groceries or book a restaurant for dinner. Google says its assistant is coming later this year.

  • Tess Bennett

January

Even with underwhelming iPhone sales, overall sales grew 4 per cent year-on-year and Apple’s overall profit increased by 10 per cent.

Apple is selling fewer iPhones despite record revenue

The company’s overall sales and profits were boosted by stronger-than-expected sales of iPads and Macs, where new chips helped persuade customers to upgrade.

  • Updated
  • Amelia McGuire
Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

Microsoft’s $128b bet that DeepSeek won’t change everything

The US tech giant said growth in its cloud-computing business slowed during the last three months of 2024, even as it ramps up spending on artificial intelligence.

  • Amelia McGuire
Jake Paul lands a left to Mike Tyson during their heavyweight boxing match which became the most streamed sporting event in history in November.

Netflix refines its sports plan as Jake Paul helps wow investors

The streaming service says acquiring the rights to stream full seasons of sport makes no economic sense, despite success with the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson boxing match.

  • Amelia McGuire
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ChatGPT can compile lists of interview questions.

OpenAI deal shows the value of journalism to AI giants

A commercial deal between ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and US publisher Axios is relatively small, but highlights the value big tech platforms should be paying for.

  • Paul Smith

November 2024

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shows off one of the company’s AI accelerator chips for data centres during the recent Nvidia AI Summit in Japan.

Nvidia’s ‘godfather’ struggles to keep markets excited about AI miracles

The sharemarket simply shrugged as the company’s chief executive, Jensen Huang, unveiled more eye-watering earnings numbers.

  • Paul Smith
Amazon’s Andy Jassy has told the AI story better than his big tech peers this earnings season.

Why Amazon was the big tech AI winner this earnings season

Alphabet, Meta, Apple and Microsoft were sold off after their artificial intelligence-laden results calls, but the online retailer had a better story to tell.

  • Paul Smith

October 2024

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg has had a glow up, but investors still aren’t sold on the metaverse.

Reality check: The VR dream costing Meta tens of billions of dollars

Mark Zuckerberg is deep in his mission to convince people he’s cool. But his company’s earnings call showed it is not just him in the midst of an identity crisis.

  • Amelia McGuire
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.

Alphabet delivers earnings beat but investors wary of AI hit on Google

Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of the world’s second-largest technology company, says the search engine giant can move quickly to respond.

  • Amelia McGuire
AI can now mimic some off the ways humans work on PCs, and follow thought patterns.

These new ‘AI agents’ could change white-collar workforce

A “groundbreaking” development means bots can now work computers like a human, leading people to question whether office workers could be replaced.

  • Paul Smith
Elon Musk at the robotaxi event “We, Robot”.

Musk says it is ‘blindingly obvious’ autonomous cars are Tesla’s future

Elon Musk remains obsessed with plans to deliver self-driving “Cybercabs” and robots instead of traditional electric vehicles, and Tesla’s shares have surged.

  • Amelia McGuire

August 2024

Apple and NVIDIA have their own separate reasons for needing to keep OpenAI investing.

Why Nvidia, Apple and OpenAI need to strike a big deal

Microsoft has long been a major investor in the ChatGPT maker, now the two biggest companies in the world look like jumping on board, and OpenAI needs them.

  • Paul Smith
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Nvidia’s fall shows ‘just great’ isn’t good enough any more

On the surface everything was rosy in Nvidia’s market-shifting earnings call, so why have investors headed for the door?

  • Updated
  • Paul Smith
Search function on Google Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro With Gemini.

Cool or dystopian? Google launches AI-powered phones

The tech giant has launched a new range of AI-packed phones, earbuds and watches. Here’s what they will do (if you really want them to).

  • Paul Smith
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Sundar Pichai, the chief executive of Alphabet – Google’s parent company –  was among tech bosses to testify.

Google is a monopolist, but the egg can’t be unscrambled

The company paid tens of billions of dollars to become the world’s dominant search engine. Even Microsoft couldn’t compete.

  • Nick Bonyhady
Mark Zuckerberg has forecast his company’s AI assistant will soon be used by more people than any other.

The AI delusion says ‘we’re all going to get rich quick’

That sum is the staggering gap between what tech companies are making from selling artificial intelligence and the likely costs of running it.

  • Nick Bonyhady

July 2024

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai has a big AI story to tell, but the proof of his claims is still in the future.

Investors aren’t buying Google’s AI future – yet

The search giant’s parent, Alphabet, produced solid earnings, but shareholders are tiring of claims about future magic without answers to important questions.

  • Paul Smith
Mark Zuckerberg surfs to celebrate Independence Day.

Mark Zuckerberg shows he is, like a teen, desperate to be cool

The man who has everything is still stung by criticism and anxious for validation online, proving his critics right about Meta’s effects on mental health.

  • Nick Bonyhady

May 2024

Tesla chargers

Tesla slashes jobs in Australian charging team

The company’s global cuts have come to Australia, with staff laid off and at least one charger location cancelled.

  • Nick Bonyhady

Original URL: https://www.afr.com/topic/the-breakdown-6g9z