Elon Musk takes stand in trial vs. Sam Altman that could reshape AI's future
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Elon Musk, the Tesla CEO, world’s richest man and OpenAI’s cofounder, took the stand Tuesday in a high-stakes trial revolving around a bitter feud between himself and former friends Sam Altman and Greg Brockman that could reshape the future development of artificial intelligence. The bickering billionaires’ early-morning appearances at the Oakland, California, federal courthouse foreshadow what could be a dramatic start to a legal drama that is expected to be brimming with intrigue and potentially embarrassing details about the two tech moguls. The jury was selected Monday and the trial is scheduled to take three weeks.
Amazon touts a 'major expansion' with OpenAI as Microsoft ties loosen
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Amazon announced what it called a “major expansion” of its partnership with ChatGPT maker OpenAI on Tuesday, a day after the artificial intelligence company said it was loosening its ties to longtime backer Microsoft. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the collaboration with Amazon’s cloud computing division, Amazon Web Services, would involve co-developing a new platform for AI agents that can do computer-based work on people’s behalf. Altman spoke via prerecorded video message to an Amazon event in San Francisco at the same time as he was appearing in federal court across San Francisco Bay in Oakland for a civil trial brought by rival OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk.
The Supreme Court seems likely to shut down a lawsuit by Falun Gong over Cisco's aid to China
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seems likely to grant tech giant Cisco’s bid to shut down a lawsuit claiming that the company’s technology was used to persecute members of the Falun Gong spiritual movement in China. The justices heard arguments Tuesday in Cisco's appeal of a ruling allowing the suit to proceed. The company argues that it cannot be held liable for aiding and abetting human rights violations under the 18th-century Alien Tort Statute or the Torture Victim Protection Act, first enacted in 1991. An Associated Press investigation last year showed that American companies helped construct China’s surveillance state, despite warnings that Falun Gong members and others were being targeted.
Microsoft cuts OpenAI revenue share in a fresh step to loosen their AI alliance
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Microsoft said Monday it will no longer pay a share of its revenue to ChatGPT maker OpenAI, the latest move to untether a close partnership that helped unleash an artificial intelligence boom. OpenAI relied exclusively on Microsoft’s huge investments in cloud computing services to build the technology that helped make ChatGPT a household name. Microsoft, in turn, relied on OpenAI’s technology to build its own AI assistant Copilot. But the partnership has evolved as San Francisco-based OpenAI, founded as a nonprofit, has shifted to a capitalistic enterprise on a path toward an initial public offering on Wall Street and has balanced its reliance on Microsoft with other cloud partners like Amazon, Google and Oracle.
Rare earth mining is poisoning Mekong River tributaries, threatening 'the world's kitchen'
Chiang Saen, THAILAND (AP) — Toxic runoff from rare earth mines in Myanmar is contaminating rivers that flow into Thailand, threatening the Mekong River and its basin's fisheries and farmland. Satellite analysis has also tracked the emergence of suspected mines in Laos, deepening concerns in downstream Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. Heavy metal contaminants from unchecked expansion of such mining threaten the lives and livelihoods of millions who rely on the Mekong. Experts say demand for rare earth materials that are used in many modern technologies from electric vehicles to missiles is rising, posing a public health risk across the region.
A bank robber's cellphone gave him away. Now the Supreme Court is hearing his case
WASHINGTON (AP) — Okello Chatrie’s cellphone gave him away. Chatrie made off with $195,000 from the bank he robbed in suburban Richmond, Virginia, and he eluded the police. But then they turned to a powerful technological tool that erected a virtual fence and allowed them collect the location history of cellphone users near the crime scene. A type of warrant served by police on Google found that Chatrie’s cellphone was among a handful of devices in the vicinity of the bank around the time it was robbed. Now the Supreme Court will decide whether those geofence warrants violate the Fourth Amendment's ban on unreasonable searches.
China blocks Meta from acquiring startup Manus as global AI rivalry deepens
HONG KONG (AP) — China has banned a planned acquisition of the AI startup Manus following a probe into Meta’s planned purchase of the firm. The National Development and Reform Commission, Beijing's main planning agency, announced the ban without naming the buyer and the reasons behind the decision. Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, said in December that it planned to buy Manus as it expands its AI offerings. Manus is based in Singapore but has Chinese roots. The acquisition drew scrutiny from Chinese authorities, who began investigating in January. Meta said Monday that the transaction “complied fully with applicable law” and that it anticipates "an appropriate resolution to the inquiry.” The White House criticizes Beijing's move.
Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman head to court in high-stakes showdown over AI
OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Technology tycoons Elon Musk and Sam Altman are poised to face off in a high-stakes trial revolving around the alleged betrayal, deceit and unbridled ambition that blurred the bickering billionaires’ once-shared vision for the development of artificial intelligence. The trial, which began Monday with jury selection, centers on the 2015 birth of ChatGPT maker OpenAI as a nonprofit startup primarily funded by Musk before evolving into a capitalistic venture now valued at $852 billion. The civil lawsuit accuses Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, of double-crossing Musk by straying from the company’s founding mission to be an altruistic steward of the technology.
Germany suspects Russia is behind Signal phishing that targeted top officials
BERLIN (AP) — The German government suspects Russia is behind phishing attacks on Signal targeting high-ranking politicians, military personnel, and journalists. Federal prosecutors have been investigating the alleged cyberattacks since mid-February 2026. The investigation involves initial suspicions of espionage, but no official attribution to Russia has been made. Around 300 Signal accounts were compromised, according to Der Spiegel. Victims reportedly received messages from a fake Signal security chatbot, leading to account breaches. Germany's domestic intelligence and cybersecurity authorities had warned about such campaigns. The Russian embassy in Berlin did not respond to requests for comment. Relations between Germany and Russia remain tense.
Archaeologists at Pompeii use AI to reconstruct the face of a man killed in the volcano's eruption
ROME (AP) — Archaeologists at Pompeii have used artificial intelligence to digitally reconstruct the face of a man killed in the AD 79 eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The portrait shows an older man who died trying to flee the city. Researchers believe he perished during a heavy fall of volcanic debris. The reconstruction was developed by the Pompeii Archaeological Park and the University of Padua. The man was found holding a terracotta mortar, likely used to shield his head. He also carried an oil lamp, a small iron ring, and 10 bronze coins. The project aims to make archaeological research more accessible and engaging.
