OpenAI-Windsurf deal falls apart, Google poaches CEO Varun Mohan and licenses tech for Rs 20,600 Crore instead
advertisementBut here's where it gets spicy: Google isn't buying Windsurf. Instead, it's agreed to pay $2.4 billion for a nonexclusive licence to some of the company's technology, meaning Windsurf remains independent and free to partner with others. While the startup's top brass are off to join the Google fold, the rest of the 250-person team is staying put and continuing to run the operation.
Jeff Wang, formerly Windsurf's head of business, has stepped up as interim CEO. In a post on social media, he assured everyone that Windsurf's enterprise AI coding tools aren't going anywhere. The company will carry on, minus a few high-profile departures, and Google will have no stake or control in its operations.
This isn't your average Big Tech takeover, it's the latest example of a clever manoeuvre known as a 'reverse acquihire.' Rather than buy the company outright (and invite regulators to poke around), tech giants like Google and Microsoft are increasingly opting to poach key talent and license the tech. It's faster, cleaner, and far less likely to end up on the front page of an antitrust filing.Google has played this game before. Remember when it lured Character.AI's Noam Shazeer back into its orbit? Microsoft pulled the same trick with Mustafa Suleyman. It's all part of the escalating AI arms race, where brains and code are the most valuable currency.OpenAI, meanwhile, is left with more than just a dent in its acquisition record. According to The Wall Street Journal, Windsurf's tech became a contentious issue in its partnership with Microsoft, which already has access to OpenAI's IP. The startup's decision to pivot away from OpenAI likely helped avoid further tension, but it handed a win to a key rival.Earlier Friday, Fortune reported that the exclusivity period for OpenAI's offer had just ended. Clearly, Windsurf didn't waste time window shopping, by the afternoon, the Google DeepMind deal was already making waves. In the high-stakes world of AI, things move fast, and the real prize isn't just tech, it's the people behind it.- Ends
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Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
Is AI the future of web browsing?
When was the last time you thought about your web browser? If you don't remember, no one will blame you. Web browsers have remained fundamentally unchanged for decades: You open an app, such as Chrome, Safari or Firefox, and type a website into the address bar. Many of us settled on one and fell into what I call 'browser inertia,' never bothering to see if there's anything better. Yet a web browser is important because so much of what we do on computers takes place inside one, including word processing, chatting on Slack and managing calendars and email. That's why I felt excited when I recently tried Dia, a new kind of web browser from the Browser Co. of New York, a startup. The app is powered by generative artificial intelligence, the technology driving popular chatbots like ChatGPT and Google's Gemini, to answer our questions. Dia illuminates how a web browser can do much more than load websites — and even help us learn and save time. I tested Dia for a week and found myself browsing the web in new ways. In seconds, the browser provided a written recap of a 20-minute video without my watching its entirety. While scanning a breaking news article, the browser generated a list of other relevant articles for a deeper understanding. I even wrote to the browser's built-in chatbot for help proofreading a paragraph of text. Dia is on the cusp of an emerging era of AI-powered internet navigators that could persuade people to try something new. This week, Perplexity, a startup that makes a search engine, announced an AI web browser called Comet, and some news outlets have reported that OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, also plans to release a browser this year. OpenAI declined to comment. (The New York Times has sued OpenAI and its partner, Microsoft, claiming copyright infringement of news content related to AI systems. The two companies have denied the suit's claims.) Tech behemoths like Google and Apple have added lightweight AI features into their existing browsers, Chrome and Safari, including tools for proofreading text and automatically summarizing articles. Dia, which has not yet been publicly released, is available as a free app for Mac computers on an invitation-only basis. What does this all mean for the future of the web? Here's what you need to know. Like other web browsers, Dia is an app you open to load webpages. What's unique is the way the browser seamlessly integrates an AI chatbot to help — without leaving the webpage. Hitting a shortcut (command+E) in Dia opens a small window that runs parallel to the webpage. Here, you can type questions related to the content you are reading or the video you are watching, and a chatbot will respond. For example: — While writing this column on the Google Docs website, I asked the chatbot if I used 'on the cusp' correctly, and it confirmed that I did. — While reading a news article about the Texas floods, I asked the browser's chatbot to tell me more about how the crisis unfolded. The bot generated a summary about the history of Texas' public safety infrastructure and included a list of relevant articles. — While watching a 22-minute YouTube video about car jump starters, I asked the chatbot to tell me which tools were best. Dia immediately pulled from the video's transcript to produce a summary of the top contenders, sparing me the need to watch the entire thing. In contrast, chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude require opening a separate tab or app and pasting in content for the chatbot to evaluate and answer questions, a process that has always busted my workflow. AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude generate responses using large language models, systems that use complex statistics to guess which words belong together. Each chatbot's model has its strengths and weaknesses. The Browser Co. of New York said it had teamed up with multiple companies to use their AI models, including the ones behind Gemini, ChatGPT and Claude. When users type a question, the Dia browser analyzes it and pulls answers from whichever AI model is best suited for answering. For instance, Anthropic's AI model, Claude Sonnet, specializes in computer programming. So if you have questions about something you are coding, the browser will pull an answer from that model. If you have questions about writing, the Dia browser may generate an answer with the model that OpenAI uses for ChatGPT, which is well known for handling language. What I appreciate about this design is that you, the user, don't need to know or think about which chatbot to use. That makes generative AI more accessible to the mainstream. 'You should just be able to say, 'Hey, I'm looking at this thing, I've got a question about it,'' said Josh Miller, the CEO of the Browser Co., which was founded in 2020 and has raised over $100 million. 'We should be able to answer it for you and do work on your behalf.' But aren't there imperfections? While Dia proved helpful in most of my tests, it was, like all generative AI tools, sometimes incorrect. While I was browsing Wirecutter, a New York Times publication that reviews products, I asked the chatbot if there were any deals on the site for water filters. The chatbot said no, even as I read about a water filtration system that was on sale. Miller said that because the browser drew answers from various AI models, its responses were subject to the same mistakes as their respective chatbots. Those occasionally get facts wrong and even make things up, a phenomenon known as 'hallucination.' More often than not, however, I found Dia to be more accurate and helpful than a stand-alone chatbot. Still, I double-checked answers by clicking on any links Dia's bot was citing, like the articles about the recent floods in Texas. Asking AI to help with a webpage you're looking at means that data may be shared with whatever AI model is being used to answer the question, which raises privacy concerns. The Browser Co. said that only the necessary data related to your requests was shared with its partners providing AI models, and that those partners were under contract to dispose of your data. Privacy experts have long warned not to share any sensitive information, like a document containing trade secrets, with an AI chatbot since a rogue employee could gain access to the data. So I recommend asking Dia's chatbot for help only with innocuous browsing activities like parsing a YouTube video. But when browsing something you wouldn't want others to know about, like a health condition, refrain from using the AI. This exchange — potentially giving up some privacy to get help from AI — may be the new social contract going forward. Dia is free, but AI models have generally been very expensive for companies to operate. Consumers who rely on Dia's AI browser will eventually have to pay. Miller said that in the coming weeks, Dia would introduce subscriptions costing $5 a month to hundreds of dollars a month, depending on how frequently a user prods its AI bot with questions. The browser will remain free for those who use the AI tool only a few times a week. So whether an AI browser will be your next web browser will depend largely on how much you want to use, and pay, for these services. So far, only 3% of the people who use AI every day are paid users, according to a survey by Menlo Ventures, a venture capital firm. That number could grow, of course, if generative AI becomes a more useful tool that we naturally use in everyday life. I suspect the humble web browser will open that path forward.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Dragon in the driving seat: As China becomes the epicentre of the electric age, India feels the tremors
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Here's something you should do. Open Google and type Shanghai Auto Show. Then feast on the future of the that is not an exaggeration. From Jetour G900 to Jetour F700 to Xiaomi SU7 Ultra to BYD Denza Z to Chery iCar V23 to Zeekr Mix to SongSan Summer to BAIC ArcFox 77 o to JAC Motors Define-S, it was the shape of the future on these, the Xiaomi SU7 Ultra was a fourseater car that had destroyed the Nurburgring (a racing circuit in Germany where the world's fastest cars set a time for bragging rights) lap record, bettering Rimac Nevera, a hypercar, and the Porsche Taycan Turbo tech magazine Wired put it, the autoshow was a warning to the West. Auto journalists from Motortrend , a US magazine, called it 'a mindmelting mass of color and noise, hardware and software wrought as cars and trucks and SUVs that at times defy comprehension and categorization'.The West dominated the era of fossil fuel-chugging cars. China is now defining the electric era in automobiles as its undisputed epicentre. Once clunky, fossil fuel-guzzling machines, cars are now smart and connected. They are akin to an electronic device rather than a mechanical one, and this transformation is most vividly playing out in as Tesla , the world's preeminent EV automaker, announced its plans to open its showroom in the Maker Maxity Mall at the Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai on July 15, India—the world's third largest auto market —would be feeling the heat more from the heft of the Chinese EVs in the coming days. India 's electric passenger vehicle (PV) market, though still nascent at 2.6% of total vehicle sales in 2024, is charging up. Tata still leads with an approximately 35% EV market share in the first half of this year, but the game is evolving fast. Buoyed by the success of the Windsor EV, MG Motor India commands nearly 30% of the EV market. Tata Motors has been the leader of the EV pack for a while, but JSW MG Motor India is snapping at its heels. Its Windsor EV, a minivan, an MPV in the era of SUVs, has become a runaway hit with in India, the Chinese have become smart in positioning, and in finding niches that rivals have moved away Indian OEMs continue to prioritise SUVs—54% of all car sales in 2024—Chinese automakers are cleverly targeting under-served segments. MG's Comet (starting at ₹6.17 lakh) and Windsor EVs are gaining ground. It is pertinent that nonSUVs—including compact city cars, MUVs and sedans—together account for 46% of India's auto sales.'Our ABC philosophy—A–segment price, B–segment size, C–segment space—is exactly what the urban consumer wants,' says Anurag Mehrotra, MD of JSW MG Motor India. 'We look for gaps in the market and align our offerings accordingly,' he and BYD have adopted a premium, tech forward strategy, targeting urban elites with advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) , 450+ km range, and sharp designs across body types. Tata and Mahindra are primarily focusing on SUVs like the Nexon EV and XUV400 (under ₹15 lakh).It helps that brands like MG and BYD use modular EV platforms like BYD's e-Platform 3.0 to quickly adapt to different market segments. Offering AI powered infotainment, sleek interiors, fast charging capabilities and strong connectivity features, Chinese EVs outclass even premium western rivals—often at a fraction of the cost. Vehicles like the MG ZS EV and BYD Seal aren't just electric, they are software-defined devices catering to India's increasingly tech-savvy buyers.'Chinese companies play the volume and pricing game,' says Rajeev Chaba, veteran auto executive and former chairman of JSW MG Motor. 'They are agile, fast to market and quick to respond to customer needs.'BYD is building a premium electric niche, say its dealers. Its ATTO 3, Seal and newly launched Sealion 7 ( ₹30-55 lakh) are positioned as luxury-tech powerhouses—offering compelling alternatives to western brands atone-fourth the cost. Operating in a more premium price range, they aim to sell 15,000 units in Chinese are doing this in India with what is essentially last year's tech. What should make India—and even western carmakers—worry is that China's march up the Indian EV table is happening even as they are prepping even better cars back Shanghai Auto Show 2025 underscored China's global ambitions as well as tech prowess. With 1,400 cars from 26 countries and over 1 million attendees, the show revealed just how far Chinese EV tech has advanced. From ultra-fast chargers to flying cars and in-car theatres, the event showed how far ahead China is.A sample. BYD's 1,000 kW chargers deliver 259 miles in just 5 minutes. CATL has gone even further: 323 miles in 5 minutes at 1,300 kW. Next-gen models with eye-popping power and tech include BYD Denza Z (1,000 hp), Xiaomi SU7 Ultra (1,526 hp), and Jetour G900 (with water propulsion).Then there are breakthroughs in autonomous driving like level-3 self-driving by Xpeng and Zeekr, as well as steer-by-wire and brake-by-wire tech from Nio, IM Motors and stand out in Nio ET9 while Huawei AITO M9's in-car projector is unlike anything seen in an automobile. There are affordable EVs too—Xpeng's M03 Mona ($16,800-22,000) and Chery's iCar V23 ($13,000) show China's commitment to mass-market if all this wasn't enough, flying cars—Xpeng's electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) concepts and CATL's urban air mobility plans—revealed China's long-term the western brands looked conservative by comparison. Even high-end players like Volkswagen and Toyota focused on catch-up features, while Chinese models led in innovation, speed-to-market and customer dominance in the EV space is no accident. Decades of government policy, fierce domestic competition (supercharged by Tesla's early presence) and a national obsession with technology have helped Chinese automakers surge ahead. Today, China controls 85% of the world's battery manufacturing capacity, giving it an unmatched cost and tech its core, China's automotive rise was a carefully cooked recipe with the following ingredients:1.: Subsidies, charging infrastructure and export incentives fuelled an EV-first ecosystem.2.: China moved fast—from concept to showroom in under 24 months.3.: Battery, software and car production happen under one budget hatchbacks to luxury SUVs to eVTOLs, China builds for every customer segment to this the alleged instances of corporate espionage on western automotive firms, and the dish is much so that while earlier innovation flowed from West to East, now it's the reverse. Chinese automakers are setting global standards in EV design, software, battery tech and autonomous driving. 'In many ways, the West is now playing catch-up,' says Ravi Bhatia, president of auto market researcher Jato Dynamics. 'China isn't just innovating faster, it is commercialising at scale.'It would be a relief to Indian and western automakers in the country that geopolitical tensions and India's FDI restrictions have complicated Chinese OEM the Chinese were less antagonistic and more conciliatory—like the Japanese in the 1980s—this would be an easy story of success, akin to what Suzuki did with Maruti in the for other automakers, they are not, and as a result Chinese OEMs face FDI restrictions, due to which they have challenges like 110% import duties on cars built tie-up with JSW and BYD's alliance with MEIL (Megha Engineering & Infrastructures Ltd) are efforts to localise and sidestep such regulatory barriers. MG has invested ₹4,000 crore to expand Indian capacity to 300,000 units. BYD, with ₹1,600 crore invested, eyes India as an export hub for South portfolios remain narrow—MG has three EVs, BYD has four. For now. As and when they do bring their latest to India, aided by partnerships with Indian companies, it would become tougher for Indian automakers. MG has 380 dealerships across 170 cities, aiming for 520 by the end of 2025, while BYD is expanding from 24 to 63 outlets, focusing on high-end metro buyers and a slew of western names with Chinese connections, like Leapmotor (via Stellantis) and Geely (through Volvo ), entering the fray, the Indian EV market is entering its most competitive phase Bhatia puts it, 'Chinese EV makers are leapfrogging. EV's 2.6% share in India is just the beginning. The real battle lies in who defines what a car will be in the next decade.'Players like Tata Motors and Maruti Suzuki face a stark choice: rapidly localise battery and EV production under India's production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes or risk falling behind.'Maruti Suzuki's delayed EV launch with the Grand Vitara, unveiled at the latest auto show, reflects a cautious approach amid India's sluggish EV adoption. Swift action is critical to regain momentum in this niche but growing market,' says also have to invest in innovation and hire non-traditional talent to reimagine the automobile the way the Chinese have done. What might also help is looking at the market beyond Indian auto companies benefit from strong brand loyalty and a vocal for local appeal, Chinese brands are slowly overcoming scepticism with reliability, tech, value and a variety of body types. That gap will increase if extraordinary effort doesn't go are clearly trying. Tata's and Mahindra's Inglo platforms have cut costs and sped up production. Mahindra is investing ₹12,000 crore by 2027 to ramp up EV and battery manufacturing. It also recently launched BE 6e and XEV 9e in the ₹22-30 lakh price range. Both Mahindra and Tata have lined up several premium electric PV launches for 2025. Tata Motors' premium electric SUV Avinya is expected towards the end of the the broader story is clear: China has redefined what a car can be and what global consumers expect. For Indian and western players alike, the lesson is clear: adapt, localise and innovate even more—or be left behind in the rear-view mirror of a fast-moving Chinese EV.
NDTV
2 hours ago
- NDTV
SpaceX To Invest $2 Billion In Musk's xAI Startup: Report
SpaceX has committed $2 billion to xAI as part of a $5 billion equity round, deepening the ties between tech billionaire Elon Musk's ventures as his artificial intelligence startup races to compete with rival OpenAI, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday. The investment follows xAI's merger with X and values the combined company at $113 billion, with the Grok chatbot now powering Starlink support and eyed for future integration into Tesla's Optimus robots, the report added. SpaceX and xAI did not immediately respond to Reuters' requests for comment. Despite recent controversies involving Grok's responses, Musk has called it "the smartest AI in the world," and xAI continues to spend heavily on model training and infrastructure.
