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Reuters
4 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Microsoft's next-gen AI chip production delayed to 2026, The Information reports
June 27 (Reuters) - Microsoft's (MSFT.O), opens new tab next-generation Maia AI chip is facing a delay of at least six months, pushing its mass production to 2026 from 2025, The Information reported on Friday, citing three people involved in the effort. When the chip, code-named Braga, goes into production, it is expected to fall well short of the performance of Nvidia's (NVDA.O), opens new tab Blackwell chip that was released late last year, the report said. Microsoft had hoped to use the Braga chip in its data centers this year, the report said, adding that unanticipated changes to its design, staffing constraints and high turnover were contributing to the delay. Microsoft did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Like its Big Tech peers, Microsoft has focused heavily on developing custom processors for artificial intelligence operations and general purpose applications, a move that would help reduce the tech giant's reliance on pricey Nvidia chips. Cloud rivals Amazon (AMZN.O), opens new tab and Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google have both raced to develop chips in-house, customized for their specific needs with the goal of improving performance and reducing costs. Microsoft had introduced the Maia chip in November 2023, but has lagged its peers in ramping it up to scale. Google, meanwhile, has seen success with its custom AI chips - called Tensor Processing Units - and in April unveiled its seventh-generation AI chip designed to speed the performance of AI applications. Amazon in December also unveiled its next-generation AI chip Trainium3 that is set to be released late this year.
Reuters
20-03-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Perplexity AI in talks to raise funds at $18 billion valuation, Bloomberg News reports
March 20 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence startup Perplexity is in talks to raise funds at an $18 billion valuation, Bloomberg News reported on Thursday, representing a substantial increase from the $9 billion valuation reported by Reuters in November. The company has discussed raising between $500 million and $1 billion in the round, the report added. The AI startup has been upgrading features on its platform to better compete with Google's Gemini and Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O), opens new tab OpenAI's ChatGPT. OpenAI closed a $6.6 billion funding round in October, which could value the company at $157 billion and cement its position as one of the most valuable private companies in the world. Perplexity did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment.
Reuters
24-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Zoom Communications forecasts downbeat annual revenue
Feb 24 (Reuters) - Zoom Communications (ZM.O), opens new tab forecast annual revenue below Wall Street estimates on Monday, in a sign of weak demand for its wide range of conferencing tools as employers gradually move away from hybrid work models. The company's shares were down 4% in extended trading. Zoom had seen rapid growth in users and subscribers during the pandemic-induced lockdowns, but concerns are being raised over the sustainability of the current demand for video conferencing. The company also faces stiff competition from Microsoft's (MSFT.O), opens new tab collaboration software Teams. Zoom expects fiscal 2026 revenue between $4.79 billion and $4.80 billion, compared with the average analyst estimate of $4.81 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Reuters
12-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Reddit forecasts quarterly revenue above estimates
Feb 12 (Reuters) - Reddit (RDDT.N), opens new tab forecast first-quarter revenue above Wall Street estimates on Wednesday, betting on its artificial intelligence content licensing deals and a robust digital advertising spend. Reddit is benefiting from its conversation placement ads format, where brands can advertise directly into discussion threads within interest-based communities known as subreddits. That is bolstered by the company's ramping content licensing deals with Alphabet's (GOOGL.O), opens new tab Google and Microsoft-backed (MSFT.O), opens new tab OpenAI, which have helped it diversify its revenue streams. The company expects first-quarter revenue of $360 million to $370 million, compared with analysts' average estimate of $358.1 million, according to data compiled by LSEG. Reddit's daily active unique visitors rose 39% to 101.7 million in the fourth quarter ended December 31, while its global average revenue per user increased 23% to $4.21.
Reuters
11-02-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Anduril takes over Microsoft's $22 billion US Army headset program
Feb 11 (Reuters) - Palmer Luckey-founded defense tech startup Anduril will take over the development and production of Microsoft's (MSFT.O), opens new tab mixed-reality headset program for the U.S. Army, the companies said on Tuesday. Anduril will assume control over production, as well as future hardware and software development and delivery timelines for the Integrated Visual Augmentation System (IVAS) project, the companies said. The IVAS program aims to equip soldiers with a wearable system that integrates augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to improve situational awareness and support mission command of unmanned systems. This agreement also establishes Microsoft Azure as Anduril's preferred hyperscale cloud for all workloads related to IVAS and Anduril AI technologies. In 2021, Microsoft said, opens new tab it would develop its HoloLens technology to be used in high-tech headsets for the U.S. Army. Governments and defense firms worldwide are ramping up AI-powered and smart-peripheral technologies to gain an edge on the battlefield. Luckey, who previously founded virtual reality company Oculus VR, acquired by Facebook in 2014 for $2.3 billion, is no stranger to the space. The agreement, however, is still pending approval from the U.S. Department of Defense, the companies said. Anduril has also announced partnerships with ChatGPT-maker OpenAI and Palantir (PLTR.O), opens new tab to increase the use of defense data for artificial intelligence training. The news also comes days after Reuters reported that the defense startup was in talks for a new funding round that could hike the valuation of the company to $28 billion.
