OpenAI launches global push for democratic AI
OpenAI announced a push to help countries build AI infrastructure and promote AI rooted in democratic, rather than authoritarian, values.
Why it matters: Global expansion will be one key to ensuring that OpenAI's massive investments pay off — and the company is arguing that it will help the U.S. counter China's influence, too.
How it works: OpenAI chief global affairs officer Chris Lehane said the new "OpenAI for Countries" effort, announced Wednesday, aims to partner with countries or regions to build and operate data centers that would serve up localized versions of ChatGPT for their citizens, with particular focus on healthcare and education.
Countries that take part would help fund infrastructure as part of a broadening of the Project Stargate effort that OpenAI announced with Oracle and SoftBank earlier this year.
OpenAI will be working closely with the U.S. government, which has export control powers, to determine where OpenAI technology can be deployed.
Catch up quick: OpenAI is in the midst of restructuring its business from a "capped-profit" partnership to a public benefit corporation.
That process is not done. Bloomberg reported late Monday that Microsoft and OpenAI are still negotiating and regulators have yet to give their blessing.
The big picture: OpenAI's announcement comes a day before CEO Sam Altman is set to testify before the Senate Commerce Committee at a hearing on "Winning the AI race."
What they're saying: "We have a window here to help create pathways so that a large portion of the world is building on democratic AI at a moment when the world's going to have to choose between democratic AI and autocratic [AI]," Lehane told Axios.
The project offers countries local sovereignty over data and the ability to partner with OpenAI on a fund to help seed a "national AI ecosystem" by backing local startups.
Between the lines: OpenAI for Countries builds on the notion of "democratic AI" that Sam Altman laid out in a 2024 Washington Post op-ed.
It also aims to capitalize on strong demand from other countries to have their own version of Stargate, a sentiment OpenAI heard frequently during this year's AI Action Summit in Paris.
The new effort is also designed to align with the Trump Administration's goal of ensuring that the U.S. wins the global battle for AI supremacy versus China.
Yes, but: There is plenty of disagreement in the U.S. and globally over what democratic AI means.
Zoom in: One of the big questions is just how much OpenAI will be willing to customize ChatGPT, an important factor for countries weighing whether to use U.S. or Chinese AI systems.
"This will be AI of, by and for the needs of each particular country," OpenAI said in the blog post announcing OpenAI for Countries.
There won't be a cookie-cutter, one-size-fits-all approach to the deals, Lehane said. "There'll be some places that maybe want an inference model for a specific purpose."
OpenAI's blog includes a reference to preventing AI from being used by governments to "amass control."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
23 minutes ago
- Yahoo
The Best AI Chatbots for 2025
PCMag editors select and review products independently. If you buy through affiliate links, we may earn commissions, which help support our testing. Are all AI chatbots the same? Absolutely not. Each has unique strengths and weaknesses that affect how and whether you should use them. We've been testing AI chatbots since their inception, cutting through the hype and assessing what they can really do. On a basic level, they can help you find information much faster than you could with manual searches. But they can also create images and videos, generate comprehensive research reports, and process files. ChatGPT is our Editors' Choice winner for the category because it offers the best performance as a chatbot out of all those we've tested, but the field is rapidly evolving, and plenty of other options stand out for other reasons. Read on for all of our top picks, followed by what you need to know before choosing the best AI chatbot for your needs. All the chatbots we tested have free versions. Paid plans start around $20 per month, which has become the standard for a premium chatbot subscription. Most chatbot features are available for free, albeit with usage limits, but you need to pay extra if you want Copilot's or Gemini's integrations across their respective app ecosystems. Chatbot is just an umbrella term that large language models fall under. It can apply to a customer service answer bot with limited responses or a more sophisticated tool like ChatGPT. We specifically test chatbots that rely on large language models. These models train on vast quantities of data to 'understand' patterns in information and respond to prompts. Answers aren't canned or predetermined; chatbots generate unique responses for each conversation. To test AI chatbots, we ask each one the same series of questions and compare their answers, looking for accuracy, consistency, complexity, and depth. We also look at each chatbot's core features, such as whether it can create tables of data, provide citations, summarize information, and so forth. As AI technology advances, we adjust our methods of evaluation accordingly. There are pitfalls to this approach that are worth bearing in mind. For one, it's impossible to fully vet the scope of an AI chatbot solution. One person may have a niche use case related to their work, while another person may have zero use for that particular functionality. It would require an army of experts in every field to fully evaluate these tools, and even then, what works well one day might not the next after an update. That said, we noticed some clear differences in testing. After spending significant time with each one, you will likely form your own opinion on which are the best AI chatbots, just as we have.
Yahoo
37 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Should You Buy, Sell or Hold Oracle Stock Before Q4 Earnings?
Oracle ORCL is scheduled to report its fiscal fourth-quarter 2025 results on June the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025, total revenues are expected to grow in the band of 9-11% at constant currency (cc) and between 8% and 10% in dollar Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is currently pegged at $15.54 billion, suggesting growth of 8.8% from the year-ago quarter's reported company's non-GAAP EPS is expected to grow 0% to 2% and be in the range of $1.62-$1.66 at cc and between $1.61 and $1.65 in consensus mark for earnings is pegged at $1.64 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days. The figure indicates 0.61% growth from the year-ago period. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research In the last reported quarter, Oracle delivered a negative earnings surprise of 0.68%. Markedly, the company's earnings missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters, while beating the same once, the average being 0.83%. Oracle Corporation price-eps-surprise | Oracle Corporation Quote (Find the latest earnings estimates and surprises on Zacks Earnings Calendar.) Our proven model does not conclusively predict an earnings beat for Oracle this time around. The combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) increases the odds of an earnings beat. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they are reported with our Earnings ESP has an Earnings ESP of 0.00% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here. As Oracle approaches the fourth-quarter earnings release, investors are weighing strong cloud momentum against recent execution challenges. The database giant's fiscal third-quarter results demonstrated robust demand fundamentals, with remaining performance obligations reaching $130 billion. However, the company missed both earnings and revenue expectations, raising questions about near-term fiscal fourth quarter is likely to have benefited from Oracle's aggressive cloud infrastructure expansion and strategic partnerships. The company's collaboration with Alphabet GOOGL-owned Google Cloud, announced in April, expanded Oracle Database services across additional regions and introduced new partner programs. Similarly, the general availability of Oracle Exadata Database Service on Oracle Database@Azure in March positioned the company to capture multi-cloud database workloads. These partnerships with Google and Microsoft MSFT addressed a key growth constraint by extending Oracle's reach beyond its native cloud AI initiatives gained traction throughout the quarter. The integration of NVIDIA NVDA AI Enterprise on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure in March strengthened the company's AI training capabilities, while new AI agent functionalities embedded within Oracle Textura Payment Management and other cloud applications enhanced product differentiation. The introduction of Oracle Energy and Water Data Exchange demonstrated the company's sector-specific AI solutions, potentially driving adoption in vertical capacity constraints that hindered fiscal third-quarter growth may have persisted in the quarter under review, potentially limiting revenue conversion despite strong booking activity. Shares of ORCL have declined 10.1% in the past six months compared with the Zacks Computer and Technology sector's 1.2% decrease. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research While Oracle has a strong foothold in the database management and ERP software markets, its competitors are making significant inroads in the cloud space. AWS, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure combined accounted for a whopping 63% of total enterprise spending on cloud infrastructure services during the first quarter of 2025, according to new data from IT market research firm Synergy. Oracle has also underperformed its cloud peers in the past six-month is also important to consider whether the stock's current valuation accurately reflects the company's long-term growth potential and ability to navigate the competitive is trading at a premium with a price/book of 27.73X compared with the Zacks Computer-Software industry's 8.89X, reflecting a stretched valuation. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Oracle's investment proposition presents a balanced risk-reward scenario ahead of fourth-quarter fiscal 2025 results. The company demonstrates compelling long-term fundamentals through its $130 billion remaining performance obligations, strategic AI initiatives, and expanding multi-cloud partnerships with Google and Microsoft. However, recent execution challenges, including third-quarter earnings and revenue misses, coupled with persistent capacity constraints, suggest near-term volatility. Oracle's premium valuation relative to cloud peers adds downside risk if growth acceleration fails to materialize. While the company's database franchise and AI positioning provide competitive advantages, investors should maintain current holdings while monitoring operational improvements before significantly increasing exposure. Oracle presents a balanced investment opportunity with strong fundamentals offset by execution uncertainties. The company's substantial cloud backlog and AI positioning support long-term growth prospects, yet recent performance volatility and premium valuation warrant caution. Current shareholders should maintain their positions, while prospective investors may benefit from waiting for improved operational clarity or more attractive entry points following fourth-quarter results. The fiscal fourth-quarter results will likely determine whether Oracle can translate its substantial backlog into consistent revenue acceleration. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Microsoft Corporation (MSFT) : Free Stock Analysis Report NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA) : Free Stock Analysis Report Oracle Corporation (ORCL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Alphabet Inc. (GOOGL) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
Business Wire
38 minutes ago
- Business Wire
Oblong Announces $7.5 Million Private Placement to Launch Bittensor-Centric AI and Digital Asset Strategy
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oblong, Inc. (Nasdaq: OBLG) ('Oblong' or the 'Company'), a technology services provider specializing in innovative IT solutions, today announced it has entered into a securities purchase agreement to raise approximately $7.5 million through the sale of 1,989,392 shares of common stock (or common stock equivalents in lieu thereof) at $3.77 per share in a private placement priced at-the-market under Nasdaq rules. The offering, led by institutional investors focused on emerging technology, is expected to close on or about June 11, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. Oblong is strategically allocating capital to enter the AI-driven digital asset space through the accumulation of $TAO, the native token of Bittensor—a decentralized intelligence protocol. The Company's transition will be supported by software development initiatives that actively enhance this emerging ecosystem. Oblong is embracing the next evolution of the internet: permissionless intelligence. 'Bittensor is an open network for intelligence, the same way the original internet was for information,' said Peter Holst, Chief Executive Officer of Oblong. 'By building on this open platform, problems can be solved collaboratively at global scale, with the world's brightest minds incentivized by $TAO. With over 25 years of experience scaling technology businesses, we believe we are uniquely positioned to capitalize on this next major inflection point in AI and digital infrastructure.' Technology-First Strategy in the $TAO Ecosystem Oblong will allocate the majority of proceeds toward acquiring $TAO tokens and contributing to Bittensor's decentralized AI network—an open marketplace for compute, inference, data, and model training. This architecture democratizes access to intelligence, much like an OpenAI for the world. In addition to the proceeds from the private placement, the Company had $4.3 million in cash and no debt as of March 31, 2025, and intends on making significant investments in building software tools that drive usage and solve infrastructure challenges within the network. Additionally, Oblong's strategy will include participating in subnet 0, achieving a yield on a portion of its $TAO holdings. The Company's approach is anchored in confidence around $TAO's tokenomics—no venture capital, no insider allocations, and no vesting cliffs that distort market value. This rare structure gives Oblong confidence to accumulate $TAO for the long term, unlike most altcoins, which fail to store value relative to Bitcoin. Strategic Rationale and Market Opportunity Oblong believes the fusion of artificial intelligence and digital assets marks the third great era of crypto, following Bitcoin and smart contract infrastructure (L1's like Ethereum and Solana). Just as those phases delivered generational upside, this AI x crypto era offers similar potential—and Bittensor is at the forefront. $TAO is the leading Layer 1 asset in the AI digital asset space, with a rapidly growing ecosystem of subnets, applications, and contributors. With a market capitalization of approximately $3 billion and strong fundamentals, the Company believes $TAO is positioned to be the defining asset of this new category. Why $TAO and Bittensor Bittensor's $TAO is a Layer 1 cryptocurrency—akin to Ethereum, Bitcoin, and Solana—but differentiated by its foundational role in creating a global intelligence market. By rewarding computational contributors in a permissionless environment, Bittensor enables collaborative, decentralized AI that challenges the dominance of centralized platforms. With a capped supply of 21 million tokens and quadrennial halving events, $TAO mirrors Bitcoin's scarcity-driven model. Its deflationary design, transparent issuance schedule, and absence of insider holdings provide a credible long-term value proposition. The Company's strategic focus on $TAO reflects its conviction that decentralized AI infrastructure will be the next frontier of software development, digital monetization, and investor opportunity. For more information about Oblong's strategy, please review our Summary Investment Thesis filed as an exhibit to the Company's Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed substantially concurrently with the issuance of this press release. Dawson James Securities, Inc. is acting as the exclusive placement agent for the offering. The gross proceeds from the offering are expected to be approximately $7.5 million, prior to deducting placement agent's fees and other offering expenses payable by the Company. The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the offering to launch its Bittensor-centric AI and digital asset strategy. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The securities described above are being offered in a private placement under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the 'Securities Act'), and/or Regulation D promulgated thereunder and have not been registered under the Securities Act or state securities laws and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission or an applicable exemption from such registration requirements. Oblong has agreed to file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission covering the resale of the shares of common stock, including the shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of the common stock equivalents sold in the private placement. About Oblong, Inc. Oblong (Nasdaq: OBLG) provides innovative and patented technologies that change how people work, create, and communicate. Oblong's product Mezzanine™ is a remote meeting technology platform that offers simultaneous content sharing to achieve situational awareness for both in-room and remote collaborators. Oblong supplies Mezzanine systems to Fortune 500 and enterprise customers. For more information, visit Forward-looking and cautionary statements This press release and any oral statements made regarding the subject of this release contain forward-looking statements as defined under Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, that address activities that Oblong assumes, plans, expects, believes, intends, projects, estimates, or anticipates (and other similar expressions) will, should, or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements and include, but are not limited to, the completion of the offering, the satisfaction of customary closing conditions related to the offering, the intended use of proceeds from the offering, and statements regarding market opportunity and the Company's new Bittensor-centric AI and digital asset strategy. Oblong's actual results may differ materially from its expectations, estimates, and projections, and consequently, you should not rely on these forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, forward-looking statements contained in this press release include statements relating to the Company's plans to develop innovative software solutions to enhance the Bittensor extensive and rapidly growing ecosystem. The forward-looking statements are based on management's current belief, based on currently available information, as to the outcome and timing of future events and involve factors, risks, and uncertainties, including market and other conditions and the volatility of market price for our securities, that may cause actual results in future periods to differ materially from such statements. A list and description of these and other risk factors can be found in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ending December 31, 2024, and in other filings made by the Company with the SEC from time to time. Any of these factors could cause Oblong's actual results and plans to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Therefore, the Company cannot give any assurance that its future results will be as estimated. The Company does not intend to, and disclaims any obligation to, correct, update, or revise any information contained herein.
