Foundations by Axented
China blocks Meta from buying AI startup Manus, EU orders Google to open Android to rival AI services, Anthropic investigating claim of unauthorised access to Mythos AI tool
Table of Contents:
AI | Artificial Intelligence
China blocks Meta from buying AI startup Manus
EU orders Google to open Android to rival AI services
Anthropic investigating claim of unauthorised access to Mythos AI tool
VC | Startup & Funding
Former Google DeepMind researcher’s AI startup raises record $1.1 billion seed funding to pursue superintelligence
AI startups Cohere, Aleph Alpha to merge with $600M in new funding
HI | Hardware & Infrastructure
Keppel starts work on floating data center in Singapore
Google’s Latest TPU Advances Make the AI Hardware Race Feel Less One-Sided
China blocks Meta from buying AI startup Manus
China has blocked Meta’s acquisition of AI startup Manus, ordering all parties to withdraw from the deal following a national security review of foreign investment.
Authorities did not provide detailed reasons but signaled concerns over the transfer of advanced AI technology, reflecting tighter regulatory control amid intensifying US-China competition.
Manus, known for its autonomous AI agent capable of complex multi-step tasks, was expected to strengthen Meta’s AI offerings across its platforms.
The decision underscores Beijing’s growing stance that advanced AI capabilities are strategic assets subject to strict oversight.
Source: EuroNews
EU orders Google to open Android to rival AI services
The European Commission has proposed measures requiring Google to allow competing artificial intelligence services access to its Android operating system under the bloc’s Digital Markets Act.
The move aims to prevent Google from giving preferential treatment to its own AI tools, such as Gemini, and to ensure fair competition in the rapidly expanding AI market.
Officials argue that broader access will support innovation and consumer choice across the EU’s digital ecosystem.
The proposal forms part of ongoing efforts to enforce stricter rules on major tech platforms designated as “gatekeepers.”
Source: Euractiv
Anthropic investigating claim of unauthorised access to Mythos AI tool
Anthropic is investigating reports that a small group accessed its restricted Claude Mythos AI model through a third-party vendor environment without proper authorization.
The company said it has found no evidence its core systems were breached, suggesting the incident may involve misuse of existing access rather than a direct hack.
The case highlights growing concerns over controlling powerful “frontier” AI tools designed for cybersecurity, which could pose risks if misused.
Officials and experts emphasize both the potential benefits of such systems and the need for stricter safeguards to prevent unauthorized use.
Source: BBC
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Former Google DeepMind researcher’s AI startup raises record $1.1 billion seed funding to pursue superintelligence
Ineffable Intelligence, a startup founded by former DeepMind researcher David Silver, has raised a record $1.1 billion seed round, valuing the company at $5.1 billion.
Backed by major investors including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Nvidia and Google, the firm aims to develop “superintelligence” using reinforcement learning systems that learn from experience rather than human-generated data.
The funding marks the largest seed investment in Europe and reflects a broader trend of top AI researchers leaving big tech companies to launch well-funded ventures.
The surge of investment highlights intensifying competition to lead the next generation of advanced AI systems.
Source: CNBC
AI startups Cohere, Aleph Alpha to merge with $600M in new funding
AI firms Cohere and Aleph Alpha have announced plans to merge, backed by a $600 million structured financing commitment led by Germany’s Schwarz Group.
The combined company will focus on delivering “sovereign” and customized AI solutions tailored to highly regulated sectors such as government, finance and healthcare.
Cohere brings large-scale language models and enterprise tools, while Aleph Alpha contributes expertise in compliance-focused AI and European public sector relationships.
The deal reflects a broader push to build competitive, regionally controlled AI capabilities amid intensifying global competition.
Source: Silicon Angle
Keppel starts work on floating data center in Singapore
Keppel has begun construction of a 25MW floating data center in Singapore, a project slated to go live in 2028 and already backed by a hyperscale customer.
The facility, cooled using seawater and partly built on a floating platform, is designed to address land, energy, and water constraints faced by traditional data centers.
The development follows years of planning since 2019 and regulatory approval in 2023, highlighting growing interest in offshore infrastructure solutions.
Similar floating data center concepts are being explored globally as demand for scalable and sustainable computing capacity increases.
Source: Data Center Dynamics
Google’s Latest TPU Advances Make the AI Hardware Race Feel Less One-Sided
Google’s development of custom Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) is emerging as a key factor in challenging Nvidia’s dominance in AI hardware, with the company highlighting major cost reductions and performance gains.
Its latest chips, including the seventh-generation Ironwood TPU, have helped cut the cost of running Gemini AI services by 78% while supporting rapid growth in its cloud business.
Alphabet plans to invest up to $185 billion in capital expenditures in 2026, betting that in-house silicon will improve margins and attract enterprise customers.
The upcoming earnings report is expected to test whether these investments can translate into sustained competitive advantage in the AI infrastructure race.
Source: 24/7 Wall Street
Foundations is written by the Axented team.
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