Sens. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) are calling for an investigation into potential antitrust violations by FanDuel and DraftKings. In a joint letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the US Department of Justice, the lawmakers accused the two sports betting giants of collaborating to suppress competition in the online sports betting market. The issue centres around their 2016 merger attempt, which was blocked by the FTC due to concerns about market dominance.
Since the merger was scrapped, Lee and Welch argue that FanDuel and DraftKings have used their dominance in fantasy sports to stifle smaller competitors in the online betting space. They claim that the companies, through the Sports Betting Alliance trade group, have intimidated rivals, blocked access to technology, and undermined marketing opportunities, which could harm innovation and prevent new players from entering the market.
FanDuel and DraftKings have not publicly commented on the allegations, and the Justice Department has acknowledged receipt of the letter but has not provided further details. The news has caused a drop in DraftKings’ stock, with Sen. Lee highlighting the potential societal impacts of the companies’ actions.
OpenAI is exploring the removal of a clause that restricts Microsoft’s access to its most advanced AI technology Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) once it is achieved. AGI, defined as a system that surpasses human capability in economically valuable tasks, has been excluded from Microsoft’s agreements under existing terms. The Financial Times reports that OpenAI aims to unlock further investments by lifting this restriction.
The clause, designed to safeguard AGI from misuse, currently gives OpenAI’s non-profit board control over such breakthroughs. Discussions within the board are ongoing, and no decision has been finalised. If the change proceeds, Microsoft could retain full access to future OpenAI advancements, even post-AGI, aligning with their significant backing of OpenAI.
This potential shift follows OpenAI’s restructuring efforts, including becoming a for-profit benefit corporation. In October, the company closed a $6.6B funding round, valuing it at $157B, as it continues redefining the AI market.
President-elect Donald Trump‘s transition team has invited tech giants, including Google, Microsoft, Meta, Snap, and TikTok, to a mid-December meeting focused on combating online drug sales, according to a report by The Information. The meeting aims to gather insights from these companies about challenges and priorities in addressing illegal drug activity on their platforms.
Trump has pledged to tackle the fentanyl crisis, emphasising stricter measures against its flow into the US from Mexico and Canada. He has also proposed a nationwide advertising campaign to educate the public about the dangers of fentanyl. Tech companies have faced scrutiny in the past for their platforms’ roles in facilitating drug sales, with Meta under investigation and eBay recently settling a case for failing to prevent the sale of devices used to make counterfeit pills.
The transition team has not commented publicly on the meeting, but it underscores the growing intersection between technology and public health issues, particularly as the US grapples with the devastating impact of fentanyl addiction and trafficking.
Meta Platforms has teamed up with James Cameron‘s Lightstorm Vision to enhance 3D entertainment production for its Meta Quest headsets. The partnership will focus on live sports, concerts, and TV series, with the Quest serving as Lightstorm’s exclusive mixed reality hardware platform.
This collaboration reaffirms Meta’s commitment to its mixed-reality initiatives, following significant investments in augmented reality and metaverse technologies. In addition, both companies will work on reducing the production costs of creating 3D content, making immersive media more accessible.
In September, Meta introduced a more affordable version of the Quest, aligning with its goal to expand its user base.
Italian startup iGenius and Nvidia are teaming up to launch one of the largest deployments of Nvidia’s advanced servers by mid-2025. The ‘Colosseum’ data centre in southern Italy will house around 80 GB200 NVL72 servers, each powered by 72 of Nvidia’s latest Blackwell chips, enabling unprecedented AI computing capabilities.
iGenius, a European AI unicorn with over €650 million in funding this year, specialises in open-source AI models for industries like banking and healthcare, prioritising strict data security. The Colosseum system will leverage Nvidia’s tools, including the NIM software platform, to simplify AI model distribution for businesses using Nvidia hardware.
Nvidia executives lauded the partnership, with VP Charlie Boyle highlighting its scale and uniqueness. Multiple Nvidia teams are working closely with iGenius to bring the cutting-edge system online, marking a significant milestone in AI infrastructure development.
Anduril Industries and OpenAI have announced a partnership to advance AI applications for US national security. The collaboration will focus on enhancing counter-unmanned aircraft systems (CUAS), crucial for detecting and neutralising airborne drone threats.
By leveraging Anduril’s extensive CUAS data, AI models will be trained to respond to aerial threats in real time. OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, highlighted the goal of safeguarding military personnel through these advanced AI solutions.
This partnership reflects the escalating global competition in AI-powered autonomous defence technologies, as nations like the United States and China race to innovate in automated military systems. Founded in 2017, Anduril specialises in autonomous systems, including drones and other tactical assets.
Cleerly, an AI-driven cardiovascular imaging startup, has raised $106 million in a Series C extension round led by Insight Partners. The company, founded by cardiologist James Min, uses advanced software to analyze CT scans and detect early-stage coronary artery disease before symptoms appear. This innovative approach aims to improve preventive care for heart conditions, which remain the leading cause of death in the US.
The technology has already received FDA clearance for diagnosing symptomatic patients and recently gained Medicare approval for its plaque analysis test. Cleerly’s software provides a less invasive and more accurate alternative to traditional diagnostics like stress tests or angiograms. With a compounded annual growth rate exceeding 100% over the past four years, the company is poised to expand further as health insurers increasingly cover its tests.
The latest funding will support Cleerly’s ongoing multi-site clinical trials and future growth. Insight Partners’ involvement highlights the growing confidence in AI-driven solutions for healthcare. While facing competition from companies like HeartFlow and Elucid, Cleerly’s goal of screening the global population for heart disease positions it as a potential leader in this emerging market.
Apple and Baidu are collaborating to bring AI features to iPhones in China, leveraging Baidu’s Ernie 4.0 language model. However, technical challenges, including the AI’s response accuracy and understanding of prompts, have slowed progress.
Sales pressures in China are mounting for Apple, with its market share slipping and Huawei reporting significant growth. Criticism of the iPhone 16‘s lack of AI features has further strained Apple’s competitive position in the region.
Privacy policies also pose hurdles, as Apple’s restrictions prevent Baidu from collecting data from AI interactions, potentially limiting the effectiveness of these features. Siri is expected to incorporate Baidu’s AI models.
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has approved the merger between Vodafone and Three, two of the country’s largest telecom operators, in a $19 billion deal. The merger, which has faced intense scrutiny, was initially investigated due to concerns over potential price hikes, reduced services, and lower investments in mobile networks. However, the CMA approved the deal with conditions to address these concerns, including commitments for significant investment in a nationwide 5G network.
The companies must also cap mobile tariffs for the next three years and maintain contractual terms for mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) during that period. The CMA’s decision marks a shift from previous cases where “4-3” mergers in the telecom sector were allowed only with significant structural changes. This approval is seen as a pragmatic approach, with the CMA confident that competition will be strengthened by a well-resourced trio of mobile operators in the UK.
Vodafone’s CEO, Margherita Della Valle, welcomed the approval, emphasising the benefits for consumers and businesses, including wider coverage and faster mobile speeds. The merger is expected to accelerate the UK’s position in European telecommunications, with a combined investment in the sector. The CMA and Ofcom will oversee the implementation of the agreed measures to ensure competition is maintained.
Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) is reportedly in discussions with Nvidia to produce its Blackwell AI chips at TSMC’s new facility in Arizona, according to sources familiar with the matter. This move would mark a significant expansion of Nvidia’s chip production outside Taiwan, where the Blackwell series has been manufactured since its unveiling in March. The chips, celebrated for their generative AI and accelerated computing capabilities, are in high demand and boast speeds 30 times faster than previous models for tasks like chatbot responses.
The Arizona facility, set to begin volume production next year, represents a major US investment by TSMC, which is building three plants in Phoenix with substantial US government subsidies. If finalised, Nvidia would join Apple and AMD as plant customers. However, sources indicate that the chips would still need to be sent back to Taiwan for advanced packaging due to the lack of chip-on-wafer-on-substrate (CoWoS) capacity in Arizona. All of TSMC’s CoWoS operations remain centralised in Taiwan.
TSMC’s expansion into the US aligns with Washington’s push to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing amid geopolitical concerns over Taiwan. Neither TSMC nor Nvidia has commented on the talks, emphasising the confidentiality of the ongoing discussions.
