The Morning After: Elon Musk’s SpaceX is buying his AI company, xAI
Like some sort of corporate Russian doll, SpaceX has announced its acquisition of xAI. The merger will “form the most ambitious, vertically integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth,” according to, well, owner Elon Musk. The AI company, arguably best known for its ongoing CSAM-generating chatbot controversy, might seem like a strange fit for a rocket company. But SpaceX is apparently key to Musk’s latest scheme to build AI data centers in space. There might be an argument for moving the resource-intensive operations to space — but Musk continued.He also claimed space-based data centers will eventually enable further advances in space travel. “The capabilities we unlock by making space-based data centers a reality will fund and enable self-growing bases on the Moon, an entire civilization on Mars and ultimately expansion to the Universe.”Back on Earth, xAI and X (formerly Twitter) merged last year, which means SpaceX now owns the social network Musk bought in 2022. — Mat SmithThe biggest stories you might have missediPhone Fold rumors: Everything we know so far, including the leaked designRivian made an electric ambulance for Grey’s AnatomyTikTok says it’s ‘back to normal’ after winter storm-related outages Sony A7 V camera reviewAwesome speed and photo quality.TMAEngadgetThe Sony A7 V is an imaging powerhouse that brings the speed and precision of its high-end siblings to the enthusiast tier. Thanks to a new 33MP partially stacked sensor, image quality is where it truly pulls ahead, offering best-in-class dynamic range and low-light performance that outclasses 24MP rivals despite the higher resolution. If your primary goal is capturing the perfect still, the combination of accurate AI autofocus and improved color science makes this arguably the best all-around Sony shooter yet.However, if you’re a video-first creator, the A7 V might feel like it’s a little behind. While the 10-bit 4K footage is sharp and benefits from impressive AI auto-framing and stabilization, it lacks internal RAW recording, which competitors like the Canon R6 III and Panasonic S1 II now offer. Make sure you check out the full review.Continue reading.Apple acquires Q.ai for a reported $2 billionAfter Beats, it’s the company’s second-biggest ever purchase.It’s the time of AI acquisitions, it seems. Even Apple’s doing it. Apple has acquired Israel-based startup Q.ai. Although Apple has not disclosed the terms of the deal, The Financial Times reports the arrangement is valued at nearly $2 billion. Apple hasn’t shared specifics on how it plans to leverage the startup, but patents filed by Q.ai focus on integrating its technology into headphones or even glasses, using “facial skin micro movements” to communicate without talking.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-elon-musks-spacex-is-buying-his-ai-company-xai-121500751.html?src=rss
