🧠 Food for thought

Implications, context, and why it matters.

Amended OpenAI deal lets Microsoft run its own AGI research and train large models

• The earlier OpenAI deal had ‘limited its ability to train large models and conduct independent AGI research’ for Microsoft. The new pact lets Microsoft ‘pursue its own superintelligence work’ and restores the right to train large language models on its own.
• UBS says the pact keeps Microsoft’s ‘exclusive IP rights and Azure API exclusivity until AGI is achieved’ 1. It also extends IP and hosting rights for OpenAI models to 2032 1. UBS pegs Microsoft’s commitment at about $250 billion over seven to eight years 1.
• Microsoft formed the MAI Superintelligence Team led by Mustafa Suleyman with researchers from Google DeepMind plus Meta, OpenAI and Anthropic. The effort builds parallel AI work, while Microsoft keeps its roughly 27% OpenAI stake 2.

Dual-track AGI plan boosts compute for cloud and chip firms

• MAI efforts run alongside $30–$35 billion in yearly OpenAI commitments, per UBS 1, which lifts compute needs and opens deals for datacenter builders, power suppliers plus cooling vendors.
• Wisconsin construction features an AI site with hundreds of thousands of Nvidia Blackwell GB200 GPUs 3, and a second site planned for 2027 or later would push power needs above 900 megawatts 3.
• Microsoft has built custom silicon for AI 4, so Nvidia rivals can pitch training parts for MAI workloads.