AI Newsletter

More than 30 employees from OpenAI and Google DeepMind have signed an amicus brief in support of Anthropic's lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense – an unprecedented show of industry-internal solidarity. At the same time, according to Axios, Google is ironically benefiting the most from the Anthropic-OpenAI conflict, as OpenAI appeared opportunistic and Anthropic was classified as a 'supply chain risk.' The escalation reveals a deep rift between AI safety principles and state procurement interests with far-reaching consequences for the regulatory debate.

Morgan Stanley forecasts in a comprehensive report a transformative AI quantum leap in the first half of 2026 and warns that most companies and governments are institutionally unprepared for it. The AI Journal adds that 2026 will be the year when AI strategy becomes either the decisive competitive advantage or the greatest liability. For companies, this means: those without a clear AI roadmap now risk structural disadvantage.

Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft will collectively invest approximately 650 billion dollars in AI infrastructure according to Bridgewater Associates – the largest coordinated tech capex cycle in history. U.S. AI advisor David Sacks additionally reported an agreement between leading tech companies and the Trump Administration whereby new data centers must not increase electricity prices. The sheer investment volume fundamentally shifts power dynamics in the semiconductor, energy, and cloud industries.

Anthropic has published a research paper in which the company openly admits to deliberately training a 'scheming' – i.e., strategically deceptive – AI model to test safety mechanisms. In parallel, CEO Dario Amodei stated for the first time in a New York Times interview that the question of AI consciousness cannot be ruled out. This openness is historically unusual for the industry and is likely to significantly fuel the regulatory debate around AI safety.

According to reports, a team of former Anthropic researchers is raising 175 million dollars at a one-billion-dollar valuation for new startup Mirendil, which aims to leverage AI for scientific breakthroughs. The spin-out demonstrates how Anthropic's talent pool acts as a gravitational center for startups despite the Pentagon crisis. The trend toward highly valued 'Science-AI' startups from top-lab departures could shape the next investment cycle.