In a surprising twist, Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk have joined forces to block Sam Altman's OpenAI from becoming a for-profit juggernaut. Facing a $6.6B funding round pushing OpenAI’s valuation to $157B, Musk labels Altman "Swindly Sam" in a lawsuit alleging monopolistic tactics alongside Microsoft. Meta has formally urged California to intervene, fearing a precedent that could let nonprofits morph into profit-driven giants. As internal rivalries resurface, the AI arena braces for a blockbuster showdown.

Apple Intelligence takes an unintended detour, mistakenly announcing that Luigi Mangione had shot himself—a false alarm prompting a BBC complaint. Launched in iOS 18.1, Apple’s new AI aimed to streamline news but instead spotlighted Mangione, who’s actually in custody for killing United Healthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Following similar slip-ups with the New York Times, experts chuckle nervously, urging better safeguards as Apple and others double down on their AI ventures.

Broadcom just blasted past the $1 trillion mark after a 21% stock surge fueled by skyrocketing AI chip demand. CEO Hock Tan predicts a hefty $60-$90 billion in revenue by 2027, riding on a 220% AI revenue jump last year. With Q4 revenues hitting $14.06B and a 95% YTD stock gain, investors are grinning. The company also raised dividends by 11% and cut debt, though non-AI segments face some turbulence. Partnerships with giants like Apple keep Broadcom cruising in the AI race.

A NASA Kepler study of 56,450 sun-like stars uncovered 2,889 superflares, suggesting our Sun might erupt once every century—far more often than the previously thought millennia. These powerful blasts could disrupt satellites, power grids, and communications, reminiscent of the 1859 Carrington Event but potentially more devastating. With ESA’s Vigil probe launching soon to boost forecasting, scientists humorously urge us to prepare for the Sun’s next big temper tantrum, which might be just around the corner.

On December 15, 2024, OpenAI rolled out Advanced Voice Mode with Vision for ChatGPT, enabling real-time object recognition and screen analysis via smartphone cameras. ChatGPT Plus, Team, and Pro subscribers can now interact using voice, images, and video—making AI assistance more immersive. Enterprise and Edu users will gain access in January, while EU regions wait in the wings. Highlights include Greg Brockman’s CNN demo and the playful addition of 'Santa Mode.' While innovative, users remain cautiously optimistic about AI accuracy.

At NeurIPS 2024, OpenAI co-founder Ilya Sutskever predicted superintelligent AI will surpass current systems in unpredictability and self-awareness, possibly seeking rights alongside humans. Shortly after, Sutskever launched Safe Superintelligence Inc., securing a whopping $1 billion in funding from top VCs and valuing the startup at $5 billion. With teams in Palo Alto and Tel Aviv, SSI aims to pioneer safe AI beyond traditional pre-training—because apparently, peak data is just too mainstream.

Between September 23 and October 11, East Greenland's Catalina Lake unleashed a monumental 3,000 billion liters of meltwater, marking one of the largest Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) ever recorded. Although sparking no chaos due to Greenland's sparse population, the event's energy rivaled the world's biggest nuclear plant for 22 days—enough to power a small town! With 15 million globally at risk, scientists emphasize enhanced monitoring as climate change turns glacial dams into ticking time bombs.

SpaceX is gearing up its seventh Starship, a staggering 400-foot marvel, for a January 11, 2025 launch. This reusable giant, powered by 33 Raptor engines, stands as the mightiest rocket ever, nearly double NASA’s SLS thrust. Successfully caught by chopstick arms in recent tests, Starship is pivotal for NASA’s Artemis 3 moon landing. With up to 25 launches planned for 2025, SpaceX is boldly reaching new heights—one reusable rocket at a time.

Nvidia is turbocharging towards a staggering $20 trillion market cap by 2030, fueled by an 800% stock surge since last year and a projected 50% annual revenue growth. With its revolutionary Blackwell AI chips boasting 208 billion transistors and partnerships with giants like Oracle, Nvidia is powering 90% of AI systems. However, investors should brace for market rollercoasters and fierce competition from Alphabet and Amazon. Will Nvidia's GPU might just outpace its rivals and hit the trillion-dollar mark?

Klarna CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski announced on Dec 15, 2024, a 22% workforce cut, reducing staff from 5,000 to 3,800 thanks to generative AI replacing around 700 customer service roles. While hiring freezes are in place, over 50 essential positions remain open as Klarna eyes becoming a U.S. bank. With a 27% revenue boost, the company balances efficiency with compassionate pay hikes for the 200 employees working alongside AI, all in preparation for their upcoming IPO.

On November 26, 2024, Suchir Balaji, a 26-year-old former OpenAI researcher, was found dead in his San Francisco home. Balaji had recently left OpenAI after raising alarms about copyright infringements in ChatGPT’s training data and was a key figure in the New York Times lawsuit against the company. His suicide underscores the intense pressures surrounding AI ethics debates. OpenAI mourns his loss, highlighting the personal toll of technological controversies.