💰 Perplexity makes $34.5B bid for Google's Chrome browser 💰
AI search startup targets Chrome's 3+ billion users

Perplexity AI has made an unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer for Google's Chrome browser, a bid nearly twice the startup's own $14 billion valuation. The move comes as regulatory pressure mounts on Google following a court ruling that found it held an unlawful monopoly in online search. 

With Chrome commanding over 60% global browser share and 3+ billion users, the acquisition would give Perplexity instant distribution to compete with OpenAI and other AI search rivals. Multiple funds have offered to finance the deal, though Google has not offered Chrome for sale and plans to appeal the antitrust ruling.

🤖 Figure unveils first humanoid robot to fold laundry autonomously 🤖
Breakthrough demo shows advanced dexterity

Figure has achieved a major milestone in embodied AI by demonstrating the first humanoid robot capable of autonomously folding laundry. The robot responds to natural language commands like "Hey Figure, can you fold these towels for me?" and proceeds to carefully manipulate soft, deformable fabric with impressive precision.

According to the company, this breakthrough uses the "same exact Helix architecture, only new data," highlighting rapid progress in training robots for complex household tasks. The demonstration represents a significant step toward general-purpose robotics in home and commercial environments, combining language comprehension with sophisticated physical manipulation.

🔄 OpenAI restores access to GPT-4o for pro users🔄
New GPT-5 with manual control options and updated rate limits

OpenAI has rolled back GPT-5 as the automatic default and restored GPT-4o following widespread user complaints about routing glitches and performance inconsistencies. CEO Sam Altman announced that users can now manually choose between "Auto", "Fast", and "Thinking" modes for GPT-5, with the Thinking mode limited to 3,000 messages per week and featuring a 196k token context window. The company also reintroduced a "Show additional models" toggle, giving paid users access to previous versions. Altman promised "plenty of notice" if GPT-4o is ever removed again and hinted at upcoming personality improvements for GPT-5.

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🧠 Sam Altman co-founds brain-computer startup to challenge Neuralink 🧠

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is co-founding Merge Labs, a brain-computer interface startup valued at $850 million that will directly compete with Elon Musk's Neuralink. The company is raising funds with capital potentially coming from OpenAI's ventures team, though terms could still change as OpenAI hasn't yet committed to the deal. Merge Labs plans to develop AI-driven, high-bandwidth neural links and is working with Alex Blania of Tools for Humanity, Altman's iris-scanning digital ID project.

🎯 Microsoft raids Meta's AI talent with multimillion-dollar packages 🎯

Microsoft is aggressively targeting Meta's top AI researchers with multimillion-dollar compensation packages that match the enormous offers Meta itself made to talent in recent months. According to internal documents seen by Business Insider, the recruiting battle reflects how "multimillion-dollar on-hire bonuses for AI talent are becoming more common" across the industry. The move represents Microsoft's strategic push to compete with Meta's AI capabilities, as both companies race to secure the limited pool of world-class AI researchers.