QtrendsAmazon pulls a Sam Altman biopic after deepening ties with OpenAI. Chinese and Indian tech giants ramp up AI investment, with Alibaba going all-in and Japan targeting $65bn in physical AI. Anthropic disables advanced models following a US national security order. China doubles down on AI chips, trillion-parameter models, and global cooperation initiatives amid the intensifying US-China AI rivalry.
Amazon MGM Studios has backed out of a planned Sam Altman biopic titled 'Artificial,' which focused on OpenAI's 2023 leadership crisis. The decision comes just months after Amazon invested heavily in OpenAI. Critics suggest the film hit too close to home given Amazon's deepening commercial relationship with the AI company. Altman was temporarily ousted from OpenAI in November 2023 before being reinstated.
Alibaba chairman Joe Tsai made the company's most aggressive AI push at VivaTech, pledging investment across the entire AI stack. DeepSeek's landmark funding round solidifies founder Liang Wenfeng's control as the company pursues AGI. India's billionaire Mukesh Ambani wants AI integrated into every call, app, and home. The announcements signal a major escalation in global AI spending beyond Silicon Valley.
Japan has announced a $65 billion public-private investment target for physical AI by 2040, which includes robotics and autonomous systems. Ride-hailing company Go plans robotaxis and acquisitions following Japan's largest IPO of 2026. Separately, Anthropic will disable its most advanced AI models after a US executive order limiting foreign access. Nikkei reports Japan is also pursuing 'continuous' AI legal reforms to counter advanced threats.
China is pursuing multiple fronts in AI advancement amid the US technology clampdown. Plans are underway to embed AI into consumer goods and services nationwide. A Chinese AI chipmaker has been approved for a STAR Market listing, boosting domestic semiconductor ambitions. The CEO of a Chinese Anthropic rival claimed the country will field a Fable 5-class AI model before next year.
Chinese AI labs Zhipu and DeepSeek are pushing the frontier of trillion-parameter models despite intensifying US export controls. A Hong Kong University scholar warns America's AI lead is vulnerable to China's advantages in energy and industrial AI applications. China will host the 2026 World AI Conference in Shanghai in July and is accelerating the establishment of a World AI Cooperation Organization, signaling a push for global AI governance leadership.