I want to keep a shortlist of AI-related news and events that I find interesting and noteworthy.
If this gets more dramatic, I might follow up with separate articles (hopefully no more than 99 LOL 🙂 ).
2025-05-07
Apple dealing with Perplexity
Apple is reportedly exploring a strategic partnership with Perplexity AI (company website), an emerging startup specializing in AI-powered search technologies.
This looks like Apple’s attempt to get rid of Google Search, which has been the default search engine on Safari for over two decades. For context:
In 2022, Google paid Apple around $20.000.000.000 to remain the default search engine on Safari for iPhones, iPads, and Macs. This figure was disclosed during the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Google. The agreement also involves Google sharing about 36% of the advertising revenue it earns from searches conducted through Safari with Apple (source). Google has been the default search engine on Safari since 2002.
Now, during a testimony in the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust case against Google, Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services, confirmed that Apple is actively considering integrating AI-based search engines like Perplexity, OpenAI, and Anthropic into Safari. Cue noted a decline in Safari search volumes for the first time in 22 years, attributing this shift to users gravitating toward AI-driven tools that offer more conversational and context-aware results (source).
2025-06-04
Reddit sues Anthropic for breach of contract
Reddit filed a suit against Anthropic (the company website link) on Wednesday (2025-06-04), stating that the artificial intelligence startup is “unlawfully using Reddit’s data and platform.”
Some things worth remembering:
Reddit’s Google deal
In February 2024, Reddit signed a deal with Google.
This deal grants Google access to Reddit’s user-generated content for training its artificial intelligence (Reddit’s user policy states that everything you post there belongs to Reddit, basically) models and enhancing services like Google Search.
In return, Reddit gains access to Google’s AI tools to improve its own platform features, such as internal search capabilities (in practice, Reddit got to use AI to auto-translate posts to major languages – without Google penalties common for other sites that attempted that – and get to be on top for practically every Google search).
And Reddit also gets $60,000,000 per year from Google (that doesn’t hurt).
Reddit’s OpenAI (ChatGPT) deal
In May 2024, Reddit and OpenAI made a partnership that lets OpenAI access Reddit’s Data API, providing real-time, structured content from Reddit users’ posts.
This enables OpenAI to incorporate Reddit content into ChatGPT.
In return, Reddit gets to use ChatGPT for the above-discussed auto-translations, and user moderation, surveillance and other stuff they wish.
The number of millions of dollars that OpenAI pays to Reddit every year for this is not disclosed – I suppose we’re talking tens if not hundred(s) of millions.
Now Reddit complains
Apparently, not getting much benefit and millions of dollars triggers Reddit’s owners to cry and demand justice. A typical huge corporation trying to keep its monopoly and huge profits. Whoever wins, ordinary folks (and website owners) will remain fucked.
2025-06-10
Google fires workers who aren’t into AI
With a ton of PR (framing it as “buyouts”), Google is firing workers who aren’t into AI (framed as: “…supportive exit path for those of you who don’t feel aligned with our strategy, don’t feel energized by your work, or are having difficulty meeting the expectations of your role.”).
Also, remote workers within 50 miles of an office are being told to come back or reconsider their future.
AI is the mission. Adapt or go.
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