Mistral AI is reportedly in early talks to raise around €3 billion, in a move which could value the French start-up at roughly €20 billion.

Sources told Bloomberg the terms of the proposed raise may still change, and the valuation could also move higher depending on investor demand.

The rumoured round would strengthen Mistral AI’s position as Europe’s main AI challenger by providing the company with more capital as AI players face rising costs for computing power, infrastructure and talent across the globe.

It would also mark a sharp jump from the €11.7 billion valuation Mistral AI secured in September 2025 when Dutch chipmaker ASML became the largest shareholder in the start-up with an 11% stake after leading a €1.7 billion Series C funding round.

The start-up has positioned itself as a sovereign alternative to US and Chinese AI players, targeting European governments and companies with plans to build out cloud computing facilities in France and Sweden.

Mistral AI recently also moved to target industrial customers including Airbus and BMW for services covering engineering and manufacturing.

The French player acquired Austrian start-up Emmi AI last month as part of efforts to expand its services to industrial customers in Europe.

However, the company still trails larger rivals as its models and chatbot have still not matched the adoption of offerings from US players OpenAI and Anthropic, as well as Chinese competitors.

Last month, Anthropic raised $65 billion in a funding round valuing it at $965 billion, eclipsing OpenAI’s $852 billion valuation following its latest funding round in March.

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Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Apple reset its AI ambitions at WWDC, OpenAI edged closer to a stock market debut and French operators agreed a €20.4 billion deal to carve-up SFR.

Apple lands Siri AI at WWDC as Cook takes a bow

What happened: During its annual WWDC event, Apple reset its AI strategy, unveiled a revamped AI-powered Siri and spotlighted new child-safety controls as Tim Cook delivered his final keynote as CEO.

Why it matters: Apple SVP of software Craig Federighi said, “truly helpful AI must be centred around you and your needs”, positioning privacy, personal context and deeper app integration as core pillars of the AI-enhanced Siri. The launch gives Apple a chance to overwrite a damaging run of Siri AI delays described internally as “ugly and embarrassing”. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said “Apple had to address its shortcomings in AI, and WWDC provided some answers”, but added the company must deliver “a meaningfully better everyday experience, not just parity with rivals”. He noted many features will already be familiar to Android and third-party AI app users, adding iPhone users are “more likely to upgrade for better battery life, an improved camera or a bigger screen rather than to get AI”. However, challenges have already emerged. The AI-upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence features have already been delayed indefinitely in the European Union (EU) over competition laws and blocked in China over local AI regulations.

On child safety, Wood called Apple’s push “a welcome and timely move” as concerns about online harm grow among regulators but said “stronger cross-industry safeguards need to be built into operating systems at a deeper platform level”. Cook’s farewell added weight to the event as he declared the iPhone will “continue to be the centre of people’s digital lives”, adding, “the best is still ahead”.

OpenAI lines up stock market debut

What happened: OpenAI confidentially filed paperwork for a US IPO, becoming the latest AI company to move towards a listing as the sector’s biggest players race to raise fresh funds.

Why it matters: The ChatGPT-maker stated it had submitted a draft registration statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), adding, “we expect it to leak so we’re just announcing it”. It did not disclose the size, price or timing of the listing and cautioned a debut may not be imminent “because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company”. OpenAI explained the decision involves “a complicated set of trade-offs”, but the filing gives it “the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best”. Reuters reported the company is targeting a valuation of up to $1 trillion, with a debut possible as early as September. The filing puts OpenAI into a crowded and expensive AI listings race; rival Anthropic confidentially filed for its own US IPO last week, while SpaceX launched a blockbuster listing. Aviva Investors’ head of multi-asset Sunil Krishnan told the BBC all firms all have a “vast need for cash” as “no one wants to be last” in a space where access to capital could prove crucial as companies fund AI chips, infrastructure and model training. Harrison Rolfes, senior research analyst at PitchBook, argued OpenAI’s $1 trillion listing is “a bet on a company that has never been profitable, in a market it is currently losing, with a cost structure it cannot change for at least another year”. He added this is “all while racing a direct competitor through the same SEC process in the same quarter.” Rolfes concluded: “There is no scenario where OpenAI pricing after a profitable Anthropic favours OpenAI.”

Bouygues, Orange, Free agree €20B SFR carve up

What happened: Bouygues Telecom, Free-Iliad Group and Orange signed a memorandum of understanding with Altice France to acquire and carve up SFR in a deal valuing the operator at €20.4 billion, setting the stage for a major reset of France’s telecoms market.

Why it matters: Under terms outlined in April, Bouygues will take 42% of SFR’s assets, Free-Iliad 31% and Orange 27%. SFR’s consumer mobile and fixed broadband operations will be divided between the three operators, while Bouygues will take control of the B2B unit. Completion is targeted for H2 2027, subject to regulatory clearance. Kester Mann, director, consumer and connectivity at CCS Insight, noted the move marks the biggest potential shake-up in French telecoms since Iliad entered the mobile market in 2012, cutting the number of major operators from four to three and reshaping competition. He said the agreement appears “a successful outcome for all parties” as Bouygues, Orange and Iliad all gain “important new assets in their pursuit of greater scale”, while removing a key rival will “reduce the competitive intensity of the market”. However, the biggest challenge will be to regulators show the deal will deliver “positive outcomes to the French market”. He noted that while that would once have been “a herculean task”, recent approvals in the UK and Spain suggest Europe’s stance on consolidation is softening.

The post The Friday File: Apple; OpenAI; SFR appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Apple reset its AI ambitions at WWDC, OpenAI edged closer to a stock market debut and French operators agreed a €20.4 billion deal to carve-up SFR.

Apple lands Siri AI at WWDC as Cook takes a bow

What happened: During its annual WWDC event, Apple reset its AI strategy, unveiled a revamped AI-powered Siri and spotlighted new child-safety controls as Tim Cook delivered his final keynote as CEO.

Why it matters: Apple SVP of software Craig Federighi said, “truly helpful AI must be centred around you and your needs”, positioning privacy, personal context and deeper app integration as core pillars of the AI-enhanced Siri. The launch gives Apple a chance to overwrite a damaging run of Siri AI delays described internally as “ugly and embarrassing”. Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, said “Apple had to address its shortcomings in AI, and WWDC provided some answers”, but added the company must deliver “a meaningfully better everyday experience, not just parity with rivals”. He noted many features will already be familiar to Android and third-party AI app users, adding iPhone users are “more likely to upgrade for better battery life, an improved camera or a bigger screen rather than to get AI”. However, challenges have already emerged. The AI-upgraded Siri and Apple Intelligence features have already been delayed indefinitely in the European Union (EU) over competition laws and blocked in China over local AI regulations.

On child safety, Wood called Apple’s push “a welcome and timely move” as concerns about online harm grow among regulators but said “stronger cross-industry safeguards need to be built into operating systems at a deeper platform level”. Cook’s farewell added weight to the event as he declared the iPhone will “continue to be the centre of people’s digital lives”, adding, “the best is still ahead”.

OpenAI lines up stock market debut

What happened: OpenAI confidentially filed paperwork for a US IPO, becoming the latest AI company to move towards a listing as the sector’s biggest players race to raise fresh funds.

Why it matters: The ChatGPT-maker stated it had submitted a draft registration statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), adding, “we expect it to leak so we’re just announcing it”. It did not disclose the size, price or timing of the listing and cautioned a debut may not be imminent “because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company”. OpenAI explained the decision involves “a complicated set of trade-offs”, but the filing gives it “the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best”. Reuters reported the company is targeting a valuation of up to $1 trillion, with a debut possible as early as September. The filing puts OpenAI into a crowded and expensive AI listings race; rival Anthropic confidentially filed for its own US IPO last week, while SpaceX launched a blockbuster listing. Aviva Investors’ head of multi-asset Sunil Krishnan told the BBC all firms all have a “vast need for cash” as “no one wants to be last” in a space where access to capital could prove crucial as companies fund AI chips, infrastructure and model training. Harrison Rolfes, senior research analyst at PitchBook, argued OpenAI’s $1 trillion listing is “a bet on a company that has never been profitable, in a market it is currently losing, with a cost structure it cannot change for at least another year”. He added this is “all while racing a direct competitor through the same SEC process in the same quarter.” Rolfes concluded: “There is no scenario where OpenAI pricing after a profitable Anthropic favours OpenAI.”

Bouygues, Orange, Free agree €20B SFR carve up

What happened: Bouygues Telecom, Free-Iliad Group and Orange signed a memorandum of understanding with Altice France to acquire and carve up SFR in a deal valuing the operator at €20.4 billion, setting the stage for a major reset of France’s telecoms market.

Why it matters: Under terms outlined in April, Bouygues will take 42% of SFR’s assets, Free-Iliad 31% and Orange 27%. SFR’s consumer mobile and fixed broadband operations will be divided between the three operators, while Bouygues will take control of the B2B unit. Completion is targeted for H2 2027, subject to regulatory clearance. Kester Mann, director, consumer and connectivity at CCS Insight, noted the move marks the biggest potential shake-up in French telecoms since Iliad entered the mobile market in 2012, cutting the number of major operators from four to three and reshaping competition. He said the agreement appears “a successful outcome for all parties” as Bouygues, Orange and Iliad all gain “important new assets in their pursuit of greater scale”, while removing a key rival will “reduce the competitive intensity of the market”. However, the biggest challenge will be to regulators show the deal will deliver “positive outcomes to the French market”. He noted that while that would once have been “a herculean task”, recent approvals in the UK and Spain suggest Europe’s stance on consolidation is softening.

The post The Friday File: Apple; OpenAI; SFR appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Google reportedly is in discussions with Samsung Electronics to manufacture part of its next-generation AI processor, which could include using the latter’s 2-nanometer production technology.

The Information reported Google plans for TSMC to produce the main computing component of its tensor processing unit (TPU), codenamed Icefish, while Samsung may manufacture a component which helps connect it to memory.

Reuters reported the tech giant is also working with chip designer MediaTek on the overall design. Icefish is still in development, with mass production possible as early as 2028.

Landing the deal would be a major boost for Samsung’s foundry ambitions, strengthening an effort to win more advanced chip manufacturing business.

Its 2nm process would allow more transistors to be packed into smaller chips, improving performance, energy efficiency and AI capabilities, Reuters noted. It added the South Korean vendor is also considering a second Texas plant to expand output.

The reports are the latest indication Google is looking to reduce its reliance on TSMC, which is struggling to keep pace with surging AI demand and could prove a bottleneck for the wider industry.

Earlier this week, The Information also reported Google is in talks with Intel to manufacture more than three million TPUs in 2028.

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IT provider Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) teamed with Anthropic to accelerate enterprise AI adoption, with a focus on highly regulated sectors where accuracy, auditability and governance requirements have historically slowed deployments.

As a Global Premier Partner in the Claude Partner Network, TCS will establish a dedicated business unit focused on delivering industry services and AI expertise built on Anthropic’s Claude family of models, with early access to new releases.

It will also provide Anthropic’s Claude AI assistant to more than 50,000 employees across engineering, finance, legal, marketing, and sales.

The two companies will jointly go to market with AI capabilities across financial services, public services, life sciences, healthcare, aviation, telecom, and medtech.

The partnership also spans several TCS businesses and platforms. Diligenta, TCS’s UK-based life and pensions business with over 22 million customers, will use Claude to improve customer experience through agentic process transformation.

TCS iON, which conducts more than 75 million annual assessments across 1,500 cities in India, will deliver learning and certification programmes on Claude models to help build an AI-certified workforce.

K Krithivasan, CEO and managing director of TCS, stated enterprise AI value comes from understanding business context, orchestrating complex systems and applying deep AI engineering talent.

“By combining Claude with our industry expertise, engineering rigour and large-scale transformation capabilities, we will help customers move faster to production, especially in industries where trust, resilience and regulatory discipline are critical,” he said.

The partnership comes as Anthropic, now valued at $965 billion, looks to extend the momentum which has pushed its valuation above rival OpenAI, with both startups moving towards public listings.

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Ericsson unveiled a software subscription designed to bring telco-grade AI models directly into basebands and radios to enable operators to boost 5G performance, automation and energy efficiency without adding new hardware.

According to the vendor, the software uses AI models designed to operate in real time within the RAN, supported by continuous learning and agentic AI capabilities for more advanced network operations. The company stated its telco-grade models are built for ultra-low latency inference, with a focus on reliability across diverse RAN environments.

The service works with Ericsson 5G Advanced across purpose-built and Cloud RAN platforms. Ericsson stated the software uses its silicon in radios and the latest generation of RAN compute to employ “the right AI model in the right part of the radio network”, while its AI capabilities can also be deployed across partner platforms.

The first features are now available, with more to follow later in the year. Initial functions include AI-powered scheduler for link adaptation, beamforming and multi-layer coordination.

Ericsson claimed the technology has been deployed in more than 15 trials worldwide, delivering up to 20% higher downlink throughput and up to 10% better spectral efficiency, alongside support for up to twice as many high-traffic users. It also said AI in RAN could achieve up to 95% coverage prediction accuracy.

Marten Lerner, head of networks strategy and product management at Ericsson, said the company is “redefining what’s possible in mobile networks by bringing powerful AI capabilities to service providers”, adding “we are taking a major step toward AI-native networks”.

Further comments from Ericsson partners SoftBank, Bell, SK Telecom and Rogers focused on the software’s potential benefits around real-time optimisation, network performance, energy savings, automation and support for emerging AI-driven services.

Joe Madden, principal analyst at Mobile Experts, added: “With a software upgrade, operators can squeeze more capacity, better observability, and more accurate location-based services out of the 5G network they bought years ago.”

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AI platform disruptions rose sharply in early 2026 as growing enterprise adoption and heavier workloads exposed reliability issues across the full infrastructure stack, according to research from Ookla.

Analysing 471 days of US Downdetector data from 1 January 2025 to 16 April 2026 across ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Microsoft Copilot, AWS and Microsoft Azure, Ookla recorded 3.7 million user-reported problems.

High-signal disruption days, defined as when a service recorded more than 10 times its own median daily report volume, rose from six across four major AI apps in Q1 2025 to 51 in Q1 2026, according to the report by Ookla analyst Luke Kehoe.

Anthropic’s Claude model accounted for 39 of those 51 disruption days, making it the clearest example of scale-up volatility in the period. Gemini accounted for seven, Copilot three and ChatGPT two.

Claude recorded near-zero Downdetector reports in early 2025 before moving into a sustained report baseline from mid-July as adoption grew.

In Q1 2026, Claude generated 314,996 reports, while March volume alone was nearly three times February’s level. Ookla noted the pattern cannot be attributed to a single outage, with disruption clustered around demand surges, model-release windows and platform instability as Claude Code and Cowork usage scaled rapidly.

OpenAI’s ChatGPT produced the largest individual disruption signals in absolute terms, including roughly 68,000 reports on 2 December 2025, but its underlying reliability trend has improved.

Its monthly median daily report volume fell from a peak of 2,157 in April 2025 to 1,166 in April 2026, even as OpenAI reported more than 900 million weekly active users and rapid growth in Codex usage.

Google’s Gemini and Microsoft’s Copilot showed smaller but distinct patterns. Gemini’s high-signal disruption days rose from zero in Q1 2025 to seven in Q1 2026, consistent with rapid user growth.

Copilot’s outage pattern reflected its position inside Microsoft’s broader enterprise range, with far fewer reports on weekends, reflecting enterprise-aligned use.

Cloud infrastructure also featured prominently in the reliability picture. AWS’s 20 October 2025 DynamoDB DNS event generated more than 315,000 US reports, while Microsoft’s Azure Front Door incident on 29 October produced nearly 96,000, illustrating how failures in cloud control planes can cascade into AI platform disruptions.

Ookla concluded AI reliability has moved well beyond model serving, with failure points now spanning feature gates, GPU fleets, developer APIs, login systems and demand-management policies, all of which can appear to the end user as a single outage.

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Global data centre capital expenditure is on course to exceed $1 trillion in 2026 according to new research from Dell’Oro Group, as hyperscale AI deployments accelerate and rising memory and storage costs push overall server spending higher.

The research company raised its worldwide data centre capex outlook for the year following a strong Q1, citing a combination of AI expansion, continued investment in general-purpose infrastructure and component cost inflation as the primary drivers.

Baron Fung, senior research director at Dell’Oro Group, stated rising memory and storage pricing substantially increased overall server system costs in the quarter and will likely remain a major capex growth factor throughout the year.

“At the same time, AI infrastructure deployments continue to accelerate rapidly, while hyperscalers also expanded general-purpose infrastructure to support public cloud growth, agentic AI workloads, and rising AI-related storage requirements,” he said.

The scale of spending among the largest cloud providers is striking. Amazon, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, the top four US hyperscalers, increased data centre capex by 78% year-on-year, reflecting the intensity of the AI infrastructure race.

On the supply side, Dell led server OEM revenue followed by Supermicro and Lenovo, though white-box vendors serving the hyperscale market accounted for most overall server revenue. Nearly all server vendors benefited from higher memory-driven system pricing.

Despite already exceptional spending growth in the first half of the year, Dell’Oro expects capex growth to accelerate further in the second half, driven by the ramp-up of Nvidia’s Vera Rubin platform and refresh cycles for hyperscaler custom accelerator platforms.

Beyond the major cloud providers, Fung noted select enterprise verticals and sovereign cloud providers are also increasing AI infrastructure adoption, “though growth remains constrained by uncertain returns and infrastructure readiness”.

“While near-term demand remains healthy, some spending may have been pulled forward ahead of expected price increases later this year,” explained Fung.

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Meta Platforms expanded its partnership with Reliance Industries, agreeing to lease its first AI-enabled data centre in India as part of ambitions to grow its presence in the country.

Meta stated Reliance will build the facility in the Indian state of Gujarat with 168MW of capacity which Meta will use to “scale its AI infrastructure”.

The Facebook-owner explained it is investing aggressively to expand its capacity footprint, and India’s “tech-forward digital economy”, massive user base and the strength of its partnership with Reliance makes it the ideal location.

Reliance has identified Jamnagar, Gujarat as a strategic location, building out one of the largest data centre campuses in the world there, with access to the significant energy resources needed to power AI-enabled infrastructure.

The facility’s first phase will be to deliver 168MW of capacity, with options to scale.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the facility will help the company scale its AI infrastructure globally, “while deepening our long-term investment in India’s economy”.

Chairman and managing director of Reliance, Mukesh Ambani, added that building India’s first built-to-suit AI data centre for a company of Meta’s scale “demonstrates India’s readiness to be at the forefront of the global AI revolution”.

The collaboration builds on a long-standing partnership between the pair, with Meta investing $5.7 billion in Jio Platforms in 2020.

Clean energy
The site will be powered by renewable energy and cooled with desalinated seawater. Meta is set to cover the full cost of supporting the facility.

It has struck a deal for around 1GW of new clean and renewable energy, partnering with domestic companies CleanMax and Fourth Partner Energy.

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Anthropic launched a public version of its Mythos AI model, but with guardrails in place to block its use in sensitive areas such as cybersecurity.

The AI player stated its Claude Fable 5 model is its most powerful to date on its launch yesterday (9 June), which is two months after Anthropic first unveiled its Mythos-class model.

The limited Mythos preview sent shockwaves through the industry after the model uncovered thousands of software vulnerabilities.

Last week Anthropic expanded the reach of its Mythos AI model to an additional 150 companies across more than 15 countries.

The startup describes Fable 5 as state-of-the-art on nearly all tested benchmarks of AI capability, claiming exceptional performance across software engineering, knowledge work, vision and scientific research. The longer and more complex the task, Anthropic stated, the larger Fable 5’s lead over its other models.

Anthropic stated it has done extensive testing to ensure users cannot manipulate Fable 5 into bypassing its guidelines. Queries on restricted topics will instead receive a response from the company’s Claude Opus 4.8 model.

The AI player acknowledged the safeguards are tuned conservatively and will sometimes catch harmless requests but said they trigger on average in fewer than 5% of sessions.

“With more capable models arriving in the coming months, we’re working to improve our safeguards and reduce false positives as quickly as we can,” Anthropic stated.

For a smaller group of cyber defenders and infrastructure providers, Anthropic is simultaneously launching Claude Mythos 5, which is the same underlying model as Fable 5 but with safeguards lifted in some areas.

Mythos 5 will initially be deployed through Project Glasswing in collaboration with the US government. It carries what Anthropic described as the strongest cybersecurity capabilities of any model in the world.

Users who had access to the Claude Mythos Preview will be able to upgrade to Mythos 5, with broader access planned through an expanded trusted-access programme.

Fable 5 and Mythos 5 are priced at $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens, less than half the price of Claude Mythos Preview.

The rollout comes as Anthropic, now valued at $965 billion, looks to extend the momentum which has pushed its valuation above rival OpenAI, with both startups racing toward public listings.

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China is reportedly plotting an outlay of around CNY2 trillion ($295 billion) over the next five years to build out data centres across the country, with state-owned telecoms operators tasked with managing the sites and vendor Huawei providing the bulk of the technology.

Bloomberg sources claim government agencies including the National Development and Reform Commission are drafting up plans to construct a network of “inter-connected computing hubs”, as part of a government initiative to boost domestic AI and increase competition with the US.

Operators China Mobile and China Telecom are named as being tasked with operating and connecting the bulk of the data centres, while suppliers including Huawei will be charged with providing at least 80% of the technology including AI chips.

The plan is in line with steps taken in recent years by the state to pump resources into domestic heavyweights like Huawei, effectively squeezing out US competitors such as Nvidia and AMD.

Funding for the plan will mainly come from sovereign debt including long-term special government bonds with more than a 10 year tenure and state funds for investment in strategic industries, added the sources.

In addition to the AI facilities, which will include data centres and faster mobile infrastructure, China also apparently plans to integrate the power grid to the project.

The planned investment figure does not include separate outlays planned by the country’s technology heavyweights including Alibaba and Tencent, added the sources.

Nvidia locked out
Notably, US AI companies are also planning for major AI investment. Meta Platform has set capex guidance of $125 billion to $145 billion for 2026, while Microsoft has committed to a $190 billion spend over the same period.

Robert Lea, an analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence said the big winner of China’s plan will be the nation’s economy, rather than private sector companies like Alibaba and Baidu.

“Domestic infrastructure suppliers including Huawei stand to benefit most, with Nvidia unlikely to get a look in,” he added.

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Telecom Italia warned ransomware attacks surged in 2025 as cybercriminals used AI and automation to scale campaigns, cautioning that rapidly evolving technology and geopolitical tensions are reshaping digital risk.

In the second edition of its Cyber Security Report produced alongside Italy-based non-profit Cyber Security Foundation, TIM said ransomware claims topped 7,400 globally in 2025, up 42% compared to 2024.

The report pointed to malware campaigns affecting entities in around 200 countries and a 20% rise in known vulnerabilities. It highlighted zero-day flaws as a growing concern because they can be exploited before vendors issue patches.

The study also flagged: promptware, a form of cyberattack designed to manipulate generative AI (genAI) and LLMs; and quishing, a scam using compromised QR codes, smart devices and satellite network security as emerging risk areas. It argued cyber resilience is now tied to service continuity, industrial competitiveness and overall national security.

In contrast, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) incidents, which are attacks designed to overwhelm websites, apps or networks by flooding them with traffic, fell 36% partly due to preventive measures. Yet, the report warned this decline did not mean the threat was easing. Attacks became more focused, persistent and aimed at strategic targets including governments, telecoms and transport systems, while average exposure times rose 19%.

TIM attributed the ransomware surge to the continued industrialisation of cybercrime, with attackers benefiting from both geopolitical instability and AI-powered automation.

Indeed, the study presented AI as a double-edged sword, noting that while it acts as a “threat multiplier” used to automate malicious code and accelerate fraud, phishing and abuse, it has also strengthened attack prevention, analysis and response capabilities.

Alessandra Michelini, CEO and chairwoman of TIM Group’s cybersecurity arm Telsy, said the threat response cannot be limited to emergency management, calling for active investment in “digital sovereignty, skills development and secure technologies”.

Marco Proietti, founder and president of the Cyber Security Foundation, added cybersecurity must become “a widespread culture”, as “a more digitally aware country is, first and foremost, a safer country”.

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OpenAI confidentially filed paperwork for a US IPO, becoming the latest company to move towards a listing as heavyweights in the AI sector race to raise fresh funds.

The ChatGPT-maker stated it had submitted a draft registration statement to the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), adding, “we expect it to leak so we’re just announcing it”.

The AI player did not disclose the size, price or timing of the listing and cautioned a debut may not be imminent. “We have not decided on timing yet; it may be a while because there are things we want to do that are likely easier as a private company,” it stated.

OpenAI added the decision involves “a complicated set of trade-offs”, but that the filing gives it “the option to go public sooner if that ends up being best”.

Reuters reported OpenAI is targeting a valuation of up to $1 trillion, with a debut possible as early as September. The value would put it alongside AI rival Anthropic, which confidentially filed for its own US IPO last week. SpaceX. meanwhile, is expected to launch its IPO this week, at a reported $1.75 trillion valuation.

The three firms all have a “vast need for cash”, Aviva Investors’ head of multi-asset Sunil Krishnan told the BBC, adding “no-one wants to be last” in the race to go public. He explained the companies’ hefty investments in AI infrastructure, including chips and training models, come at significant cost.

OpenAI’s filing follows a period of rapid growth. Last week, research company Sensor Tower estimated ChatGPT crossed 1 billion monthly active users on its app, becoming the fastest in history to reach the milestone.

The company’s route to market was also complicated by its nonprofit origins and efforts to restructure. In May, a US jury ruled against Elon Musk in a lawsuit accusing OpenAI of departing from its founding mission, removing a key legal barrier for the ChatGPT-maker ahead of any listing.

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Alphabet’s Google reportedly placed an order with Intel to manufacture more than 3 million of its specialised AI chips in 2028, a move which increases pressure on Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC).

The Information reported Google plans to use Intel to manufacture some of its tensor processing units (TPUs) after months of testing the chipmaker’s manufacturing capabilities.

Google Cloud’s TPUs are custom chips purpose-built for AI and optimised for training and inference of advanced AI models.

The news agency’s sources state the move reflects mounting strain on TSMC, which is struggling to meet surging demand for its foundry capacity, pushing customers to seek alternatives.

The deal marks another significant win for Intel after CEO Lip-Bu Tan, who spent much of last year shoring up Intel’s balance sheet through major external investments, now appears to be delivering on operational improvements which seemed unlikely a year ago.

In April 2026, Google expanded its long‑running partnership with Intel, committing to use multiple generations of the chipmaker’s CPUs in its AI data centres.

The same month, Intel revealed a plan to join Elon Musk’s Terafab AI chip project to build processors which would power the billionaire’s orbital data centres and humanoid robots.

Last month, the tech giant struck a joint venture agreement with asset management company Blackstone to create a US-based AI cloud company, giving a boost to its TPU manufacturing.

The Information also said Nvidia is evaluating Intel’s manufacturing technology for a forthcoming processor which could combine four graphics chips into a single unit.

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AMD unveiled plans to invest up to £2 billion over five years to accelerate AI innovation and research across the UK, using the opening of London Tech Week to spotlight a push on sovereign infrastructure and research partnerships.

The US-based chip company said the commitment aims to support advanced computing, scientific research and workforce development, while expanding access to the infrastructure needed for AI-led discovery and public sector innovation.

AMD CEO Lisa Su said the UK has “the talent, research excellence and ambition to help lead the next era of AI,” adding the company would work with government, academia and industry to expand access to compute infrastructure needed to “advance sovereign AI, accelerate discovery and drive long-term economic growth”.

As part of the plan, AMD announced a slew of AI-focused partnerships. The company teamed with Imperial College London to advance computational science and research spanning areas including healthcare innovation, climate modelling and AI optimisation.

AMD and Dell Technologies will also work with the University of Cambridge on national AI infrastructure projects, including the Zenith AI supercomputer and Sunrise fusion AI system to support AI-driven scientific work across areas including healthcare research, materials science and fusion research.

In addition, the chipmaker will work with photonic networking company Oriole Networks on the UK’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA) Scaling Inference Lab, a national testbed for AI hardware focused on targeting infrastructure bottlenecks.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves called AMD’s investment “a major vote of confidence in Britain’s place as a global AI superpower”, while technology secretary Liz Kendall added it reflected “the strength of Britain’s talent, research and ambition in AI”.

London Tech Week starts today (8 June) and runs until 12 June, bringing together technology companies, investors and policymakers to discuss digital innovation across the UK.

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Meta Platforms is reportedly exploring a potential equity raise worth tens of billions of dollars, as CEO Mark Zuckerberg hunts for fresh capital to fund sweeping AI aspirations.

Financial Times (FT) reported the social media giant’s executives are exploring creative ways to boost funds for AI-related capital expenditure.

The publication stated CFO Susan Li is leading the discussions alongside Dina Powell McCormick, who moved from Meta’s board in January to take on the newly created role of president, with a specific focus on AI infrastructure financing and longer-term planning.

In its Q1 earnings report released in April, Meta raised its 2026 capex guidance range from $115 billion-$135 billion to $125 billion-$145 billion.

Zuckerberg is focused on developing so-called superintelligence which he believes will help humanity accelerate its rate of progress.

A person familiar with the discussions told FT it is premature to say if Meta has decided anything, but all financing options are still on the table.

A representative for Meta told Mobile World Live FT’s reporting “is pure speculation”.

“We’ve been clear that huge opportunities lie ahead in AI, and we’ll continue focusing on raising capital in the most flexible ways to support that.”

The potential offering comes as the US equity markets are experiencing a historic surge of activity. Elon Musk’s SpaceX plans to raise as much as $86 billion in an IPO next week, while Anthropic confidentially filed for a listing and OpenAI is also preparing to go public.

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Analysts tipped Apple to use its annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), set to take place on Monday (8 June), to reset its AI strategy and unveil a major Siri overhaul as CEO Tim Cook prepares to hand over the reins.

Ahead of the event, Ben Wood, chief analyst at CCS Insight, described WWDC as “a pivotal moment for Apple Intelligence”, adding its voice assistant Siri had been “a thorn in Apple’s side for several years”, making its reboot central to Apple’s attempt to reset its AI narrative.

According to Bloomberg, Apple is expected to unveil a revamped AI-powered Siri designed to act as conversational companion with screen awareness, richer app control, the ability to tackle multiple commands in one prompt and a dedicated Siri app.

Wood expects Apple to frame the overhaul around “a slew of agentic AI capabilities”, while avoiding any overt positioning of Siri as being powered by Google’s Gemini technology.

Apple has indeed lagged rivals including Google and Samsung in bringing AI features to smartphones and other devices. Its push has been hampered by challenges building in-house AI capabilities, prompting the company to lean on partnerships with players including Google and OpenAI.

Paolo Pescatore, chief analyst at research house PP Foresight, said the iPhone-maker does not need to win the AI race through “noise, novelty or endless model comparisons”, but by making AI “useful, trusted, private and deeply embedded” across its devices.

Bloomberg reported Apple is also expected to unveil iOS 27 alongside updates for iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, tvOS and visionOS. Unlike last year’s focus on Liquid Glass design, the next software cycle is expected to focus on reliability, battery life, performance and deeper integration of Apple Intelligence features.

Symbolic
Notably, the event also marks Tim Cook’s final WWDC as Apple CEO before his planned transition to executive chairman on 1 September, when SVP of hardware engineering John Ternus will take the helm.

Pescatore explained the upcoming WWDC “carries far more significance than a normal developer conference”, describing it as “as much a symbolic handover moment as a software showcase”.

In his view, Cook’s legacy has been built on “scale, discipline, services, privacy, Apple Silicon and deep ecosystem integration”, but argued the key question is how Apple uses that foundation in the AI era.

He argued the tech giant will need to reassure developers, investors and customers the transition is “about continuity, not disruption”, while showing its blend of hardware, silicon, software and services can deliver “a more intelligent, more personal ecosystem”.

Similarly, Wood warned any missteps in Apple’s hotly anticipated agentic and on-device AI strategy “could have significant implications”.

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Verizon CEO Dan Schulman (pictured) doubled down on messaging around the widespread impact of AI on the workforce, tipping the technology to replace “a large percentage” of work handled by customer service representatives.

In an interview with Bloomberg, Schulman said AI would cause “disruption in certain job functions” but pointed to customer care as an area where the technology could be applied quickly and effectively.

In his view, the technology could be used to handle simple customer queries, including recovering a lost password or checking a billing amount. For more complex requests, Schulman said human employees and AI agents would work together.

Schulman also cited AI’s role in network security, telling Bloomberg Verizon does “a lot for the critical infrastructure of the US” and that AI tools would help the company “protect it”.

The chief highlighted Verizon’s efforts to deploy AI as part of a wider push to improve customer experience and sharpen the company’s performance. He added the operator would not raise prices without delivering value to customers, stating: “Anybody can compete on price… It’s about competing on other parts of the value proposition, where you can actually differentiate yourself.”

Verizon introduced promotions and service guarantees last year to combat customer fatigue and better compete with rivals including AT&T and T-Mobile US.

Big, bureaucratic company
In April, Schulman urged fellow leaders to be open with employees about the impact AI would have on workforces, telling the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) the technology will reshape the company and that “being realistic, telling the truth, as best you can, is essential”. Last year, the operator scrapped more than 13,000 jobs, subsequently setting aside $20 million to help reskill employees for the AI era.

According to Schulman around 7,000 employees have already applied for the trainings, which include teaching staff effective prompt writing and AI agent creation. He added he is “spending a lot of time down in DC” speaking with government officials about responsible AI use.

Beyond technology, the CEO also suggested internal culture remains part of the challenge. “Verizon is a big, bureaucratic company,” he said. “It loves its processes. It loves to show its work. But I’m about outcome and how fast can we move the company forward.”

He explained it had taken time to steer Verizon towards a more innovative approach, adding he wants the company to be less risk averse in order to better serve customers.

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Mobile World Live brings you our top three picks of the week as Anthropic widened access to its Claude Mythos model despite security concerns, the European Commission (EC) unveiled a fresh digital sovereignty push and the FCC commenced its first spectrum auction in four years.

Anthropic expands Mythos access to 150 new companies

What happened: Anthropic expanded access to its controversial Claude Mythos AI model under the Project Glasswing to 150 additional companies in sectors including power, healthcare and communications, after initially restricting it to a group of private technology players.

Why it matters: Anthropic said the latest cohort brings in sectors underrepresented in the first wave. In commentary to security publication CSO Online, experts noted the expansion could add to security concerns around the model. Carmi Levy, an independent technology analyst, questioned what Glasswing will be able to accomplish by adding 150 more participants, noting the initial point was to allow the AI player to work closely with a small, fully vetted group of vendors to develop stronger defences against cybersecurity risks. “Expanding access into the hundreds may very well bring in more minds to build better defensive measures, but it simultaneously introduces significant concerns around potential leaks.”

Research director for AI security at IDC, Grace Trinidad, added that Anthropic’s announcement pointed out that each of the 150 new participants “will need to meet our security requirements before they gain access”, which also did not build confidence. “Nobody knows what those security requirements are.”

Earlier this week, Anthropic also confidentially filed IPO paperwork with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), ahead of rival OpenAI’s rumoured float.

EU targets AI, chips in fresh sovereignty drive

What happened: The EC unveiled a fresh digital sovereignty package targeting semiconductors, AI, cloud, open source and energy infrastructure in a bid to accelerate Europe’s push for digital sovereignty.

Why it matters: The package includes a proposed a revamped Chips Act 2.0 and a Cloud and AI Development Act to streamline data centre deployment and introduced measures to expand open source use, support startups and digitalise the energy system. EC president Ursula von der Leyen said Europe “cannot afford to depend on others for the technologies that keep our hospitals running, our energy grids stable and our services secure”.

Jennifer Okafor, a UN and Global Health strategist and AI and data analyst, said the policies represent “a comprehensive approach to balancing growth, stability, and long-term resilience across the EU”. However, president of German digital industry group Bitkom Ralf Wintergerst told Reuters it is “crucial that these efforts do not stop at mere announcements”, while Keegan McBride, director of science and technology at non-profit think tank Tony Blair Institute argued Europe “can’t regulate its way to competitiveness, it must build”. He added, “there’s still much more to do ​if Europe wants to close the gap with the US and China”.

FCC kicks off first spectrum auction in 4 years

What happened: The FCC opened Auction 113, its first spectrum auction in four years, covering spectrum in the 1695MHz to 1710MHz, 1755MHz to 1780MHz and 2155MHz to 2180MHz bands.

Why it matters: AT&T, T-Mobile US, Verizon and potentially SpaceX are among likely bidders. The licences cover territory home to more than 100 million people across 48 states and two US territories. FCC chair Brendan Carr declared: “Finally! The FCC is back in the game,” adding spectrum auctions are “the lifeblood of licensed wireless service”. Carr argued “more spectrum means more building, lower prices and stronger competition”.

Proceeds from the auction will fund the FCC’s “rip and replace” programme targeting Huawei and ZTE equipment in US networks. Indeed, the auction also bolsters the regulator’s broader Build America Agenda, which targets 800MHz of spectrum by 2034.

The post The Friday File: Anthropic; EU; FCC appeared first on Mobile World Live.

Meta Platforms unveiled an AI agent designed to help businesses carry out day-to-day tasks, as the social media giant looks to raise competition in the enterprise arena.

Meta Business Agent is an AI-powered tool designed to let any business, from a one-person shop to a global enterprise, respond to customers around the clock without missing a beat.

It also positions the company to better rival OpenAI, Anthropic and Google in the enterprise AI market.

More than a million businesses are already using some version of the agent on WhatsApp and Messenger, but yesterday (3 June) Meta started offering it globally to businesses of all sizes.

Meta explained Business Agent can be setup up in minutes or plugged directly into an existing enterprise infrastructure.

The agent can handle conversations in business customers’ local languages and tone from the first day.

It can answer business-specific questions, recommend products from a catalogue, book appointments, qualify leads, and even close sales. When a situation calls for a human touch, users can decide exactly when a team member needs to step in.

The expansion to Instagram is also live and getting started is free. Meta stated paid subscription tiers are coming in the months ahead, with options built to fit businesses of every size.

Meta is positioning the agent as more than just a chatbot. The agent doubles as a daily partner, capable of delivering morning briefings which catch businesses up on overnight conversations while surfacing insights from customer threads.

It is rolling out the agent to a select group of businesses on WhatsApp Business, Instagram Pro, Messenger, and Meta Business Suite, with a waitlist open for others.

For businesses that want deeper customisation, Meta is also launching the Business Agent Platform, an enterprise-grade infrastructure layer which connects to hundreds of third-party systems including Shopify, Zendesk and Shopee, giving the agent the ability to take real action on a business’ behalf.

The social media giant is also making it easier for people to discover businesses powered by a Meta Business Agent directly on WhatsApp.

Soon, people on WhatsApp will be able to find businesses by searching a name or sharing a contact card in a chat, which means every new customer who reaches out gets a helpful response from the start.

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