Musk's SpaceX in merger talks with xAI ahead of planned IPO, source says SpaceX combining with xAI would bring Elon Musk's rockets, Starlink satellites, the X social media platform and Grok AI chatbot under one roof. NEW YORK - Elon Musk's SpaceX and xAI are in discussions to merge ahead of a blockbuster public offering planned for later this year. The combination would bring Musk's rockets, Starlink satellites, the X social media platform and Grok AI chatbot under one roof, according to a person briefed on the matter and two recent company filings. The plan, which Reuters is reporting exclusively, would give fresh momentum to SpaceX's effort to launch data centers into orbit as Musk battles for supremacy in the rapidly escalating artificial intelligence race against tech giants like Google, Meta and OpenAI. Musk, the world's richest man, is the CEO of both the private space company SpaceX and the artificial intelligence company xAI, which controls his social media platform X.

It follows reports that SpaceX is planning an IPO as early as this year. Two Elon Musk companies are reportedly planning to merge. On Thursday, reported that SpaceX and xAI are holding merger talks ahead of a planned IPO. Part of their plan is to launch AI data centers into space (but unfortunately, only as far as Earth's orbit). Last week, it was reported that Musk planned to take SpaceX public despite having once said it wouldn't happen until the company had a presence on Mars.

Meta wowed Wall Street with improvements in ad targeting fueled by AI alongside huge investment. Big tech earnings so far this week have sent a clear warning: investors are willing to overlook soaring spending on artificial intelligence if it fuels strong growth, but are quick to punish companies that fall short. The contrast was clear in Thursday's stock market reaction to earnings from Microsoft and Meta, highlighting how dramatically the stakes have changed since the launch of ChatGPT started the AI boom more than three years ago. Shares of the Instagram parent surged more than 9% on strong sales, while those of Microsoft slumped 10% after its cloud business failed to impress. "The market appears to be questioning whether these massive capital expenditure hikes will generate sufficient returns," said Jesse Cohen, senior analyst at Investing.com.

Apple acquires Q.ai for a reported $2 billion Apple has acquired Israel-based startup Q.ai, a move that could provide a much-needed boost to the tech giant's capabilities in artificial intelligence. Although Apple has not disclosed terms of the deal, sources told that the arrangement is reportedly valued at nearly $2 billion. If that figure is accurate, the Q.ai acquisition marks Apple's second largest acquisition to date, followed by its purchase of Beats for $3 billion back in 2014. Johny Srouji, Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies, said in a statement that Q.ai is a remarkable company that is pioneering new and creative ways to use imaging and machine learning. Apple hasn't shared any specifics about how it plans to leverage the startup, but its past work indicates the possibility of Apple moving deeper into AI-powered wearables.

It will stop producing the two models next quarter. Tesla will "basically stop the production" of its Model S and X electric vehicles next quarter, CEO Elon Musk has announced at the automaker's earnings call for the 2025 fiscal year. "It's time to bring the Model S and X program to a end with an honorable discharge, because we're really moving into a future that's based on autonomy," Musk said. You can still buy the vehicles as long as there are units to be sold, and Tesla promises to support them for as long as people have them. Once they're gone, though, they're gone for good, because Tesla is converting their production space in the company's Fremont factory into a space for the manufacturing of Optimus humanoid robots.

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg plans to ramp up spending on artificial intelligence (AI) projects this year, even as other executives warn of a potential bubble in the industry. During a call with financial analysts on Wednesday to discuss the Facebook-owner's 2025 financial results, the company said it expects to spend up to $135bn (£97bn) this year, mostly on infrastructure related to AI. That is nearly twice the $72bn Meta spent last year on AI projects and infrastructure. In the last three years, the technology giant has spent roughly $140bn in an attempt to get ahead of the AI boom. Zuckerberg said on Wednesday that he is expecting 2026 to be the year that AI dramatically changes the way we work.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Biden FTC Chair Lina Khan are facing backlash after regulatory opposition helped derail Amazon’s bid for iRobot, resulting in the Roomba maker falling into Chinese ownership.

Has Trump failed to sell the Iran war to the world? Are US-Israeli attacks against Iran legal? Why did Trump fire Kristi Noem as DHS secretary? United States President Donald Trump is getting into the fusion power business through a $6bn merger of his social media firm and Google-backed TAE Technologies, just days after industry representatives urged federal funding. The all-stock deal, announced on Thursday, is an ambitious bet on the power boom spurred by artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and adds to the Trump family's growing roster of diverse ventures from cryptocurrency to real estate holdings and mobile services.

After Amazon's acquisition of the Roomba-maker fell apart, it ran out of options. The Massachusetts-based company plans to sell all assets to its primary supplier, a Chinese company known as Picea Robotics. If approved by a bankruptcy court, the move would allow iRobot to continue operating in the ordinary course, pursue its product development roadmap, and maintain its global footprint, iRobot wrote in a press release. The company expects the deal to close in February 2026, but says it will continue to operate with no anticipated disruption to its app functionality, customer programs, global partners, supply chain relationships or ongoing product support. That means your Roomba should continue to clean normally and you'll be able to get consumables and replacement parts.

The US firm behind the Roomba smart vacuum cleaner, iRobot, has filed for bankruptcy protection after facing competition from Chinese rivals and being hit by tariffs. Under the so-called pre-packaged Chapter 11 process, the main manufacturer of its devices, Shenzhen-based Picea Robotics, will take ownership of the firm. The tough commercial landscape had forced iRobot to cut its prices and make major investments in new technology, according to documents filed on Sunday. US import duties of 46% on goods from Vietnam, where most of iRobot's devices for the American market are made, increased its costs by $23m (£17.2m) this year, the firm said. The loss-making company was valued at $3.56bn in 2021 after the pandemic helped to drive strong demand for its products.