Google Ties School Search to Its AI, AMD Eyes Intel’s Crown

AI / MACHINE LEARNING • YESTERDAY

Google Ties Student Search to Its AI, Then Clarifies After Backlash

Google said Tuesday that AI tools for K-12 students will be off by default next year. That covers Gemini, NotebookLM, Gemini in Classroom and Search. Schools that restrict AI entirely would lose Google Search, because AI sits inside it.

Education VP Chris Phillips told The New York Times that "Search and AI are deeply integrated." Backlash came fast. Google then posted on X that schools get "more choice, not less." CNBC reports schools can enable Gemini, Notebook and Search individually. Phillips says specifics come in the coming months.

If you manage Google Workspace for a school, expect new admin choices before the change lands. If you're a parent, ask your district which setting it plans to pick.

Sources: The New York Times, TechCrunch, CNBC

ROBOTICS / HARDWARE • YESTERDAY

AMD Says It May Out-Sell Intel in x86 Chips Next Quarter

AMD reported third-quarter revenue of $13.4 billion Tuesday, up 45% from a year ago. Data center sales jumped 97% to $8.5 billion. Client and gaming fell 8% to $3.7 billion.

AMD guided to about $17 billion for the fourth quarter. Intel's guidance is $15 billion to $16 billion, The Register reports. That could make AMD the biggest x86 chip seller for the first time. Intel would still lead in total revenue because of its foundry business.

CEO Lisa Su also said 2027 growth should top 80%. That's a forecast, not a result. If you hold chip stocks, check how much of your exposure sits with Intel.

Sources: AMD, The Register, CNBC

PRODUCTS / LAUNCHES • YESTERDAY

Apple Opens Siri AI to Every App Developer in the iOS 27.3 Beta

Apple opened Siri AI to all third-party developers Tuesday in the iOS 27.3 beta. Apps tell Siri what they can do through App Intents. Developers can also bundle several steps into one skill.

You won't see it yet. Apple says it reaches customers in a few months, and App Store submissions open in the spring. It needs an Apple Intelligence device, and it isn't available in the EU or to users under 13.

If you build iPhone apps, test App Intents in the beta this week. Apple hasn't released the terms for these experiences.

Sources: Apple Developer, iPhone in Canada

STARTUPS / BUSINESS • YESTERDAY

Fal Doubles Its Valuation to $16 Billion With a $1.3 Billion Round

Fal raised $1.3 billion Tuesday at a $16 billion valuation, double its $8 billion mark in April, TechCrunch reports. Bessemer led. Nvidia, Sound Ventures and T. Rowe Price joined.

Fal hosts and runs AI video, image and audio models. Bloomberg says it passed $800 million in annualized revenue earlier this year. Rivals Baseten, Fireworks AI and Modal are also growing, but compute costs keep their margins thin.

If you build on open image or video models, you now have a well-funded host. Compare its prices with your current bill.

Sources: TechCrunch, Bloomberg, SiliconANGLE

SPACE / DEFENSE • YESTERDAY

China's Lijian-2 Rocket Puts 18 Internet Satellites in Orbit

CAS Space launched its Lijian-2 rocket from Jiuquan early Tuesday, Beijing time. It placed 18 SpaceSail satellites in their planned orbit, Xinhua reports. It was the rocket's second flight.

SpaceSail, also called Qianfan, is a low Earth orbit communications network run by Shanghai Spacecom Satellite Technology. This was Lijian-2's first large internet-satellite batch. Its second stage fired twice to place the satellites in order.

If you follow space stocks or satellite services, track how often this rocket flies. Each batch adds capacity to SpaceSail's network.

Sources: Xinhua, New Space Economy

AI / MACHINE LEARNING • TODAY

Oracle Reportedly Scraps a $7 Billion Chip Lease for Tencent

Oracle has scrapped a $7 billion deal to lease Tencent access to about 100,000 AI chips, the Financial Times reports. The report says Oracle gave way to pressure from the Trump administration. Reuters couldn't verify it.

The five-year deal ran through Oracle's data centers in Southeast Asia. The report says that setup kept hardware offshore and gave Tencent remote access, which drew regulatory scrutiny. We found no comment from Oracle, Tencent or the White House.

If you hold Oracle, treat the contract as lost revenue until the company says otherwise. Offshore chip leases now carry more risk.

Sources: Financial Times, Reuters

ENERGY / CLIMATE TECH • YESTERDAY

Ohio Voters Pass Data Center Bans in at Least 14 Towns

Ohio voters backed data center bans or limits in at least 14 municipalities Tuesday, Fortune reports. Twenty-one measures sat on ballots across 18 municipalities. Trenton's ban passed 80% to 20%, and all five central Ohio communities voted against data centers.

Results are early and mostly unofficial. A proposed 2027 state amendment would ban new data centers over 25 megawatts. This WSYX ABC 6 video from August shows how the Pataskala fight over a 200-megawatt project began. Voters there approved a charter ban Tuesday. If you plan a data center, check local ballot rules before you sign a lease.

► Watch the video

Sources: Fortune, WSYX ABC 6