AI Chip Boom Meets Corporate Disruption

NY Times: Elon Musk’s SpaceX Plans $55 Billion Investment to Make A.I. Chips (May 7, 2026)
SpaceX plans Terafab, a Texas chip factory with a $55 billion first-stage investment, and total costs up to $119 billion. It will supply AI chips for SpaceX, Tesla, and partners.
NY Times: Anthropic’s C.E.O. Says It Could Grow by 80 Times This Year (May 6, 2026)
Amodei said the company could grow about 80 times this year, far above plans, increasing its need for compute, power, and partnerships.
MacRumors: Apple Cuts More Mac Studio and Mac Mini RAM Options as Memory Shortage Worsens (May 5, 2026)
Apple removed higher‑RAM Mac mini and Mac Studio options, cutting 32GB, 64GB, and 256GB RAM choices, and some SSD tiers. Apple cites global memory shortages.
NY Times: Apple Reaches $250 Million Settlement Over Claims It Misled People on A.I. (May 5, 2026)
Apple agreed to a $250 million settlement over claims it oversold Apple Intelligence.
NY Times: Elon Musk Wanted OpenAI to Go Commercial, Greg Brockman Testifies (May 5, 2026)
Greg Brockman testified that in 2017 Elon Musk urged turning OpenAI into a for-profit, sought control, and threatened to cut funding.
WSJ: Samsung’s Market Value Hits $1 Trillion (May 5, 2026)
Samsung Electronics topped $1 trillion, after shares surged on booming AI demand for memory chips, with its chip unit posting record profits and accounting for over 90% of quarterly earnings.
Dean Ball: Before Leviathan Wakes (May 5, 2026)
A tension between classical-liberal deregulation, market optimism, and conservative caution shapes views on AI. It rejects most AI rules, but supports targeted, state-backed measures.
The Chronicle of Higher Education: When AI Cheating Becomes a Legal Risk (May 4, 2026)
Colleges must distinguish grading from misconduct when AI misuse is suspected, because misconduct triggers due-process protections.
WSJ: The Chip Craze Is Turning a Glass Company and a Toilet Maker Into AI Stocks (May 6, 2026)
Investors are buying suppliers that power AI build-outs, fueling rallies in chip makers and unlikely winners like Corning, Caterpillar, Toto, and Vertiv.
NY Times: Coinbase Lays Off 14% of Employees as A.I. Changes Work (May 5, 2026)
Coinbase will cut about 700 jobs, 14% of staff, citing crypto market volatility, a shift to AI-driven work, and the need to streamline operations.

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