Microsoft's AI Push: Ackman Invests, Apple-OpenAI Rift Deepens

Bill Ackman, CEO of Pershing Square, announced a new investment in Microsoft, believing investors have underestimated its deeply embedded enterprise software. This comes as Microsoft rushes to integrate artificial intelligence into its services but struggles with data center capacity to meet demand. Microsoft shares have seen a 15% decline this year.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is reportedly preparing potential legal action against Apple over their two-year partnership. Sources suggest OpenAI believes the collaboration, which integrated ChatGPT into Apple software, has not yielded expected benefits, including user subscriptions and deeper integration.

OpenAI lawyers are exploring options, possibly starting with a notice of breach of contract. The AI startup reportedly feels Apple has not made sufficient efforts to promote the integration, limiting its visibility and functionality across Apple's operating systems and Siri. This rift adds to OpenAI's other legal battles and renegotiated deals.

Concerns also exist regarding user privacy and OpenAI's hardware ambitions, which reportedly irk Apple. However, any legal move might be delayed until after a separate trial. Apple is also set to open its platforms to other AI providers like Anthropic's Claude and Google Gemini later this year, potentially diminishing OpenAI's exclusive role.