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SoftBank Acquires $676M Sharp Plant for AI Data Center in OpenAI Partnership

Google Pushes for Looser Copyright and Export Rules in AI Policy Proposal

Author

Mcdonald Odijie
March 14, 2025

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News

SoftBank Acquires $676M Sharp Plant for AI Data Center in OpenAI Partnership

SoftBank is acquiring Sharp’s Sakai Plant in Osaka for $676 million to convert it into an AI data center. The facility will support AI model training and deployment as part of SoftBank’s joint venture with OpenAI, called Cristal  Intelligence, which focuses on enterprise AI solutions. The JV will train AI models using client data and sell customized AI agents to businesses. Additionally, SoftBank is reportedly considering a $25 billion investment in OpenAI, though it's not finalized. This move strengthens SoftBank’s AI presence in Japan and deepens its collaboration with OpenAI.

Google Pushes for Looser Copyright and Export Rules in AI Policy Proposal

Google has proposed weaker copyright restrictions and balanced AI export controls in response to the U.S. government's AI Action Plan. The company advocates for "fair use" exceptions that allow AI models to train on publicly available copyrighted content and warns that strict export rules could harm U.S. economic competitiveness. Google also opposes excessive AI regulations, arguing they stifle innovation, while facing copyright lawsuits over AI training. As AI policy debates grow, Google's position aligns with OpenAI’s push for broader AI training rights, setting up potential legal and regulatory battles.

Sesame Releases Base AI Model Behind Viral Voice Assistant Maya

AI startup Sesame has open-sourced CSM-1B, the base model behind its hyper-realistic voice assistant, Maya, under an Apache 2.0 license, enabling commercial use with few restrictions. The 1-billion parameter model generates RVQ audio codes and is built on Meta’s Llama with an audio decoder. While available on Hugging Face & GitHub, it lacks safeguards against misuse, raising concerns about voice cloning, fake news, and deepfakes. Additionally, its non-English capabilities are limited due to data contamination. The release sparks debate on ethical AI use and potential abuse risks in AI voice synthesis.

OpenAI Calls DeepSeek ‘State-Controlled,’ Urges Ban on Chinese AI Models

OpenAI is urging the U.S. government to ban Chinese AI models, specifically targeting DeepSeek, which it calls “state-subsidized” and “state-controlled.” The company cites privacy, security, and IP theft risks, arguing that Chinese law could force DeepSeek to share data with the government. OpenAI also accuses DeepSeek of violating its IP by “distilling” knowledge from its models. While DeepSeek has no direct government ownership, its ties to a Chinese hedge fund and recent Beijing interest raise concerns. This move escalates geopolitical tensions in AI regulation, but U.S. action remains uncertain.

Opinion

AI Agent Manus Sparks Debate On Ethics, Security And Oversight.

The AI world is still processing a first-time event that occured last Thursday. That’s when Manus — the first fully autonomous AI agent in the world — went online.

Tips & Tricks

This AI Writing Tool Makes Novel Writing Effortless – You Won’t Believe It!

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