02/04/2026

BIZ & FINANCE THURSDAY | APR 2, 2026

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Anthropic mulls data centre investments in Australia o Down Under boasts vast stretches of uninhabited land and immense renewable energy potential

OpenAI raises US$122b in closed funding round SAN FRANCISCO: OpenAI on Tuesday said that the startup was valued at US$852 billion (RM3.4 trillion) in a freshly closed funding round that raised US$122 billion. The eye-watering level of funding came in higher than originally projected, reflecting the surging costs of computing power and arriving amid lingering questions about whether OpenAI and other AI companies can generate sufficient revenue to cover expenses. “The capital being deployed today is helping build the infrastructure layer for intelligence itself,“ OpenAI said in a blog post. “Over time, that value will flow back into the economy, to companies, to communities, and increasingly to individuals.” The ChatGPT-maker said that its revenue rate of US$2 billion monthly is quickly growing. The funding round included a diverse set of partners including Amazon, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Softbank, according to OpenAI. In an unusual move, some US$3 billion was reportedly raised from individual investors. ChatGPT claims the top position in consumer AI, with more than 900 million weekly active users and some 50 million subscribers. Use of ChatGPT’s online search engine has tripled over the course of a year, according to OpenAI. “These are not just growth milestones – they show that frontier AI is becoming part of everyday life for people around the world,“ the San Francisco-based startup said in the post. The company in February began rolling out advertising for its non-premium users in a bid to bring in more revenue. OpenAI also announced that it is building a “superapp” that will combine ChatGPT, internet browsing, a Codex coding tool, and agentic capabilities that allow digital assistants to independently tend to tasks. The massive funding round comes with anticipation that OpenAI is planning to become a publicly traded company this year as competition intesifies in the AI sector. Anthropic, founded by former OpenAI employees, continues to gain ground and grab headlines for its well-regarded Claude AI models. Google’s AI model Gemini has emerged as another potent competitor, with Elon Musk’s xAI also attracting investment and users. – AFP Nike shares tumble after it reports lower earnings NEW YORK: Nike reported a drop in profits on flat sales on Tuesday as the sports giant performed well in North America but cautioned of a tough environment in other regions. The sports giant, which is eyeing a big promotional stretch with the upcoming World Cup and other major competitions, acknowledged disappointment with the pace of turnaround after a difficult run in recent years. “Our comeback is taking longer than we would like,“ chief financial officer Matthew Friend said . Profits fell 35% to US$520 million while revenues were unchanged at US$11.3 billion for the quarter ending March 31. The company’s sales have been particularly weak in Greater China, while executives have also faced questions about product innovation. Revenues in Greater China fell again in Tuesday’s batch of results, this time by 7%. Executives also cautioned about soft demand in the Europe, Middle East Africa region, where traffic disruption due to the Middle East war also looms as a negative factor. Nike sank 9.1% in after-hours trading. – AFP

developments between 2019 and 2022 over energy, water and land use worries. Australia last week adopted new rules governing the operation of data centres. Tech companies must show how they will source renewable energy and minimise their emissions. “As demand for AI grows, continued expansion of data centre infrastructure must reflect Australian values and be environmentally and socially sustainable,” the guidelines state. Anthropic’s Claude is the Pentagon’s most widely-deployed frontier AI model and the only such model currently operating on its classified systems. But the company is locked in a dispute with the US government, after saying it would refuse to let its systems be used for mass surveillance. Washington has since described Anthropic’s tools as an “unacceptable risk to national security”. The United States has not only blocked use of the company’s technology by the Pentagon, but also requires all defense contractors to certify that they do not use Anthropic’s models. – AFP

SYDNEY: giant Anthropic is eyeing data centre investments in Australia, saying yesterday the nation was a “natural partner” for work in the booming sector. With immense renewable energy potential and vast stretches of uninhabited land, Australia has touted itself as a prime location for the power-hungry data centres needed to power AI. US-based Anthropic said it was “exploring investments in data centre infrastructure and energy throughout the country” after signing a memorandum of understanding with the Australian government. “The visit to Australia marks the beginning of long-term collaboration and investment into the Asia-Pacific region,” the technology company said in a statement. “Australia’s investment in AI safety makes it a natural partner for responsible AI development.” Artificial intelligence

The agreement, signed by Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei in capital Canberra, said the firm would abide by local laws to “maintain strong social licence for investment”. Australia’s arts sector has accused Anthropic and other AI companies of pushing to loosen copyright laws so chatbots can be trained on local songs and books. Anthropic said it had also agreed to share AI research and safety information with Australian regulators, mirroring similar agreements in Japan and Britain. Industry Minister Tim Ayres said Australia and Anthropic would harness AI responsibly”. New data centres – warehouse facilities that store files and power AI tools – are springing up worldwide. But there are increasing fears about the environmental impact of hulking data hubs. Singapore halted data centre

An Apollo Go driverless robotaxi in Wuhan. – AFPPIC

China robotaxis stall in apparent ‘malfunction’ BEIJING: A string of self-driving robotaxis owned by Chinese internet giant Baidu stalled in central China, stranding passengers after an apparent “system malfunction”, police said yesterday. “After investigation, preliminary findings suggest the cause was system malfunction,” police added, without specifying how many cars were impacted.

“stuck” in the middle of the road for more than 30 minutes. Baidu did not immediately respond to AFP’s request for comment. The company has announced deals to have its cars on popular rideshare apps Lyft and Uber and is seeking to expand its presence outside China. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Apollo Go delivered 3.4 million driverless rides, with total rides increasing over 200% compared to the same period a year prior, according to company filings. The company has a fleet of more than 500 driverless cars in Wuhan. – AFP

Social media users shared videos of themselves attempting to contact customer service from inside their stalled robotaxis as other vehicles passed by. “Apollo Go, are you paralysed?” one person wrote on social media, alongside a video of unanswered calls to the company dialled from an in-car tablet. The light green Apollo Go logo was visible on the steering wheel. The social media user said they were

Local authorities in Wuhan, Hubei province, began receiving calls “one after another” on Tuesday night about “multiple Apollo Go cars stopped in the middle of the road, unable to move”, police said in a statement. Apollo Go is Baidu’s driverless taxi service which began charging for rides in Beijing in 2021 and operates in designated areas across several cities.