Daily AI Newsletter: OpenAI is not for sale, CEO Sam Altman says

In today’s email:

🇺🇸 ChatGPT’s Political Views Are Shifting Right, a New Analysis Finds
🧐 This Company Got a Copyright for an Image Made Entirely With AI. Here's How
🥚 I let ChatGPT’s new ‘agent’ manage my life. It spent $31 on a dozen eggs.
🧰 11 new AI-powered tools and resources. Make sure to check the online version for the full list of tools.

OpenAI is not for sale, CEO Sam Altman says

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has firmly rejected a $97.4 billion takeover bid led by Elon Musk, stating that the company is "not for sale." Speaking at the AI Action Summit in Paris, Altman emphasized OpenAI’s mission of developing artificial general intelligence (AGI) for the benefit of humanity. Musk, who co-founded OpenAI but later left after disagreements, proposed buying the company to return it to its non-profit roots. However, Altman dismissed the offer, even joking on Musk’s platform X that OpenAI would buy Twitter instead for $9.74 billion. Critics, including investor Christie Pitts, questioned Musk’s true intentions, given that he owns a competing AI company, xAI.

OpenAI operates under a unique structure combining non-profit and for-profit elements, with Altman serving as its CEO and a board member of the nonprofit. While he advocates for transforming OpenAI into a fully for-profit company to attract more investment for AI research, the decision ultimately lies with the board. Despite the current bid being significantly lower than OpenAI’s last valuation of $157 billion—and far below the rumored $300 billion valuation in ongoing funding talks—Musk’s legal team indicated a willingness to raise the offer if necessary. Altman, however, suggested that Musk’s bid was less about supporting OpenAI and more about acquiring it due to his inability to compete in the market.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is collaborating with Oracle, a Japanese investment firm, and an Emirati sovereign wealth fund on a $500 billion AI infrastructure project in the U.S. Announced by former President Donald Trump at the White House, the initiative, called The Stargate Project, aims to maintain America’s dominance in AI development. Trump hailed it as the largest AI infrastructure project in history, though Musk, despite being a key Trump advisor, has cast doubt on its financial backing without providing concrete evidence. The ongoing rivalry between Altman and Musk, along with the high stakes in AI development, continues to shape the future of the industry.

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Google expands NotebookLM Plus to individual users

Google has expanded NotebookLM Plus, its premium AI-powered note-taking and research assistant, to individual users subscribed to the Google One AI Premium plan. Previously available only to enterprises through Google Cloud and Workspace, the service now offers individual users higher usage limits—including 500 notebooks, 300 sources per notebook, 500 chat queries, and 20 AI-generated audio clips per day. The plan costs $20 per month, though U.S. students aged 18 and above can get a 50% discount, bringing the cost down to $9.99 per month.

Originally launched as an experimental project in 2023, NotebookLM gained popularity after introducing its Audio Overviews feature in September 2024, allowing users to generate podcast-like AI conversations based on uploaded content. Google continues to enhance the tool, with plans to support multiple languages for Audio Overviews and eventually introduce a dedicated mobile app. While NotebookLM Plus provides premium features, Google emphasizes that the free version remains a priority, ensuring that non-paying users still get a high-quality experience.

Although Google hasn’t disclosed the exact user numbers for NotebookLM, market data from Similarweb suggests it has seen 28.18 million visits in the last three months, with nearly 9 million in January 2025 alone. Google's Kelly Schaefer, director of product at Google Labs, highlighted the company's commitment to evolving NotebookLM by leveraging advanced reasoning models and the latest Gemini AI variants. Meanwhile, the expansion of NotebookLM Plus aligns with Google's broader push to integrate AI-powered productivity tools into its ecosystem.

UK and US refuse to sign international AI declaration

The UK and US have chosen not to sign an international AI declaration at a global summit in Paris, which was backed by 60 other countries, including France, China, and India. The agreement emphasizes transparency, security, and sustainability in AI development while addressing concerns about digital divides and environmental impact. The UK government cited national security concerns and a lack of clarity on global governance as reasons for not signing, while US Vice President JD Vance warned that excessive regulation could hinder AI innovation, signaling a pro-growth approach under the Trump administration.

The decision has sparked debate, with critics arguing that the UK risks undermining its previous leadership on AI safety, especially after hosting the AI Safety Summit in 2023. Andrew Dudfield of Full Fact expressed concerns about the UK's credibility in AI ethics, while French President Emmanuel Macron stressed the importance of regulations for AI progress. On the other hand, UKAI, a trade body representing AI businesses, supported the government’s stance, advocating for a balance between AI industry growth and environmental responsibility, and maintaining strong ties with the US.

This development comes as global leaders discuss AI's impact on society, governance, and the environment, with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen pushing for an innovation-friendly and collaborative approach. The UK has signed other AI-related agreements on sustainability and cybersecurity, but its refusal to sign the broader declaration raises questions about its long-term AI strategy. Meanwhile, growing trade tensions between the US and Europe, including tariffs imposed by President Trump, further complicate the geopolitical landscape as the UK navigates its relationships with both allies.

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