Saturday, May 23, 2026
White House Near Deal With Anthropic for Spy Agencies to Use AI
01White House Near Deal With Anthropic for Spy Agencies to Use AI
The White House is nearing a deal with Anthropic that would allow the National Security Agency and other U.S. intelligence agencies to deploy the company's advanced AI models for classified work, according to The Information. The agreement marks a significant expansion of AI capabilities within the national security apparatus and comes despite the Defense Department previously designating Anthropic as a "defense contractor," a classification that carries regulatory and contractual implications.
The deal talks highlight the growing intersection between leading AI companies and government intelligence operations. Anthropic, known for its Claude family of AI assistants, has positioned itself as a safety-focused company, but the proposed arrangement would see its technology handling sensitive classified information. The collaboration would give spy agencies access to advanced language models capable of analyzing documents, summarizing intelligence, and assisting with analytical tasks.
This development follows broader trends in the AI industry, where companies have sought government partnerships to gain access to computing infrastructure and data. The arrangement raises questions about how AI models trained on public data might perform when analyzing classified materials, and what safeguards exist to prevent model outputs from leaking sensitive information.
02Ferrari Using IBM AI to Create F1 Superfans
IBM and Scuderia Ferrari HP are leveraging AI to transform how Formula 1 fans engage with the racing brand, deploying personalization technology to deepen audience connections, according to TechCrunch. The partnership represents a significant push by both companies to use machine learning to analyze fan behavior and deliver customized content experiences across digital platforms.
The AI system analyzes vast amounts of fan interaction data to identify preferences and predict what content will resonate most with individual users. This allows Ferrari to move beyond generic marketing toward targeted engagement strategies that can adapt in real-time based on user responses. The goal is to convert casual F1 viewers into dedicated fans who maintain year-round engagement with the brand.
The initiative reflects a broader industry trend where sports organizations are investing heavily in AI-driven fan engagement tools. By combining IBM's enterprise AI capabilities with Ferrari's brand power, the two companies aim to set a new standard for how racing teams connect with their global audiences. The partnership also positions IBM as a key technology provider in the sports entertainment sector.
03Elon Musk's xAI Goes All-In on Natural Gas While SpaceX Pursues Orbital Data Centers
Elon Musk's xAI has abandoned earlier commitments to solar power on Earth, instead pursuing an aggressive buildout of natural gas infrastructure to power its AI data centers, according to TechCrunch. The shift represents a notable departure from the "solar-electric economy" Musk previously championed, as the company races to secure the massive energy supplies required for large-scale AI model training.
Meanwhile, SpaceX is exploring an alternative approach by pursuing data centers in orbit, where solar power remains viable without atmospheric interference. The company has proposed placing computing infrastructure on satellites and space stations, potentially sidestepping Earth's energy constraints entirely. This vision aligns with Musk's stated goal of making humanity multiplanetary while also addressing practical computing needs.
The divergent strategies between xAI and SpaceX highlight the tension between immediate AI development demands and longer-term sustainable energy goals. Building terrestrial AI infrastructure requires enormous and reliable power supplies, and natural gas offers the dispatchability that intermittent solar cannot match. The gap between Musk's public environmental rhetoric and xAI's actual energy choices has drawn criticism from sustainability advocates.
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80386 Microcode Disassembled — A developer reverse-engineered and disassembled the Intel 80386 processor's microcode, revealing the low-level instructions that powered 1980s computing.
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Making Deep Learning Go Brrrr from First Principles — A technical deep-dive explains how to optimize deep learning training performance starting from fundamental computing principles.