Disney Licenses Characters to OpenAI, Takes $1 Billion Stake

On the occasion of OpenAI's 10th anniversary, CEO Sam Altman reflected on a decade filled with significant advancements and lessons learned in artificial intelligence, emphasizing the company's commitment to developing AGI that benefits humanity. Altman highlighted the transformative impact of their technologies and the ongoing journey toward responsible AI development.

OpenAI has announced the release of a new technology aimed at surpassing Google's recent advancements in artificial intelligence, marking a significant escalation in the competitive landscape between the two tech giants. This comes after Google claimed its new AI model, Gemini 3, has outperformed ChatGPT, OpenAI's flagship product.

Google has launched its most advanced AI research agent to date, based on the Gemini 3 Pro model, allowing developers to integrate this tool into their applications. This release coincided with OpenAI's introduction of GPT-5.2, marking a significant moment in the competitive AI landscape.

OpenAI has released GPT-5.2, showcasing significant advancements in deep reasoning and coding capabilities, while receiving mixed reactions from early testers regarding its conversational abilities. The update aims to enhance productivity for business tasks and workflows, particularly in coding and data management.

The Walt Disney Company has announced a significant $1 billion investment in OpenAI, enabling users to generate videos featuring their own faces alongside beloved characters from franchises such as Marvel, Pixar, and Star Wars through the Sora app. This initiative allows for the creation of short, AI-generated social videos, expanding user engagement with Disney's iconic characters.

Oracle's shares have experienced their largest decline since January, following a report of a significant increase in spending on AI data centers and related equipment, amounting to $15 billion. This news has raised concerns among investors regarding the company's financial strategy and its ability to generate returns from these investments.

Medra has successfully raised $52 million to enhance its capabilities in drug discovery through the use of artificial intelligence-powered robots, aiming to establish one of the largest autonomous laboratories in the United States. This funding will allow Medra to accelerate its research and development efforts in the pharmaceutical sector.

Oracle's stock has experienced its most significant decline since January, attributed to increasing concerns over rising artificial intelligence (AI) spending. Beth Kindig, a tech analyst at the I/O fund, highlighted that investors are awaiting a pivotal moment in the tech sector that has yet to materialize. This sentiment was discussed during a segment on Bloomberg Tech with Caroline Hyde and Ed Ludlow.