AI Daily: Microsoft adds Anthropic AI model to Copilot assistant

Catch up on the top artificial intelligence news and commentary by Wall Street analysts on publicly traded companies in the space with this daily recap compiled by The Fly:

MICROSOFT ADDS ANTHROPIC AI MODEL: Microsoft (MSFT) is the lead investor in OpenAI and has long been the artificial intelligence startup’s key cloud partner. But in the latest sign that AI relationships are getting complicated, Microsoft is beginning to use more technology from OpenAI rival Anthropic, CNBC’s Jordan Novet reports. The software giant said Wednesday that it’s starting to draw on an AI model from Anthropic to answer some queries in the Microsoft 365 Copilot assistant for commercial clients, the author adds. The effort represents another step toward diversification in generative AI for Microsoft, which has mainly relied on OpenAI models for artificial intelligence features in Bing, Windows and other products.

LEASE CHIPS: Microsoft-backed OpenAI and Nvidia (NVDA) are in talks over an unusual way to structure their new AI data center partnership, under which the ChatGPT maker would lease Nvidia’s AI chips rather than purchase them, The Information’s Anissa Gardizy and Sri Muppidi report, citing two people who spoke to executives at the companies about it.

AI MARKETPLACE: Microsoft is in talks with U.S. publishers about launching a two-sided marketplace that would compensate publishers for their content used by AI products, Sara Fischer and Kerry Flynn of Axios report. Microsoft would become the first major tech company to build an AI marketplace for publishers, a milestone in building a sustainable business model for content companies in the AI era, according to the report. The new Publisher Content Marketplace will launch as a pilot program with a limited set of publishers, according to publishing executives briefed on the matter.

AI DEVELOPMENT TOOLS: Alibaba (BABA) is integrating Nvidia’s AI development tools for physical AI into its cloud software platform, Luz Ding of Bloomberg reports. Alibaba’s Cloud Intelligence unit will offer customers the ability to employ Nvidia’s tools in building AI.

AI AGENTS: Tokio Marine Holdings (TKOMY) and Microsoft-backed OpenAI are set to partner to develop AI agents that will use in-depth data analysis to improve product planning and field customer inquiries, Nikkei Asia’s Ryosuke Eguchi reports.

DEFENSE AI PROGRAM: Circus announced the extension of its collaborative partnership with Meta (META) to its Llama for defense AI program. Now, the company is expanding access to a broader group of democratic partners in Europe and Asia. These include partners in France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and South Korea, along with key institutions such as NATO and the European Union. Circus will gain access to the latest Llama models to advance mission-specific AI capabilities. Such access enables Circus to integrate Meta’s AI technology within its embodied AI systems CA-M, creating fully autonomous systems powered by advanced AI.