Welcome to the latest edition of The Neural Link!
The AI race is moving faster than ever. Firmus is partnering with NVIDIA and CDC to build four AI data centres across Australia, backed by $73.3 billion and targeting 1.6 GW of compute by 2028. OpenAI has signed a $38 billion cloud deal with AWS. And Anthropic’s Claude is rapidly gaining ground, eyeing $70 billion in enterprise revenue.
Here’s what’s making the headlines in AI right now.
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Firmus expands Australian ‘AI factory’ plan with $73.3 billion from Nvidia, CDC
Australian-founded AI infrastructure startup Firmus Technologies has partnered with NVIDIA and CDC Data Centres to build four large-scale “AI factory” data centres across Australia under Project South Gate, delivering 1.6 GW of sustainable AI compute by 2028.
Why it matters:
The initiative marks a huge investment in sovereign generative-AI infrastructure and positions Australia as a global “AI factory” hub rather than just a cloud region.
Anthropic bets $70 billion on Claude as enterprise AI explodes
Anthropic projects $70 billion in annual revenue by 2028, driven by rapid enterprise adoption of its Claude assistant and coding companion. The company is doubling down on agent-based systems to automate complex workflows across industries.
Why it matters:
Anthropic’s growth shows how AI assistants are shifting from consumer chatbots to mission-critical enterprise tools, competing directly with OpenAI and Google in corporate markets.
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Lockheed Martin integrates Google’s Gemini
Lockheed Martin will use Google’s Gemini AI inside its secure AI Factory to modernise R&D, logistics, and mission planning. The integration demonstrates how generative AI can operate safely within classified environments.
Why it matters:
The race for user engagement is moving into multimodal tools. Google’s update is a clear play to close the gap with ChatGPT and reclaim creative users.
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OpenAI strikes $38 billion cloud deal with AWS
OpenAI signed a seven-year, $38 billion deal to run its next-generation models on Amazon Web Services. The agreement guarantees access to massive NVIDIA GPU clusters as OpenAI scales its global infrastructure.
Why it matters:
The deal deepens OpenAI’s cloud independence and signals a reshuffling of AI power dynamics, with AWS emerging as a critical player in frontier-model compute.
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UMG and Stability AI team up on music tools
Universal Music Group and Stability AI will co-develop generative music models trained on licensed audio libraries. The tools will allow artists to create new compositions while maintaining creative control and fair compensation.
Why it matters:
This partnership could redefine how artists use AI responsibly. By training only on licensed works, it sets a precedent for ethical creativity in the music industry.
- IBM unveiled a military-grade AI model built with Janes defense data, designed to assist secure government operations and classified intelligence planning.
- Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang warned that China is poised to surpass the U.S. in AI development due to lighter regulation and faster investment cycles.
- Snap partnered with Perplexity AI to bring conversational search to Snapchat, giving users natural-language answers inside the app.
- Adobe expanded Firefly with voiceover and soundtrack generation, letting creators produce full multimedia content with AI assistance.
- Claude 3 from Anthropic is now integrated into Microsoft 365, offering AI-powered summaries and context directly within Outlook and Teams.
- OpenAI launched Aardvark, a GPT-5-powered agent that hunts software bugs, verifies them, and proposes automatic fixes.
- California enacted its first AI labeling law, requiring platforms to clearly tag synthetic content to fight misinformation.
- A UK court ruled in favor of Stability AI, dismissing Getty Images’ copyright claims and strengthening the legal standing of AI model training.
That’s a wrap on this month’s AI update.
The landscape is shifting fast, and the opportunities are growing just as quickly.
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