by Raphael Dudler | Jun 8, 2026 | gafam watch
On June 5, 2026, President Trump said the US government may take direct equity stakes in leading AI companies — naming OpenAI, Anthropic and xAI. Bernie Sanders wants 50% plus a 50% stock tax. Sam Altman pitched the idea to Trump in 2025 and has been advancing it since. Anthropic refused — and is not in the conversation. The strangest political convergence of 2026: the populist right, the democratic left and the CEO of OpenAI all agree that AI profits are too large to stay entirely private. gafam.ai’s European analysis of the AI governance story nobody saw coming.
by Raphael Dudler | May 28, 2026 | gafam watch
In June 2025, Sam Altman warned that entire job categories would vanish. Dario Amodei predicted AI would eliminate 50% of white-collar jobs. This week, both walked it back. Altman says he is “delighted to be wrong.” Amodei now says automation expands work rather than destroying it. OpenAI is preparing an IPO at $852 billion. Anthropic just closed a $30 billion round at a $900 billion valuation. The timing of the reversal is not a coincidence. gafam.ai examines what changed — and what did not.
by Raphael Dudler | May 27, 2026 | gafam watch
Over the weekend of May 24–25, 2026, Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and AI czar David Sacks killed Trump’s draft AI safety executive order in three phone calls on a single Wednesday night. The same Saturday, Anthropic closed a $30 billion-plus funding round — the largest in AI history. And Microsoft quietly cancelled its internal Claude Code pilot after token billing ate its entire annual AI budget. Three stories. One weekend. The future of AI safety regulation was decided by phone calls between billionaires and a president.
by Raphael Dudler | May 12, 2026 | apple ai
Apple is preparing its most significant AI move yet — and it is not building a better model. iOS 27 will reportedly allow users to choose third-party AI providers including Google and Anthropic to power Apple Intelligence features across iPhone, iPad and Mac. Internally called “Extensions,” the feature signals Apple’s recognition that it cannot win the AI race alone — and its decision to turn that into a platform advantage. Published by gafam.ai — The European Eye on Big Tech & Artificial Intelligence.
by Raphael Dudler | May 9, 2026 | gafam watch
The Pentagon has cleared Google, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services to deploy their AI inside classified military networks — for any lawful purpose, including warfighter decision-making. Anthropic, which demanded safety guardrails for warfare use, was excluded and declared a supply chain risk. This is the moment Big Tech chose the Pentagon over principle. Published by gafam.ai — The European Eye on Big Tech & Artificial Intelligence.
