最新ニュース Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOG) 株価情報

Alphabet

Alphabet is a holding company that wholly owns internet giant Google. The California-based company derives slightly less than 90% of its revenue from Google services, the vast majority of which is advertising sales. Alongside online ads, Google services houses sales stemming from Google's subscription services (YouTube TV, YouTube Music among others), platforms (sales and in-app purchases on Play Store), and devices (Chromebooks, Pixel smartphones, and smart home products such as Chromecast). Google's cloud computing platform, or GCP, accounts for roughly 10% of Alphabet's revenue with the firm's investments in up-and-coming technologies such as self-driving cars (Waymo), health (Verily), and internet access (Google Fiber) making up the rest.

Alphabet Inc

Despite previously warning about the dangers of advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics, Tesla Inc. CEO Elon Musk has invested in several AI startups following a stark warning from DeepMind's co-founder, Demis Hassabis.
What Happened:&nbsp;In an interview with CNBC in July 2017, Musk had expressed concerns about the existential risks posed by AI to human civilization back in 2017. He had forecasted significant job disruptions, with transportation roles among the first to be fully automated.
Musk, well-versed in advanced AI, called for proactive regulation, warning that waiting for serious incidents, like robot-caused harm, would be too late to act effectively. &#8220;AI is a fundamental existential risk for human civilization,&#8221; cautioned Musk.
However, it is ironic because by 2017, Elon Musk was already an early-stage investor who pumped millions into several AI startups like DeepMind, OpenAI, and Vicarious.
A 2023 New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/03/technology/ai-openai-musk-page-altman.html">report</a> reveals that Musk decided to invest in AI firms despite his reservations after DeepMind&#8217;s co-founder Hassabis told him in 2012 that Musk&#8217;s plans to colonize Mars would work only if &#8220;superintelligent machines&#8221; didn&#8217;t follow human beings on their trip to the planet.
According to the publication, &#8220;Mr. Musk was speechless&#8221; and invested in DeepMind soon after alongside Peter Thiel, to &#8216;be closer&#8217; to the advancements of AI.
DeepMind was later acquired by Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google in 2014 for $500 million, despite Musk putting in a bid to buy it.
In 2014, Elon Musk <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2014/06/18/first-on-cnbc-cnbc-transcript-spacex-ceo-elon-musk-speaks-with-cnbcs-closing-bell.html">told </a>CNBC that his investments are &#8220;not from the standpoint of actually trying to make any investment return. I like to just keep an eye on what's going on."
He also stated he was wary of a Terminator-like outcome.
SEE ALSO: <a href="https://benzinga.com/25/05/45612848/trumps-recent-wrath-on-apple-ceo-tim-cook-is-also-tied-to-the-middle-east-not-just-india-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump&#8217;s Apple Beef Isn&#8217;t Just About India-Made iPhones — It&#8217;s Also About Skipped Middle East Trip: Report</a>
Why It Matters:  Despite his warnings, Musk launched his own AI startup, xAI, and unveiled its new chatbot, Grok, in March and November 2023, respectively.
In March 2025, he predicted in an&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/03/44526637/elon-musk-says-ai-will-be-smarter-in-10-years-than-humans-who-will-have-a-much-higher-standard-of-living">interview</a>&nbsp;that AI could outperform humans cognitively in a decade. He also highlighted the potential for a higher standard of living due to AI, but cautioned about the risks.
Recently, Musk <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45599950/elon-musk-praises-google-deepminds-veo-3-ai-video-model-says-it-is-awesome">praised </a>Google DeepMind&#8217;s Veo 3 AI video model, calling it &#8220;awesome.&#8221; This tool generates high-resolution visuals and realistic audio, demonstrating the rapid progress of AI technology.
However, OpenAI&#8217;s Sam Altman echoed the sentiment and thought it&#8217;s better to actively participate in the field rather than do nothing.
&#8220;I sleep better knowing I can have some influence now,&#8221; Altman said.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Tech

GOOG

GOOGL

TSLA

Elon Musk Called AI An 'Existential Risk for Human Civilization' — Yet, He Invested Early In DeepMind After This Warning From Co-Founder Demis Hassabis

On Friday, a federal judge signaled he may scale back the Justice Department's proposed remedies for Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/08/40169996/alphabet-loses-antitrust-suit-over-google-search-dominance-report">alleged search monopoly</a>, citing the fast-changing role of artificial intelligence in online search.
What Happened: U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta, presiding over the high-profile antitrust case, expressed skepticism about imposing a 10-year oversight plan that would force Google to share search data and stop paying Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and others to be the default search engine, reported Reuters.
"Ten years may seem like a short period, but in this space, a lot can change in weeks," Mehta said, referring to ChatGPT-maker OpenAI's decision to buy Jony Ive's startup to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45640879/openais-sam-altman-says-6-5b-deal-with-jony-ive-to-build-ai-companions-could-add-1-trillion-in-company-value-report">build AI devices</a>.&nbsp;
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45486639/sundar-pichai-reveals-google-parent-once-super-intensely-debated-about-buying-netflix-in-a-world-of-butterfly-effects" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sundar Pichai Reveals Google-Parent Once Super Intensely Debated About Buying Netflix: ‘In A World Of Butterfly Effects…&#8217;</a>
He added that future competition may not come from <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/23/10/35102432/apples-dismissed-plan-to-replace-google-with-duckduckgo-on-safari-the-inside-story">traditional search rivals like</a> Microsoft Corp.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) Bing or DuckDuckGo, but from AI companies offering fundamentally different user experiences.
"If anything, it's going to be one of these AI companies that can do more than just search. And Why? Because maybe people don't want 10 blue links anymore," Mehta said.
Google's lawyer John Schmidtlein pushed back on the idea of giving AI rivals access to Google's proprietary data, arguing, "Coming to Google and asking Google for a handout when they are the market leader seems completely disproportionate to what this case is about."
Previously, Nick Turley, OpenAI&#8217;s product head for ChatGPT, testified that the AI startup would be open to acquiring Chrome if Google <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/legal/25/04/44941262/openai-once-tried-to-use-googles-search-technology-instead-of-microsoft-bing-due-to-quality-issues-was-rejected-now-sam-altmans-startup-says-itd-buy-chrome-if-forced-antitrust-sale-happens">were ever compelled to sell it</a>.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Why It's Important: Earlier this month, Apple executive Eddy Cue testified that Safari had seen a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45339953/apple-exec-says-iphone-users-are-ditching-google-search-now-chamath-palihaptiya-urges-the-tech-giant-to-stop-waiting-for-data-and-start-fighting-models-like-chatgpt">drop in search volumes</a> for the first time in over 20 years, attributing the decline to the growing use of AI-powered searches.
Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai pushed back on this in an interview with The Verge published this week, asserting that the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45687166/apple-may-see-fewer-searches-in-safari-but-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-insists-ai-is-fueling-overall-query-growth-far-from-a-zero-sum-game">data does not indicate a decline</a> in overall activity. &#8220;We&#8217;ve been very clear. We&#8217;re seeing overall query growth in search,&#8221; he said.
During his testimony, Cue also revealed that Apple is actively <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45259675/apple-alphabet-shares-tumble-amid-potential-ai-search-shift">considering integrating</a> an AI-driven search engine into Safari, evaluating potential partnerships with OpenAI, Anthropic and Perplexity AI.
Meanwhile, Google <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45537306/google-unveils-total-reimagining-of-search-with-chatbot-style-feature-to-compete-with-openai">introduced a new &#8220;AI mode&#8221;</a> in its Search and Chrome browser during its developer conference. Now available to all U.S. users, the feature offers a conversational, Q&amp;A-style interface similar to ChatGPT, replacing the traditional list of search result links.
Price Action: Alphabet Inc.&#8217;s Class A shares dipped 0.32% in after-hours trading, with Class C shares also down 0.32%, based on <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro data</a>.
According to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings, Alphabet holds a growth score of 88.54%. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to compare it with other companies</a> like Apple.
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Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com

AAPL

MSFT

Google's Monopoly Case Takes A Turn As Judge Considers Lighter Remedies Amid Rising Competition From AI Rivals Like OpenAI And Perplexity

<ul>
<li>Anthropic's annualized revenue jumps from $1B to $3B in five months</li>
<li>Growth shows rising business demand for AI</li>
<li>Code generation a major driver for Anthropic's business</li>
</ul>
SAN FRANCISCO, May 30 (Reuters) - Artificial intelligence developer Anthropic is making about $3 billion in annualized revenue, according to two sources familiar with the matter, in an early validation of generative AI use in the business world.
The milestone, which projects the company's current sales over the course of a year, is a significant jump from December 2024 when the metric was nearly $1 billion, the sources said. The figure crossed $2 billion around the end of March, and at May's end it hit $3 billion, one of the sources said.
While consumers have embraced rival OpenAI's ChatGPT, a number of enterprises have limited their rollouts to experimentation, despite board-level interest in AI. Anthropic's revenue surge, largely from selling AI models as a service to other companies, is a data point showing how business demand is growing, one of the sources said.
A key driver is code generation. The San Francisco-based startup, backed by Google parent Alphabet <a href="https://workspace.refinitiv.com/web/apps/quotewebapi?RIC=GOOGL.O">GOOGL.O</a> and Amazon.com <a href="https://workspace.refinitiv.com/web/apps/quotewebapi?RIC=AMZN.O">AMZN.O</a>, is famous for AI that excels at computer programming. Products in the so-called codegen space have experienced major growth and adoption in recent months, often drawing on Anthropic's models.
This demand is setting Anthropic apart among software-as-a-service vendors. Its single-quarter revenue increases would count Anthropic as the fastest-growing SaaS company that at least one venture capitalist has ever seen.
"We've looked at the IPOs of over 200 public software companies, and this growth rate has never happened," said Meritech General Partner Alex Clayton, who is not an Anthropic investor and has no inside knowledge of its sales.
He cautioned that these comparisons are not fully precise, since Anthropic also has consumer revenue via subscriptions to its Claude chatbot. Still, by contrast, publicly traded SaaS company Snowflake took six quarters to go from $1 billion to $2 billion in such run-rate revenue, Clayton said.
Anthropic competitor OpenAI has projected it will end 2025 with more than $12 billion in total revenue, up from $3.7 billion last year, three people familiar with the matter said. This total revenue is different from an estimated annualized figure like Anthropic's. Reuters could not determine this metric for OpenAI.
The two rivals appear to be establishing their own swim lanes. While both offer enterprise and consumer products, OpenAI is shaping up to be a consumer-oriented company, and the majority of its revenue comes from subscriptions to its ChatGPT chatbot, OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar told Bloomberg late last year.
OpenAI has not reported enterprise-specific revenue but said in May that paying seats for its ChatGPT enterprise product have grown to 3 million, from 2 million in February, and that T-Mobile <a href="https://workspace.refinitiv.com/web/apps/quotewebapi?RIC=TMUS.O">TMUS.O</a> and Morgan Stanley <a href="https://workspace.refinitiv.com/web/apps/quotewebapi?RIC=MS.N">MS.N</a> are among its enterprise customers.
In the consumer race, Anthropic's Claude has seen less adoption than OpenAI. Claude's traffic, a proxy for consumer interest, was about 2% of ChatGPT's in April, according to Web analytics firm Similarweb.
Anthropic, founded in 2021 by a team that departed OpenAI over differences in vision, closed a $3.5 billion fundraise earlier this year. That valued the company at $61.4 billion. OpenAI is currently valued <a href="reuters://REALTIME/verb=NewsStory/ric=nL3N3QE1DK">at $300 billion</a>.
&nbsp;

News

AMZN

'Anthropic Is Making $3B In Annualized Revenue; Anthropic's Revenue Metric Was $1B In December 2024, Sources Say' - Reuters Exclusive

The U.S. Congress is reviewing a provision in the &#8216;Big, Beautiful Bill&#8217; that would grant President Donald Trump the authority to impose retaliatory taxes on countries targeting major U.S. tech companies with digital service taxes.
What Happened:&nbsp;The provision would allow Trump to impose taxes on foreign companies and residents doing business in the U.S., reported&nbsp;Reuters&nbsp;on Friday. This provision, Section 899, could potentially generate&nbsp;$116 billion over the next&nbsp;10 years.
&#8220;If&nbsp;foreign countries want to come&nbsp;in the United States and&nbsp;tax U.S. businesses, then those&nbsp;foreign-based businesses ought to be&nbsp;taxed as well,&#8221; said Representative&nbsp;Ron Estes,&nbsp;a Kansas Republican who was instrumental in drafting the provision.
The bill, narrowly approved by the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45582778/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-passes-house-what-it-means-for-taxes-student-loans-medicaid-and-more">House of Representatives on May 22</a>, is now moving to the Senate. It features several of Trump's core priorities, including stricter immigration measures, an extension of the 2017 tax cuts, and the rollback of certain green energy incentives. Despite this, experts caution that such retaliatory taxes could discourage foreign investment in the U.S.
SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/25/05/45685544/scott-bessent-says-us-china-trade-talks-at-stalemate-need-trump-and-xi-jinping-touch-to-break-the-deadlock" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scott Bessent Says US-China Trade Talks At Stalemate, Need Trump And Xi Jinping Touch To Break The Deadlock</a>
Why It Matters: The provision in the tax bill comes in the wake of several countries, including Britain and Italy, announcing or considering digital service taxes on U.S. tech giants. The levies have been drawn bipartisan criticism. Germany is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45689009/germany-considers-10-digital-tax-on-tech-titans-alphabet-and-meta-report">contemplating </a>a 10% tax on major online platforms, including Alphabet (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) and Meta (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>). This move could further escalate trade tensions with the U.S.
Earlier in May, the Trump administration had&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45466937/us-targets-european-digital-rules-in-free-speech-campaign-defending-american-big-tech">criticized </a>Europe&#8217;s digital regulations, arguing that they posed a risk to free speech and American commercial interests. The U.S. State Department had initiated an effort to identify European government attempts to restrict free speech, focusing on the EU&#8217;s legislation that sets standards for tech giants to regulate online content.
These developments indicate a growing rift between the U.S. and its European allies over digital taxation and regulation, with the proposed provision in the tax bill potentially escalating these tensions.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Joey Sussman / Shutterstock.com

Politics

Trump's 'Big, Beautiful Bill' Could Allow Him To Hit Back With Retaliatory Taxes On Countries Targeting US Tech Giants

In a move that could escalate trade tensions with the U.S., Germany is reportedly contemplating imposing a 10% tax on major online platforms, including&nbsp;Alphabet Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) and&nbsp;Meta Platforms Inc.&nbsp;(NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>).
What Happened: Wolfram Weimer, the new German Minister of State for Culture, disclosed this proposal in an interview with Stern magazine. This revelation comes before Chancellor Friedrich Merz&#8216;s anticipated visit to Washington, although no official confirmation has been provided yet, reported Reuters.
President Donald Trump has previously expressed his disapproval of foreign governments taxing American companies, pledging not to let them &#8220;appropriate America&#8217;s&nbsp;tax base for their own&nbsp;benefit.&#8221;
Weimer accused big online platforms like Alphabet Inc. and Meta Platforms Inc. of &#8220;cunning tax evasion.&#8221; He suggested that these companies, which generate billions in profits in Germany, contribute minimally to the country&#8217;s tax base and society.
Weimer also criticized the monopolistic tendencies of these digital platforms, arguing that they pose a threat to freedom of expression.
SEE ALSO:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45685893/trump-says-he-is-having-elon-musk-over-at-the-white-house-tomorrow-for-a-press-conference-as-billionaire-exi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trump Says He Is Having Elon Musk Over At The White House Tomorrow For A Press Conference As Billionaire Exits Government: &#8216;This Will Be His Last Day, But Not Really&#8230;&#8217;</a>
Why It Matters:&nbsp;This proposal comes amid growing international scrutiny of tech giants. The Trump administration has been <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45466937/us-targets-european-digital-rules-in-free-speech-campaign-defending-american-big-tech">critical </a>of Europe&#8217;s digital regulations, asserting that they pose a risk to free speech and American commercial interests.
Furthermore, in April, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen warned that the EU is preparing retaliatory measures that could include levies on digital advertising revenues from U.S. tech companies like Meta and Alphabet Inc. This was followed by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg urging President Trump to respond aggressively to these threats.
If the German government proceeds with this tax, it would join Britain, Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, India, Austria, and Canada, which have imposed similar taxes on digital service providers.
The shares of Alphabet fell 0.24% to close at $172.96 on Thursday, meanwhile Meta rose 0.23% to $645.05.
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: JHVEPhoto / Shutterstock.com

Government

Global

Markets

Germany Considers 10% Digital Tax On Tech Giants Alphabet, Meta: Report

Meta Platforms, Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/meta" rel="noreferrer noopener">artificial intelligence assistant</a> now has one billion monthly active users, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Wednesday at the company's annual shareholder meeting.
Zuckerberg emphasized focus on making Meta AI the leading personal AI, emphasizing personalization, voice conversations, and entertainment, CNBC <a target="_blank" href="https://www.cnbc.com/2025/05/28/zuckerberg-meta-ai-one-billion-monthly-users.html" rel="noreferrer noopener">reported</a> on Wednesday.
In April, Meta launched a&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/04/45075691/meta-launches-ai-app-to-compete-with-chatgpt-gemini-grok" rel="noreferrer noopener">stand-alone AI app</a> to compete with the likes of&nbsp;OpenAI's ChatGPT, Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google's Gemini, and xAI's Grok.
Also Read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45561843/meta-offers-ai-startups-free-tools-funding-to-boost-llama-model-adoption" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meta Offers AI Startups Free Tools, Funding To Boost Llama Model Adoption</a>
Meta aimed to keep growing the product before building a business around it, Zuckerberg said Wednesday. Zuckerberg highlighted opportunities to either insert paid recommendations or offer <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/03/44191670/meta-ai-assistant-may-get-paid-subscriptions-ads-llama-4-upgrade-in-the-works" rel="noreferrer noopener">a subscription service</a>.
Meta had reportedly <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45637357/meta-restructures-ai-division-to-accelerate-product-development-and-gain-competitive-edge-report" rel="noreferrer noopener">split its AI division</a> into an AI products team, led by&nbsp;Connor Hayes,&nbsp;and an AGI Foundations unit,&nbsp;co-headed by&nbsp;Ahmad Al-Dahle and&nbsp;Amir Frenkel.
The AI Products team will concentrate on Meta's AI assistant, AI Studio, and AI functionalities across Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Meanwhile, the AGI Foundations unit will be responsible for a range of technologies, including the company's Llama models and initiatives to advance reasoning, multimedia, and voice capabilities.
Meta projected that its <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/25/05/45160454/mark-zuckerbergs-meta-targets-1-4-trillion-revenue-from-generative-ai-by-2035-court-filing-reveals" rel="noreferrer noopener">generative AI products</a> could potentially generate revenue of $460 billion to $1.4 trillion by 2035.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Meta Stock Prediction For 2025</h2>
Equity research can be a valuable source of information for learning about a company's fundamentals. Analysts create financial models based on the fundamentals and expected future earnings of a company to arrive at a price target and recommendation for the stock.
Shares of Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) have an average 1-year price target of $686.27, representing an expected upside of 6.55%.
Because of differences in assumptions, analysts can arrive at very different price targets and recommendations. No analysts have bearish recommendations on Meta Platforms, while 43 analysts have bullish ratings. The street high price target from Rosenblatt is $918.0, while the street low from Scotiabank is $525.0.
Price Action: META stock is up 0.05% at $643.79 at last check Thursday.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45324239/apples-upcoming-chips-aim-to-challenge-meta-in-the-smart-glasses-battle-report" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Apple's Upcoming Chip Aims To Challenge Meta In Smart Glasses Battle: Report</a></li>
</ul>
Photo Courtesy Poetra.RH via Shutterstock

Media

Meta Hits 1 Billion Monthly AI Users, Eyes Future With Subscriptions

Billionaire Elon Musk is a self-proclaimed man of many hats, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/education/24/06/39547388/happy-birthday-elon-musk-53-facts-and-figures-about-tesla-spacex-ceo-on-his-53rd-birthday">leading several companies</a> with titles like chairman, CEO and founder.
A recent Benzinga reader survey revealed which of the companies Musk leads would be the favorite for investors if they had access to all his companies, both public and private.
What Happened: Musk is best known as the CEO of Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), an<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/04/44937440/tesla-q1-misses-estimates-as-tariff-pressures-weigh-on-outlook-lower-cost-evs-still-on-track"> electric vehicle giant </a>that is one of the most valuable companies in the world, worth $1.17 trillion.
The world's richest man also has roles at SpaceX, The Boring Company, Neuralink, X and xAI. Two of those companies, X and xAI, recently merged in a deal that valued the combined social media and AI business at $113 billion.
SpaceX is one of the most valuable private companies ever <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/24/12/42453807/spacex-hits-350-billion-valuation-in-insider-share-sale-ceo-elon-musk-says-no-investors-wanted-to-sell-shares">with a valuation</a> of $350 billion as of December 2024. Neuralink <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/health-care/25/05/45634160/elon-musks-neuralink-hits-9-billion-valuation-with-new-funding">was recently valued </a>at $9 billion and The Boring Company was last valued at $5.6 billion in 2022.
Add it up, and the companies that Musk is associated with are worth more than $1.6 trillion.
Fans of Musk would likely love to invest in his other ventures outside of Tesla, but they remain private. Musk has no plans to take any of the other companies public, but recently suggested that the Starlink division could be spun off of SpaceX and go public.
Musk <a href="https://wccftech.com/elon-musk-breaks-silence-on-spacex-making-weaponized-drones-a-starlink-ipo/">said </a>it was "possible that Starlink may go public at some point in the future." The billionaire said there was "no rush to go public," likely disappointing a lot of fans ready to invest their money in another one of his ventures.
Benzinga recently polled readers to see which Musk company they would invest in, given the opportunity between all of the ventures.
"If all of the Musk-related companies were currently public at recent valuation, which would you most want to invest in?" Benzinga asked.
The results were:
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Starlink: 27%</li>
<li>SpaceX (with minority ownership of Starlink): 27%</li>
<li>X and xAI: 19%</li>
<li>Tesla: 16%</li>
<li>Neuralink: 8%</li>
<li>The Boring Company: 4%</li>
</ul>
The poll results show that there is strong interest from investors to have access to SpaceX and Starlink. The combination of X and xAI ranked third with 19%. Musk suggested that the company could go public again in the future at the time of his $44 billion buyout of X, which was then known as Twitter, back in 2022.
While Neuralink and The Boring Company ranked fifth and sixth, the overall results show that Tesla is far from the most popular investment option. Only 16% picked Tesla as their top Musk investment, meaning 84% of those polled picked another company.
Are you buying when the CEOs of the Magnificent 7 are selling?
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Stay in the know with our Insider Trades page — <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/sec/insider-trades/">see when leaders like Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Jensen Huang are offloading their own shares.</a></li>
</ul>
Why It's Important: Musk has suggested an IPO of Starlink <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39519229/elon-musk-dismisses-rumors-of-spacex-ipo-as-it-reportedly-seeks-210b-valuation-pressure-for-short-te">over the years,</a> with milestones like profitability among the factors that could determine a public listing.
Spinning off the unit from SpaceX would see the space company still maintain partial ownership and open the door for additional capital and investment opportunities.
Musk has previously stated that Tesla investors could get priority access to any future IPOs like that of Starlink.
The combination of X and xAI, with the social media unit recently gaining in value and seeing increased engagement and advertisers returning, could be a compelling investment with access to the growth of new media like X and the artificial intelligence sector.
Right now investors have limited ways to get exposure to the other Musk companies. The Ark Venture Fund counts SpaceX as<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/financing/25/05/45297876/after-spacex-cathie-wood-bets-big-on-elon-musks-xai"> its top holding</a> at 14.6% of assets and X/xAI ranks third at 6.3% of assets.
The Destiny Tech 100 (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DXYZ#NYSE">DXYZ</a>) closed-end fund often spikes on positive news for SpaceX and the space sector with SpaceX the largest weighting in the fund. The fund often trades above its net asset value with investors paying a premium to get access to SpaceX.
Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) was <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/space/25/04/45000102/google-parent-alphabet-got-8-billion-unrealized-profit-boost-reportedly-from-investment-in-elon-musks-spacex">an early investor</a> in SpaceX and maintains a stake in the company, which could increase in value over time.
The ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/XOVR#NASDAQ">XOVR</a>) also offers <a href="https://entrepreneurshares.com/ershares-etfs/entr-etf/#fund-top-10-holdings">exposure </a>to SpaceX, which is the top holding, with 9.5% of assets devoted to it.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/entertainment/25/05/45593577/elon-musks-favorite-video-game-is-becoming-a-movie-and-hes-watching-closely">Elon Musk&#8217;s Favorite Video Game Is Becoming A Movie — And He&#8217;s Watching Closely</a></li>
</ul>
The study was conducted by Benzinga from May 23, 2025, through May 27, 2025. It included the responses of a diverse population of adults 18 or older. Opting into the survey was completely voluntary, with no incentives offered to potential respondents. The study reflects results from 161 adults.
Photo: Shutterstock

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Tesla The Best Elon Musk Company? 84% Say No — These 3 Rank Higher

Analyst Ratings

CORRECTION: Live On CNBC, Bill Baruch Announces Bought More Alphabet Inc. - Class C

C3.ai Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AI#NYSE">AI</a>) said that it was positioning itself to tap the $47 billion growing market of AI agents by 2030. The company also highlighted key achievements that were made in collaboration with its &#8220;army of partners.&#8221;
What Happened: The enterprise AI application pure-play announced strong fourth-quarter and full fiscal year 2025 results, revealing its Agentic AI solutions business is already annualizing at an impressive $60 million in recurring revenue.
Speaking during the company&#8217;s fourth quarter earnings call, Chairman and CEO Tom Siebel expressed strong confidence in C3.ai&#8217;s advantageous position.
&#8220;We have today, I think, over 100 Agentic AI solutions deployed out there in defense, in intelligence, in state government, in local government, in manufacturing, in oil and gas, in paper and pulp, and this is a large and rapidly growing business,&#8221; Siebel stated.
He added, &#8220;As of the fourth quarter, this is about a $60 million ARR business. We have, depending on how you count, someplace between 20 and 100 Agentic AI solutions out there in production, in the hands of happy customers.&#8221;
Siebel also said that the company was setting its sights squarely on the burgeoning Agentic AI market, a segment projected to reach a staggering $47.1 billion by 2030, according to Gartner. &#8220;We are well positioned to capitalize on this trend through our production ready solutions,&#8221; he said.
Furthermore, C3.ai highlighted its unique market position, with Siebel stating, &#8220;We&#8217;re the only enterprise AI application pure play that&#8217;s out there. We&#8217;re selling, I think, today in over 600 accounts as of today that we&#8217;re jointly selling with Microsoft.&#8221;
Citing its &#8220;army of partners,&#8221; Siebel highlighted the growth it has achieved because of them.
The robust partner ecosystem, including deepened alliances with Microsoft Corp.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) Azure, Amazon.com Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) AWS, Alphabet Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google Cloud, McKinsey&#8216;s QuantumBlack, and a new strategic alliance with PwC, collectively drove 73% of agreements in the past year.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/05/45611941/quantum-computing-stocks-in-focus-pure-play-vs-large-caps-heres-a-look-at-the-valuations" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Quantum Computing Stocks In Focus: Pure Play Vs. Large Caps – Here's A Look At The Valuations</a>
Why It Matters: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/25/05/45657936/c3-ai-stock-jumps-after-q4-results-top-estimates">C3.AI beat analyst estimates</a> on both the top and bottom lines for the fourth quarter. Its fourth quarter revenue came in at $108.7 million, versus estimates of $107.73 million, whereas it reported an adjusted loss of 18 cents, versus estimates of a 20-cent loss.
The company expects first-quarter revenue in the range of $100 million to $109 million, versus the estimates of $105 million. Its fiscal-year 2026 revenue is in the range of $447.5 million to $484.5 million, versus estimates of $467.19 million.
C3.ai shares dropped 3.76% on Wednesday and rose 12.42% in after-hours. It was 33.60% lower on a year-to-date basis and down 3.76% over a year.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings shows that C3.ai had a stronger price trend over the short and medium term but a weaker trend over the long term. Its momentum ranking was poor, and its value ranking was moderate at the 52.69th percentile. The details of other metrics are <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">available here</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="138" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/29040032/AI-EDGE-1024x138.png" alt="" class="wp-image-931024" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/29040032/AI-EDGE-1024x138.png 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/29040032/AI-EDGE-300x40.png 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/29040032/AI-EDGE-768x103.png 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/29040032/AI-EDGE.png 1210w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
The SPDR S&amp;P 500 ETF Trust (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SPY#NYSE">SPY</a>) and Invesco QQQ Trust ETF (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/QQQ#NASDAQ">QQQ</a>), which track the S&amp;P 500 index and Nasdaq 100 index, respectively, fell on Wednesday. The SPY was down 0.58% to $587.73, while the QQQ declined 0.44% to $518.91, according to <a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard">Benzinga Pro</a> data.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/general/market-summary/25/05/45604787/cathie-wood-reiterates-profound-ai-application-in-healthcare-as-researchers-discover-cancer-survival-outcomes-by-facial-photograph-analysis-here-are-the-stocks-that-could-benefit" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cathie Wood Reiterates ‘Profound' AI Application In Healthcare As Researchers Discover ‘Cancer Survival Outcomes' By Facial Photograph Analysis: Here Are The Stocks That Could Benefit</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. 
Photo courtesy: Poetra.RH / Shutterstock.com

Equities

Market Summary

Futures

C3.ai Eyes $47 Billion Agentic AI Market By 2030 With $60 Million ARR: 'We Are Well Positioned To Capitalize,' Says CEO

Chinese AI startup DeepSeek, which triggered a <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/01/43256425/nvidia-says-deepseek-an-illustration-of-how-new-ai-models-can-be-created-while-being-export-control-compliant-amid-600-billion-market-value-plunge">$600 billion drop</a> in Nvidia Corporation's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NVDA#NASDAQ">NVDA</a>) market value with the release of its R1 model in January, has quietly launched an updated version of its reasoning model.
What Happened: The model, dubbed R1-0528, was uploaded in the early hours of Thursday to the developer platform Hugging Face without a formal public announcement, reported Reuters.
Despite the low-key release, the model quickly gained attention.
On the LiveCodeBench leaderboard—a benchmark created by researchers from UC Berkeley, MIT and Cornell—R1-0528 ranked just behind OpenAI's o4 mini and o3 models in code generation.
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45486639/sundar-pichai-reveals-google-parent-once-super-intensely-debated-about-buying-netflix-in-a-world-of-butterfly-effects" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sundar Pichai Reveals Google-Parent Once Super Intensely Debated About Buying Netflix: ‘In A World Of Butterfly Effects…&#8217;</a>
It <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/04/44625580/alibaba-steps-up-ai-game-with-qwen-3-challenging-deepseeks-low-cost-ai-success">also outperformed</a> xAI's Grok 3 mini and Alibaba Group Holdings's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BABA#NYSE">BABA</a>) Qwen 3, underscoring DeepSeek's rising status.
DeepSeek's more advanced model, R2, is still expected later this year, the report added.
Why It's Important: Following R1's release in January, major Chinese firms like Alibaba and Tencent Holdings (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TCEHY#OTC">TCEHY</a>) have <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44101621/deepseek-loses-top-spot-as-tencents-yuanbao-ai-becomes-no-1-iphone-app-amid-intensifying-ai-battle">launched models that they</a> say outperform DeepSeek's.
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox.
Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google also rolled out lower-cost Gemini access tiers, while OpenAI reduced pricing and introduced its o3 Mini model, designed to operate with reduced computational demands.
Previously, Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, acknowledged DeepSeek's AI model as arguably the most <a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/25/02/43586484/google-deepmind-ceo-calls-deepseek-ai-best-work-from-china-but-says-hype-is-overblown-theres-no-actual-new-scientific-advance">impressive to emerge from China</a>, while Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/02/43487551/sundar-pichai-acknowledges-deepseeks-ai-advancementsbut-says-googles-gemini-still-leads-in-cost-performance-and-latency">downplayed the threat</a> posed by the startup.
After witnessing China's DeepSeek top the App Store with an AI product built by just 200 engineers, Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/MSFT#NASDAQ">MSFT</a>) CEO Satya Nadella reportedly <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44529954/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-admits-chinas-deepseek-was-a-wake-up-call-tells-employees-its-time-to-build-real-products-not-just-research-thats-the-new-bar-to-me">pushed his teams to deliver results</a> with similar speed and real-world impact.
Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings awarded NVDA an impressive growth score of 98.75%. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to compare it with other top-performing stocks such</a> as Alphabet, Alibaba, Tencent, Microsoft and more.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/29023210/Screenshot-2025-05-29-at-7.06.23%E2%80%AFAM-2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-930896" /></a></figure>
Photo Courtesy: mundissima on Shutterstock.com
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Read Next:
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45599346/why-googles-demis-hassabis-disagrees-with-co-founder-sergey-brin-on-when-agi-will-arrive-and-sets-a-much-higher-bar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why Google&#8217;s Demis Hassabis Disagrees With Co-Founder Sergey Brin On When AGI Will Arrive: ‘I Have Quite A High Bar&#8217;</a></li>
</ul>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

BABA

NVDA

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China's DeepSeek Quietly Drops R1 AI Update That Nearly Matches OpenAI o4 Mini—And Beats Elon Musk's Grok 3 Mini

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) will launch its Robotaxi service in Austin on June 12, with CEO Elon Musk confirming that the company is currently testing the Model Y.
What Happened: The June 12 date has been internally discussed, but it remains subject to change, according to an anonymous source familiar with the matter, as cited in <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-05-28/tesla-targets-june-12-launch-of-robotaxi-service-in-austin">a</a> Bloomberg report on Wednesday.
The company recently tested a fully autonomous Tesla Model Y in Austin with no remote operations, with only a company engineer in the passenger seat, the source suggested.
Musk has said that the company would initially use vehicles from its line-up, like the Model Y, to operate the autonomous ride-sharing service before incorporating the Cybercab, which is a purpose-built, fully autonomous driving vehicle with no steering wheel or pedals.
Why It Matters: The report comes in as Musk had previously stated the company plans to launch the Robotaxi in Austin sometime towards <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45529030/elon-musk-confirms-tesla-robotaxi-launch-is-on-track-for-next-month-these-things-happen-slowly-but-then-all-at-once">the end of June</a>, with over 10 Model Ys operating as Robotaxis initially.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">For the past several days, Tesla has been testing self-driving Model Y cars (no one in driver's seat) on Austin public streets with no incidents. A month ahead of schedule. Next month, first self-delivery from factory to customer.
&mdash; Elon Musk (@elonmusk) <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1927970940874354941?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 29, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
Musk has also said that the company has been testing self-driving Model Ys in Austin on public roads for &#8220;the past several days&#8221; in a post on the social media platform X on Thursday. Musk says that the vehicles were tested without any incidents. He has also echoed his previous comments, which said that Teslas could drive directly to people&#8217;s houses from the factory.
The robotaxi launch could provide Musk's EV giant with a much-needed boost as the company continues to grapple with sales declines globally, including Europe, where Tesla sales <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/eurozone/25/05/45616006/teslas-european-woes-see-no-end-april-sales-crash-49-as-rivals-race-ahead-in-ev-market">experienced a 49% YoY plunge</a>.
However, Tesla&#8217;s plans to launch its robotaxi in Austin face stiff competition from Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Waymo. Waymo is already an established player in the sector, with over 250,000 weekly rides.
Gerber Kawasaki&#8216;s CEO, Ross Gerber, suggests that the competition between Tesla and Waymo in Austin <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45637969/tesla-waymo-to-face-first-head-to-head-competition-for-robotaxis-ross-gerber-says-ahead-of-austin-launch-fascinating-to-watch">could be &#8220;fascinating&#8221;</a> as the two companies operate using different approaches to autonomous driving.
Tesla favors a camera-based system for its FSD tech, which is a crucial element to the Robotaxi, while Waymo uses a LiDAR-based system. Musk <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/03/44529187/elon-musk-says-tesla-doesnt-need-lidar-because-people-dont-shoot-lasers-out-of-their-eyes-yet-his-ev-company-quietly-spent-over-2-million-on-the-technology-in-2024-as-china-takes-global-lead">has defended</a> Tesla&#8217;s decision not to use LiDAR for its Robotaxis and FSD, saying that the company doesn&#8217;t need LiDAR because &#8220;People don&#8217;t shoot lasers out of their eyes.&#8221;
Elsewhere, Waymo already operates in over four major cities in the U.S., including Austin. The company recently announced it reached the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45539621/tesla-robotaxi-rival-waymo-reaches-10-million-paid-rides-milestone-as-robotaxis-step-into-the-spotlight">ten million paid autonomous rides milestone</a>, doubling its lifetime total of five million rides in five months.
Price Action: TSLA gained 2.9% in overnight trading, currently valued at $364.59, according to<a href="https://pro.benzinga.com/dashboard"> Benzinga Pro data</a>.
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Future Of Mobility coverage by<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mobility"> following this link.</a>
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Photo courtesy: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com

Tesla Targets June 12 For Robotaxi Launch In Austin, Elon Musk Says Company Ramped Up FSD Testing 'A Month Ahead Of Schedule'

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axaD_XOA-cI" title="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axaD_XOA-cI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=axaD_XOA-cI</a>

SNAP

President Trump Says TikTok Different Than Nippon; Would Need China Approval On TikTok; Think We Can Save TikTok

WASHINGTON, May 28 (Reuters) - The United States on Wednesday announced a new visa restriction policy targeting foreign nationals who "censor" Americans.
"It is unacceptable for foreign officials to issue or threaten arrest warrants on U.S. citizens or U.S. residents for social media posts on American platforms while physically present on U.S. soil," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. He said it was "similarly unacceptable" for foreign officials to demand content moderation from American tech platforms.

Macro Economic Events

Economics

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'Secretary of State Marco Rubio Says U.S. Announces Visa Restriction Policy Targeting Foreign Nationals Who "Censor Americans"; Unacceptable For Foreign Officials To Demand That U.S. Tech Platforms Adopt Global Content Moderation Policies' - Reuters News

Editor&#8217;s note: This article has been updated to reflect that Baidu&#8217;s robotaxi operations now cover 15 cities globally.
<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/elon-musk">Elon Musk</a> has promised robotaxis every year since 2016 &#8211; and now, the latest vow is that Tesla Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) will launch a fleet in Austin, Texas, by June. But while Tesla talks a big game, it is Alphabet Inc's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) Waymo and Baidu Inc's (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BIDU#NASDAQ">BIDU</a>) Apollo Go that are clocking miles and making money (or at least, showing a clear path to it).
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Waymo's Mileage Speaks Louder Than Musk's Words</h2>
Alphabet&#8217;s Waymo recently crossed a massive milestone: 10 million paid robotaxi rides—double what it achieved five months ago.
With 250,000 weekly trips across San Francisco, Phoenix, Austin and Los Angeles, Waymo's service isn't in beta anymore—it's in people's daily lives.
While it's still not profitable, Waymo's infrastructure is bankrolled by Alphabet's deep pockets and growing investor confidence that it's just a matter of time before it becomes profitable.
Read Also: <a href="https://benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45512512/tesla-robotaxi-rival-waymo-announces-california-expansion-as-autonomous-taxi-race-heats-up">Tesla Robotaxi Rival Waymo Announces California Expansion As Autonomous Taxi Race Heats Up</a>
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Baidu's Apollo Go Looks Beyond China</h2>
Over in China, Baidu isn't just playing catch-up—it's scaling fast. Apollo Go gave 1.4 million rides in the first quarter alone, is fully autonomous across 15 cities globally, and recently started testing in Dubai and Hong Kong.
Baidu's robotaxi operation has logged 11 million rides and now wants a piece of Europe, too. CEO Robin Li says Apollo Go is on a "clear path to profitability"—a claim that's not as speculative as it sounds given falling hardware costs and partnerships like the one with Chinese rental giant CAR.
<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Tesla's Turn—Or Another Detour?</h2>
Meanwhile, Tesla is gearing up for a limited robotaxi rollout in Austin—just 10 vehicles, all Model Ys running the upcoming "FSD Unsupervised" software. 
Musk has said that if this goes well, they'll scale quickly across LA and San Francisco. But even his supporters know the drill: the tech isn't there yet, and Tesla still requires human supervision. 
There's hope for a near-term stock pop, but few believe this will move the revenue needle meaningfully anytime soon.
Waymo and Apollo Go are already playing the Robotaxi endgame, while Tesla is still drawing up the board. Investors looking for substance over sound bites may want to look past the hype and focus on the players already on the road.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45612556/tesla-autonomous-driving-rival-pony-ai-to-expand-robotaxi-fleet-into-dubai-following-agreement-with-regulators">Tesla Autonomous Driving Rival Pony AI To Expand Robotaxi Fleet Into Dubai Following Agreement With Regulators</a></li>
</ul>
Photo: Shutterstock

Long Ideas

BIDU

Tesla Talks Big, While Alphabet And Baidu Surge Ahead In Robotaxi Race (CORRECTED)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly shared plans to build a cluster of AI-powered devices in partnership with famed designer Jony Ive, with employees on Wednesday. 
What Happened: In a conversation with staff, Altman and Ive described their vision for compact, intelligent AI "companions" designed to fit smoothly into users&#8217; lives, according <a href="https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/what-sam-altman-told-openai-about-the-secret-device-hes-making-with-jony-ive-f1384005">to</a> The Wall Street Journal. 
Confirming OpenAI's $6.5 billion <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/trading-ideas/movers/25/05/45550033/openai-teams-up-with-iphone-designer-jony-ive-as-chatgpt-maker-makes-push-into-hardware-apple-shares-slide">acquisition of Ive's startup</a>, io, he called this move "the biggest thing we've ever done as a company here," the report said.
OpenAI did not immediately respond to <a href="http://pro.benzinga.com">Benzinga&#8217;s</a> request for comment. 
Hyper-aware of its surroundings, small enough to be put in a pocket or on a desk, and created to function as a third essential gadget alongside a laptop and phone, this "companion" will not be a smartphone or <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45580078/apple-could-reportedly-launch-ai-smart-glasses-next-year-and-here-is-what-all-they-are-expected-to-do">wearable glasses</a>. Instead, the object will be formulated to diminish users' dependence on screens altogether.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45637814/elon-musk-admits-he-spent-too-much-time-on-politics-after-tesla-sales-decline-in-multiple-regions">Elon Musk Admits He Spent &#8216;Too Much Time&#8217; On Politics After Tesla Sales Decline In Multiple Regions</a>
Why It Matters: According to Altman, the new project has the potential to alter how consumers interact with AI. He said the deal with Ive's company, which experts think could <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45602719/openais-acquisition-of-jony-ives-startup-poses-threat-to-apples-dominance">pose a threat to Apple's dominance</a>, could add up to $1 trillion in value to OpenAI, the report added.
He also reportedly told employees that developing hardware was the only way to realize AI&#8217;s full potential and provide a direct connection to users, sidestepping intermediaries like Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) and Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>). "We both got excited about the idea that, if you subscribed to ChatGPT, we should just mail you new computers, and you should use those," Altman reportedly said.
OpenAI is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45340216/openais-ipo-ambitions-hang-in-the-balance-as-microsoft-negotiates-equity-report">not projected</a> to turn a profit until 2029, but Altman aims to ship these devices "faster than any company has ever shipped 100 million of something new before."&nbsp;
Altman said he and Ive realized that the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45638355/headline-apples-former-design-chief-jony-ive-called-phones-and-laptops-legacy-platforms-google-ceo-sundar-pichai-said-pulling-out-a-black-glass-rectangle-wont-make-sense-forever-though-new-age-devices-havent-really-taken-off-yet">hardware available currently is simply not built for the kind of AI experiences they envision</a>. "It is not the sci-fi dream of what AI could do to enable you in all the ways that I think the models are capable of," he added. 
Read Next: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45637672/apple-ramps-up-india-manufacturing-as-us-iphone-imports-surge-76-in-april-while-shipments-from-china-plunge">Apple Ramps Up India Manufacturing As US iPhone Imports Surge 76% In April, While Shipments From China Plunge</a>
Photo Courtesy: Meir Chaimowitz on Shutterstock

OpenAI's Sam Altman Says $6.5B Deal With Jony Ive To Build AI 'Companions' Could Add $1 Trillion In Company Value: Report

As tech's most influential minds rethink the future of computing, their vision faces a market still not sold on the alternatives.
What Happened: Last week, in a video, Jony Ive, Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AAPL#NASDAQ">AAPL</a>) legendary former design chief, described smartphones and laptops as "legacy products," suggesting they no longer represent the future of computing.
Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) CEO Sundar Pichai echoed the sentiment in an <a href="https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/673638/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-interview-ai-search-web-future">interview</a> with The Verge's Nilay Patel that was published on Tuesday, noting, "At some point in the future, consuming content by pulling out this black glass display rectangle… is not the most intuitive way to do it."
Pichai acknowledged that computing will evolve to be more ambient and fluid, available "in multiple ways around you," from tablets to smart glasses. "It makes sense," he said, "but I think it's going to take some time."
Subscribe to the&nbsp;<a href="https://bztechtrends.beehiiv.com/subscribe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Benzinga Tech Trends newsletter</a>&nbsp;to get all the latest tech developments delivered to your inbox. Why It&#8217;s Important: While tech leaders envision a post-smartphone world, consumers aren't rushing to embrace the hardware pitched to replace it. Some attempts to disrupt the status quo have stumbled.
Humane's AI Pin promised a phone-free future but <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/02/43803887/humanes-ai-pin-dubbed-as-potential-iphone-killer-dies-this-month-as-company-sells-to-hp-for-116-million-amid-poor-sales-and-scathing-reviews">flopped amid harsh reviews</a>, overheating issues, and low sales, ultimately leading to the company's acquisition by HP Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/HPQ#NYSE">HPQ</a>).
Similarly, Rabbit's R1 generated buzz but remained niche, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/04/38512965/youtube-tech-reviewer-mkbhd-deems-rabbit-r1-barely-reviewable-after-humane-ai-pin-takedown-its-just">offering limited functionality</a> versus existing smartphones.&nbsp;
AR/VR headsets like Apple's Vision Pro and Meta Platforms, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) Quest are advancing, yet still face challenges such as high costs, limited use cases, and physical discomfort.
Even stylish options like Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses haven't broken into the mainstream <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/21/09/22898410/privacy-concerns-being-raised-over-new-facebook-smart-glasses">due to privacy concerns</a> and a lack of compelling features.
Alphabet received a growth score of 88.63% from Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to see how it compares with other companies</a> like Apple, Meta and HP.
<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28051821/Screenshot-2025-05-28-at-8.27.29%E2%80%AFAM-1.png" alt="" class="wp-image-929509" /></a></figure>
Check out more of Benzinga&#8217;s Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45599346/why-googles-demis-hassabis-disagrees-with-co-founder-sergey-brin-on-when-agi-will-arrive-and-sets-a-much-higher-bar" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Why Google&#8217;s Demis Hassabis Disagrees With Co-Founder Sergey Brin On When AGI Will Arrive: ‘I Have Quite A High Bar&#8217;</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
Photo courtesy: Rokas Tenys / Shutterstock.com

Apple's Former Design Chief Jony Ive Called Phones And Laptops 'Legacy Platforms:' Sundar Pichai Says Pulling Out A 'Black Glass Display Rectangle' Won't Make Sense Forever

The autonomous vehicle market is witnessing its first direct competition as Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>) prepares to launch robotaxis in Austin next month while Alphabet Inc.&#8216;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45637208/tesla-robotaxi-rival-waymo-to-conduct-tests-in-multiple-cities-amid-us-autonomous-driving-push">Waymo expands testing across multiple U.S. cities</a>.
What Happened: Ross Gerber, CEO of Gerber Kawasaki Wealth and Investment Management, characterized the Austin launch as a pivotal moment. 
&#8220;I find it fascinating to watch the different approaches to autonomy from Tesla and Waymo. With the launch of Austin, it&#8217;s the first head-to-head competition for robotaxis and how the business and economics evolve,&#8221; Gerber posted on the social media platform X.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">I find it fascinating to watch the different approaches to autonomy from tesla and Waymo. With the launch of Austin, It's the first head to head competition for robotaxis and how the business and economics evolve. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24goog&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$goog</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24tsla&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$tsla</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%24uber&amp;src=ctag&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">$uber</a>
&mdash; Ross Gerber (@GerberKawasaki) <a href="https://twitter.com/GerberKawasaki/status/1927507157408174176?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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The competition highlights contrasting strategies. Waymo operates a centralized approach with dedicated autonomous vehicles, while Tesla pursues a distributed fleet model using existing Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving technology.
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/media/25/05/45637684/after-the-delay-nvidias-blackwell-ai-servers-are-back-in-production-as-suppliers-foxconn-inventec-dell-and-wistron-fix-key-technical-issues-report">Nvidia&#8217;s Blackwell AI Servers Are Back In Production After Key Supply Chain Partners Like Foxconn Fix Overheating Issues: Report</a>
Why It Matters: Waymo recently announced <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/05/45637208/tesla-robotaxi-rival-waymo-to-conduct-tests-in-multiple-cities-amid-us-autonomous-driving-push">reaching 10 million autonomous paid rides</a>, doubling that milestone in five months. The company is conducting &#8220;Road Trip&#8221; tests in San Antonio, Orlando, and Houston to enhance its autonomous driving capabilities beyond current operational cities.
However, Gerber remains skeptical of Tesla&#8217;s readiness. The investment manager recently criticized Tesla&#8217;s FSD 13.2.9 technology, citing mapping issues and erratic lane-changing behavior. &#8220;Google is better,&#8221; Gerber stated, referring to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45511328/ross-gerber-slams-teslas-fsd-technology-ahead-of-robotaxi-launch-maintains-bearish-views-on-elon-musks-company-after-dumping-10-stake-in-q1-2025">Waymo&#8217;s superior mapping technology</a>.
Gerber Kawasaki dumped over 26,000 Tesla shares in the first quarter of 2025, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45511328/ross-gerber-slams-teslas-fsd-technology-ahead-of-robotaxi-launch-maintains-bearish-views-on-elon-musks-company-after-dumping-10-stake-in-q1-2025">representing 10% of the firm&#8217;s stake</a>, according to Business Insider. Tesla CEO Elon Musk promises 10 to 20 Model Ys will function as robotaxis on launch day.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45637672/apple-ramps-up-india-manufacturing-as-us-iphone-imports-surge-76-in-april-while-shipments-from-china-plunge">Apple Ramps Up India Manufacturing As US iPhone Imports Surge 76% In April, While Shipments From China Plunge</a></li>
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. 
Photo courtesy: Ken Wolter / Shutterstock.com

Tesla-Waymo To Face 'First Head-To-Head Competition For Robotaxis,' Ross Gerber Says Ahead Of Austin Launch: 'Fascinating To Watch'

Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) autonomous taxi provider Waymo is set to test its AV taxis in several U.S. cities as the company looks to bolster its position in the domestic autonomous driving sector.
What Happened: In a series of posts on social media platform X, Waymo announced that it would be heading to cities like San Antonio, Orlando and Houston as part of the company's "Road Trip" on Tuesday.
<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter"> 
<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Howdy, San Antonio! &#x1f920; The Waymo Driver is heading to your unique city for driving and exploration. See you on the roads. <a href="https://t.co/2tf7T7w9vG">pic.twitter.com/2tf7T7w9vG</a>
&mdash; Waymo (@Waymo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Waymo/status/1927396588491600217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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<div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Orlando, get ready! &#x1f3a2; We&#39;re bringing the Waymo Driver to this hub of innovation and endless fun as part of our 2025 road trip. <a href="https://t.co/pI4KHGTYxA">pic.twitter.com/pI4KHGTYxA</a>
&mdash; Waymo (@Waymo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Waymo/status/1927396004606701883?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">Houston, we have liftoff! &#x1f680; Our 2025 road trip will be coming to your dynamic roads very soon. <a href="https://t.co/LOYSllqjLA">pic.twitter.com/LOYSllqjLA</a>
&mdash; Waymo (@Waymo) <a href="https://twitter.com/Waymo/status/1927395627056386204?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
</figure>
The "road trip" is Waymo's testing system that helps the company improve its autonomous driving capabilities by conducting tests across various cities where the company doesn't operate.
Why It Matters: The news comes in as Waymo is steadily bolstering its presence in the AV sector. Recently, the company announced it reached the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45539621/tesla-robotaxi-rival-waymo-reaches-10-million-paid-rides-milestone-as-robotaxis-step-into-the-spotlight">10 million autonomous paid rides</a> milestone, which Waymo doubled in 5 months.
Waymo also <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/04/45090602/google-backed-waymo-and-toyota-forge-strategic-partnership-to-bring-autonomous-driving-tech-to-personally-owned-vehicles">partnered with Toyota Motor Corp</a> (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TM#NYSE">TM</a>) to develop autonomous driving technology with a key focus on bringing the self-driving capabilities for personal ownership.
The company has been a key player in the domestic autonomous driving market, but faces competition from companies like Elon Musk's Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TSLA#NASDAQ">TSLA</a>), which itself is going to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45529030/elon-musk-confirms-tesla-robotaxi-launch-is-on-track-for-next-month-these-things-happen-slowly-but-then-all-at-once">launch its robotaxi</a> in Austin next month.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="196" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28024610/GOOGL-MAY-28-2025-1024x196.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-929321" srcset="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28024610/GOOGL-MAY-28-2025-1024x196.jpg 1024w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28024610/GOOGL-MAY-28-2025-300x58.jpg 300w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28024610/GOOGL-MAY-28-2025-768x147.jpg 768w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28024610/GOOGL-MAY-28-2025-1536x294.jpg 1536w,https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/28024610/GOOGL-MAY-28-2025.jpg 1633w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a></figure>
GOOGL scores well on Quality and Growth metrics. It also scores satisfactorily on the Value metric. For more such insights, sign up for<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"> Benzinga Edge</a> today!
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Photo courtesy: Sundry Photography / Shutterstock.com

Tesla Robotaxi Rival Waymo To Conduct Tests In Multiple Cities Amid US Autonomous Driving Push

Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) CEO Sundar Pichai has firmly rejected the notion that anyone at Google can manually alter search rankings, even in response to President Donald Trump's <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/41079928/trump-vs-google-former-president-alleges-search-engine-bias-says-its-only-showing-bad-stories-about">complaints</a>.
What Happened: In a conversation <a href="https://www.theverge.com/decoder-podcast-with-nilay-patel/673638/google-ceo-sundar-pichai-interview-ai-search-web-future">with</a> The Verge's Nilay Patel, Pichai was asked about Trump's criticism of his search rankings and the President's desire for them to be altered.
When asked whether search results for Trump would ever be adjusted in response to his complaints, Pichai said, "No. Look, we have a&#8230; I can't&#8230; Today, the way Google Search works is that I cannot&#8230; No person at Google can influence the ranking algorithm."
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/25/05/45548615/alphabet-well-positioned-for-google-search-dominance-analyst-says-can-navigate-the-shift-to-ai-search">Alphabet &#8216;Well Positioned&#8217; For Google Search Dominance: Analyst Says Can &#8216;Navigate The Shift To AI Search&#8217;</a>
Why It's Important: Last year, Trump indicated that Google could face legal consequences, accusing the tech giant of interfering in the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/09/40867103/nate-silver-if-trump-loses-he-will-have-let-election-slip-out-of-his-grasp-as-underlying-factors-fav">2024 presidential election</a> by manipulating search results.
He alleged that Google deliberately promoted negative coverage about him while giving greater visibility to favorable stories about former Vice President Kamala Harris.
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At the time, Google reaffirmed its previous stance and a company spokesperson said, "Both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of Search for relevant and common search queries."
After Trump won against Harris, Google contributed $1 million to support Trump's inauguration, aligning <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/tech/25/01/42898021/google-donates-1-million-to-trump-inauguration-plans-youtube-livestream-pleased-to-support">itself with other major donors</a> such as Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>), Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>), Ford Motor Company (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/F#NYSE">F</a>) and others.
Alphabet has earned a growth score of 88.63% according to Benzinga Edge Stock Rankings. <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound">Click here to compare it with other companies</a>.
<figure class="wp-block-image size-full"><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/premium/ideas/benzinga-edge-2#:~:text=Turn%20Market%20Chaos,when%20markets%20rebound"><img decoding="async" src="https://editorial-assets.benzinga.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/27225919/Screenshot-2025-05-28-at-8.27.29%E2%80%AFAM.png" alt="" class="wp-image-929203" /></a></figure>
Check out more of Benzinga's Consumer Tech coverage by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/consumer-tech" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">following this link</a>.
Photo Courtesy: JHVEPhoto on Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

Sundar Pichai Says No One At Google Can Change Trump's Search Ranking — Not Even Him

On Tuesday, the Donald Trump administration reportedly halted the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/05/45578777/trump-administration-revokes-harvards-ability-to-enroll-international-students-kristi-noem-alleges-coordination-with-chinese-communist-party">scheduling of new student</a> and exchange visitor visa appointments as it prepares to roll out expanded social media vetting.
What Happened: According to an internal State Department cable obtained by Reuters, the directive, issued by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, instructs U.S. embassies and consulates to pause new appointments for F, M, and J visas while officials conduct a review of screening procedures.
&#8220;The Department is conducting a review of existing operations and processes for screening and vetting of student and exchange visitor (F, M, J) visa applicants,&#8221; the cable reads. &#8220;Based on that review, [it] plans to issue guidance on expanded social media vetting for all such applicants.&#8221;
See Also:&nbsp;<a href="https://benzinga.com/25/04/44816653/canada-eases-retaliatory-tariffs-on-us-goods-as-trade-tensions-thaw-under-softer-trump-stance-stocks-react" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada Eases Retaliatory Tariffs On US Goods As Trade Tensions Thaw Under Softer Trump Stance: Stocks React</a>
While previously scheduled appointments may proceed, available slots not yet filled should be removed, the cable advises. A senior State Department official confirmed the order's authenticity, the report added.
Social media vetting refers to the review of a student's online activity across platforms such Meta Platforms, Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/META#NASDAQ">META</a>) Facebook, Instagram, Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter), Reddit Inc. (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/RDDT#NYSE">RDDT</a>), ByteDance-owned TikTok and YouTube, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc.'s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOG#NASDAQ">GOOG</a>) (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/GOOGL#NASDAQ">GOOGL</a>) Google to help determine their eligibility to study at universities in the U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce declined to address the cable directly but underscored the administration's broader national security priorities.
"We will continue to use every tool we can to assess who it is that&#8217;s coming here, whether they are students or otherwise," Bruce said at a press briefing, the report said.
Why It's Important: On Tuesday, hundreds of demonstrators — including students and faculty at Harvard University — gathered on campus to show solidarity with international students and to oppose the Trump administration's reported attempts to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/25/04/44916659/harvard-sues-trump-administration-for-attempting-to-withhold-billions-in-federal-grants-over-alleged-antisemitism-response">withdraw federal funding</a> from the school, the report noted.
Last week, the Trump administration took steps to strip Harvard University of its authority to admit international students — a group that accounts for roughly 6,800 individuals, or about 27% of the school's total enrollment.
Administration officials have stated that student visa and green card holders could face deportation for <a href="https://benzinga.com/markets/equities/25/05/45185889/trump-harvards-not-a-school-its-a-political-entity-that-should-be-taxed">expressing support for Palestinians</a> or criticizing Israel's actions in the Gaza conflict, framing such views as harmful to U.S. foreign policy and labeling them as pro-Hamas.
Critics argue this stance undermines First Amendment protections, calling it a direct <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/25/04/44855064/trump-administration-asks-irs-to-revoke-harvards-tax-exempt-status-after-president-accuses-ivy-league-university-of-pushing-sickness">attack on free speech</a>.
Photo Courtesy: Song_about_summer on Shutterstock.com
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Disclaimer:&nbsp;This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.

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