Google has agreed to pay about $2.4 billion in a deal to license the technology of artificial intelligence-assisted coding tool Windsurf, The Wall Street Journal reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the matter.
The deal comes after acquisition talks between startup Windsurf and OpenAI broke down.
Google recruited the chief executive and a co-founder of Windsurf, which OpenAI had been in talks to buy, as the battle to dominate artificial intelligence escalates.
Google on Friday made the latest a splash in the AI talent wars, announcing an agreement to bring in Varun Mohan, co-founder and CEO of artificial intelligence coding startup Windsurf. Google is not investing in Windsurf, but the search giant will take a nonexclusive license to certain Windsurf technology, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Alphabet remains deeply undervalued despite recent gains, with a forward PE below 20, way lower than Magnificent 7 peers. Rockstar financials, including a 34% ROIC and $95 billion cash pile, position Google to profitably invest in AI and future growth projects. AI leadership, new product launches, and positive Q2 earnings momentum support continued double-digit growth and strong bullish sentiment.
Google is preparing to offer significant discounts on its cloud computing services to United States government agencies, according to a report by the Financial Times. The agreement, which could be finalised in the coming weeks, comes as the government seeks to curb spending.
Google will heavily discount cloud computing services for the U.S. government in a deal that could be finalised within weeks, the Financial Times reported on Friday, citing a senior official at the General Services Administration (GSA).
While the broader market, led by the technology sector and many of the Magnificent Seven members, continues to hit new highs, GOOGL has remained one of the few laggards.
CNBC's Deirdre Bosa joins 'Money Movers' to discuss AI's newest battlefront internet browsers.
OpenAI is launching its own AI-powered browser, posing the first real competition to Alphabet Inc.'s Chrome browser and its ad revenue, which makes up 74% of total revenue. This looks disastrous for Google at face value, but it won't be a train wreck for the GOOGL stock. Chrome is more resilient-than-market expects, with Gemini integrated and a 68% market share. Not to mention, Chrome remains the default browser for Samsung devices.
Oppenheimer raised its price target on Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) to $220 from $200, citing strong consumer adoption of the tech giant's AI Mode and a bullish valuation outlook for its self-driving unit Waymo. The brokerage, which reiterated its "Outperform" rating, said a recent survey of US adults showed Alphabet's AI Mode is increasingly seen as superior to both traditional Google Search and OpenAI's ChatGPT among users familiar with the technology.
CNBC's Steve Kovach reports on Samsung's latest technology announcements, including new AI features, its next folding smartphone and more.