🌐 Huawei AI-Chip Curbs | 🔒 Microsoft Locks Down Bing Data | ⚠️ Apple’s EU Checkout Warnings

Wall Street’s caffeine high is wearing off. Futures are red across the board as buyers pause after a 7-session grind higher; S&P 500 minis sag 0.6 %, and oil does a four-percent cliff-dive on fresh Iran-deal chatter. Treasury yields tick up as traders bet Chair Powell will stay hawkish in his midday Q&A. Options desks are shedding hedges — one desk now targets 6,150 on the S&P by September. Tech remains the lone green shoot: AMD popped on a $6 billion buyback, and Nvidia hype refuses to die. Keep an eye on tomorrow’s US CPI print; anything sticky and the soft-landing story gets a dent. For now, cash is king, AI is the crown, and volatility is the court jester.

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Huawei Hits Back at U.S. Over New AI-Chip Curbs

TL;DR: China’s Commerce Ministry blasted Washington for “economic coercion” after fresh rules choked Huawei’s access to high-end silicon. Officials hint at retaliation that could sting U.S. cloud suppliers. Meanwhile, chip brokers scramble to reroute inventory before the door slams shut. Trade talks next week just got spicier.

Further read: https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai-chip-exports-overhaul-0518a821

Legal-AI Darling Harvey Eyes $5 B Valuation

TL;DR: Word is Kleiner Perkins and Coatue are prepping a $250 million term sheet that would catapult Harvey to a five-comma club in just 30 months. Revenue? Rumored $75 million ARR — not too shabby for a robot paralegal. If the deal closes, junior associates everywhere may need comfort ice cream. (Don’t worry, billable hours will still keep the lights on.) Why did the lawyer cross the road? Because the AI told him to bill for mileage.

Further read: https://www.reuters.com/business/legal-startup-harvey-ai-talks-raise-funding-5-billion-valuation-2025-05-14/

Microsoft Locks Down Bing Data for Rival Chatbots

TL;DR: Redmond is throttling access to its search index, citing “strategic realignment.” Indie engines and AI startups that piggy-backed Bing APIs now face five-figure monthly fees or a hard cutoff. Expect a scramble for alternate crawlers — and maybe fresh antitrust side-eye from Brussels.

Further read: https://www.theverge.com/2023/4/28/23702609/brave-bing-index-search-index-browser

Apple Slaps Warning Labels on EU Apps Using Outside Payments

TL;DR: Starting today, EU iPhone users see a bright yellow alert when an app punts them to a non-Apple checkout. Cupertino says it’s about “security”; developers call it “scare-ware.” The DMA compliance chess match continues, with regulators watching the clock on a potential $10 billion fine.

Further read: https://www.ft.com/content/2bbac726-28d3-47bf-8b9a-881611c8a27e

Google Tops IBM in Generative-AI Patent Race

TL;DR: Fresh IFI data show Alphabet now leads U.S. filings for both generative and “agentic” AI patents, up 52 % year-over-year. IBM slips to No. 2, while Microsoft, Meta, and Samsung round out the top five. Critics argue volume ≠ innovation, but the legal moat just got deeper — and pricier for would-be competitors.

Further read: https://www.reuters.com/legal/legalindustry/how-artificial-intelligence-will-naturally-affect-patentability-2025-03-24/