SpaceX opens 11% higher at $150 a share and makes Musk the first trillionaire

NEW YORK (AP) — SpaceX jumped 11% as the rocket maker’s stock opened for trading. That price gives the company a market value of $1.96 trillion and is enough to make CEO Elon Musk the first-ever trillionaire. Institutional and retail investors jumped at the opportunity to buy 555.6 million shares of SpaceX at the offering price of $135 apiece, making it the biggest IPO in history with proceeds of $75 billion. Musk says the company is going public because it needs money to fund its ambitions of putting satellites and data centers in space and eventually establishing a colony of people on Mars.

Anthropic announces 'Claude Corps' to teach nonprofits to use AI more effectively

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Anthropic will donate $150 million to launch a fellowship program called Claude Corps that plans to help nonprofits effectively use artificial intelligence by embedding 1,000 trained fellows in various organizations for a year. Anthropic President Daniela Amodei says the program will be evaluated after its first year to determine its future. The company, known for balancing profits with social impact, is also donating $200 million to support displaced workers. Anthropic, valued at $965 billion, is moving toward an IPO. As a public benefit corporation, Amodei said Anthropic balances financial goals and social impact in its business decisions.

Elon Musk's SpaceX is about to make its debut on Wall Street

Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX is set to make its debut on Wall Street Friday. Institutional and retail investors jumped at the opportunity to buy 555.6 million shares of SpaceX at $135 apiece. Underwriters now have to match buyers and sellers to determine an opening price. Musk is already the world’s richest man and he could become its first trillionaire. Musk says the company is going public because it needs money to fund its ambitions of putting satellites and data centers in space.

Japan's struggling flagship H3 rocket returns to flight with the debut of a low-cost variant

TOKYO (AP) — Japan’s H3 rocket has returned to flight with the debut of its new low-cost variant. The H3 took off Friday from the Tanegashima Space Center on a southwestern Japanese island. The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency says the second stage successfully reached a targeted orbit. The launch is a badly needed success for the country’s struggling new flagship after two failures as it faces an increasingly competitive space industry. The H3 rocket is designed to be more cost-competitive in the global space market. Japan sees a stable, commercially competitive space transport capability as key to its space program and national security.

Pentagon reviews are blocking wind farms, putting jobs at risk, lawsuit says

A coalition of renewable energy groups is suing Pentagon officials over their failure to complete national security reviews for new onshore wind farms on private lands. They say it’s an unlawful freeze that jeopardizes $47 billion in investments and thousands of jobs in 21 states. The plaintiffs filed a motion late Thursday asking the court to order the Pentagon to resume its ordinary review process. The economic analysis included with the motion states that 106 wind projects are impacted by the delays so far. The Pentagon says its siting clearinghouse is actively evaluating these projects to ensure they do not impair national security or military operations. It did not comment on the economic benefits at risk.

Reactor reboot at world's largest nuclear plant highlights flaws in Japan's radioactive waste plans

KASHIWAZAKI, Japan (AP) — A reactor at the world’s largest nuclear power plant in Japan has resumed operations. The country is pushing to maximize nuclear power generation to cope with growing electricity needs and a global oil crisis. The restart at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in May captured public attention over safety improvements by the operator behind the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns. But the reboot highlights a dire problem for the country’s nuclear program. Japan is running out of space to store spent nuclear fuel and lacks plans for radioactive waste disposal. In the Fukushima disaster, a 9.0 earthquake off Japan’s northeastern coast and a subsequent tsunami caused meltdowns at three reactors.

Anthropic pledges $200 million to research AI's economic impact as CEO suggests job loss solutions

Anthropic has joined calls for the AI industry to find ways to cushion people from AI's disruptions to the workforce. The company announced a $200 million investment to research AI's economic impact. On Wednesday, CEO Dario Amodei published an essay with proposals for government support for those financially affected by AI. He warned that AI could cause significant and lasting labor market disruptions. Amodei suggested data collection, pro-employment policies, and possibly universal basic income. Anthropic plans to fund research and a fellowship program to extend AI benefits. The announcement follows similar plans by OpenAI and discussions with political leaders about public compensation.

Visa plugs its payment network into ChatGPT, letting AI agents shop and pay for users

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Visa is embedding its payment network into ChatGPT, allowing the chatbot to shop and complete transactions for users. This collaboration enables ChatGPT to make purchases at any merchant accepting Visa, unlike previous attempts limited to specific retailers. OpenAI will provide the technology for decision-making and purchasing, while Visa ensures secure transactions. The companies haven't disclosed financial terms or fees. Concerns include potential overspending and unauthorized purchases, but Visa plans to implement safeguards like spending limits. This move could impact businesses, with AI agents authorized to procure items and handle invoicing. Mastercard is also developing AI-shopping features.

The skills people still perform better than AI, according to workplace experts

NEW YORK (AP) — Many workers fear machines will supplant them as adoption of artificial intelligence accelerates. But some workplace experts say people have qualities that are so unmistakably human and important, AI can't easily replace them yet. These experts say that soft skills such as empathy, relationship-building and critical thinking can help employees demonstrate their value in workplaces that are rapidly adopting AI tools. Even job listings for technical roles say candidates need to communicate well and take leadership initiative. Other areas where humans still outperform AI are in having a conscience, making complicated judgment calls and applying healthy skepticism.

Canada seeks to ban social media accounts for children under 16, joining growing global effort

TORONTO (AP) — Canada has introduced legislation that could bar children younger than 16 from possessing social media accounts, joining a growing global effort to tighten safety protections. The government says social media platforms can obtain an exemption if they have put sufficient safeguards in place. The legislation introduced Wednesday would create a new regulator, the Digital Safety Commission of Canada. Criteria for exemptions have yet to be established and will come at a later date. Countries including Australia, Brazil and Indonesia have introduced or announced age-based restrictions or requirements for children’s access to social media. Others including Britain, France, Spain, Denmark, Thailand and South Korea are studying or developing similar approaches.