Video gamer Electronic Arts to be bought in largest-ever private equity buyout valued at $55 billion

Electronic Arts, the maker of video games like “Madden NFL,” “Battlefield,” and “The Sims,” is being acquired by an investor group including Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund in the largest private equity-funded buyout in history. The investors, who also include a firm managed by Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump’s son-in-law, and the private equity firm Silver Lake Partners, valued the deal $55 billion. EA stockholders will receive $210 per share. The deal far exceeds the $32 billion price tag to take Texas utility TXU private in 2007, which had shattered records for leveraged buyouts. EA rose 4.5% Monday after jumping 15% on Friday.

How Electronic Arts' $55 billion go-private deal could impact the video game industry

NEW YORK (AP) — In what could become the largest-ever buyout funded by private equity, video game maker Electronic Arts has agreed to be acquired in a deal valued at $55 billion. And beyond the potentially record-breaking price tag, the deal could bring wider shifts in the gaming world. Electronic Arts owns popular titles like Madden NFL, Battlefield and The Sims — and going private could grant the company more freedom in developing and distributing these games. It also marks the latest move from Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund PIF to invest in gaming. If the transaction gets the greenlight, PIF would join Silver Lake Partners and Affinity Partners, which run by U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, as Electronic Arts’ new owners.

AI is transforming how software engineers do their jobs. Just don't call it 'vibe-coding'

One of the hottest markets in the artificial intelligence industry is selling chatbots that write computer code. Some call it “vibe-coding” because it encourages an AI coding assistant to do the grunt work as human software developers work through big ideas. Others dislike that term. But there’s no question these tools are transforming the job experience for many tech workers amid an intense rivalry between leading AI companies to make the best one. Anthropic, maker of the Claude chatbot that's popular with software developers, just released its latest model. A number of other companies are pitching competing tools to big businesses.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom signs landmark bill creating AI safety measures

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law legislation aiming to increase transparency and prevent AI models from being used to cause catastrophic harms. The law, signed Monday, requires AI companies to disclose safety protocols for their most advanced models and report safety incidents to the state within 15 days. Some tech companies opposed the legislation, arguing for federal regulation. Proponents said the guardrails are needed to prevent catastrophic harms from the technology that has had little oversight. Newsom said the law establishes regulations without hurting the state's homegrown industry. The signing comes after Republicans in Congress unsuccessfully tried to temporarily ban states from regulating AI.

One Tech Tip: OpenAI adds parental controls to ChatGPT for teen safety

LONDON (AP) — OpenAI has announced new parental controls for ChatGPT to make it safer for teens. This move comes after concerns about AI chatbot safety for young users, including tragic cases where teenagers took their lives after using ChatGPT. To get started, parents can send an email or text invite to their teen to link accounts. Teens can also invite parents. The new controls include automatic safeguards for teen accounts, such as reduced graphic content and restrictions on sensitive topics. Parents will have a dashboard to adjust settings and receive notifications if their child might be in distress.

Trump's team keeps posting AI portraits of him. We keep clicking

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump and his administration have embraced artificial intelligence-generated images, crafting a new portrait of him. These images are shared on social media and depict the Republican in various larger-than-life roles, like a Star Wars Jedi, the pope or a king. This trend reflects a broader cultural shift as everyday people also use AI to reimagine themselves. Despite their obvious fiction, these posts resonate with supporters and critics alike, sparking reactions and engagement online. And the White House recognizes the appeal. In July, it posted to its X account: “Nowhere in the Constitution does it say we can’t post banger memes.”

YouTube to pay $24.5 million to settle lawsuit over Trump's account suspension after Jan. 6 attack

Google’s YouTube has agreed to pay $24.5 million to settle a lawsuit by President Donald Trump over his 2021 account suspension following the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol. According to documents filed in federal court in California, $22 million of the settlement will be contributed to the Trust for the National Mall and the rest will go to other plaintiffs, including the American Conservative Union. The settlement does not constitute an admission of liability, the filing says. Google confirmed the settlement but declined to comment beyond it.

The UN mission appeals to the Taliban to restore internet access across Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD (AP) — The United Nations mission in Afghanistan has urged the Taliban government to immediately restore nationwide internet and telecommunications access, saying the blackout imposed by the government in Kabul has left the country almost entirely cut off from the outside world. The outage, reported the previous day, was the first nationwide shutdown since the Taliban returned to power in 2021. In a statement, the U.N. mission said on Tuesday that the disruption threatens economic stability and deepens one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. It warned the blackout is crippling banking and financial systems, isolating women and girls, limiting access to medical care and remittances, and disrupting aviation.

Denmark reports new drone sightings at armed forces' locations. NATO boosts Baltic Sea vigilance

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Denmark's defense ministry has reported again observing drones at several military locations overnight. The statement on Sunday came a day after NATO announced plans to enhance vigilance in the Baltic Sea region. The ministry said that it deployed "several capacities" but hasn't detailed the specifics. This follows unexplained drone activity including sightings over five Danish airports last week. It has raised security concerns amid suspected Russian aggression. NATO plans to increase surveillance and defense in the area. Germany and Sweden are providing support to Denmark. Tensions have been high with many unconfirmed drone sightings reported by citizens. Russia denies involvement in the incidents.

Private equity sees profits in power utilities as electric bills rise and Big Tech seeks more energy

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Private investment firms that are helping finance America’s artificial intelligence race and the huge buildout of energy-hungry data centers are getting interested in the local utilities that deliver electricity to regular customers — and the servers that power AI. Billions of dollars from such firms are now flowing toward electric utilities in places including New Mexico, Texas, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Greg Brown, a University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill professor, says that's because there’s a lot of money to be made. Buyout proposals are coming at a time when electricity bills are rising fast across the U.S. Opponents worry buyouts will further drive up electric bills for regular people.