Latest AI News Cycle for Tuesday, February 3, 2026

• Elon Musk merges SpaceX and xAI in $1.25 trillion megadeal: This unprecedented merger creates a $1.25 trillion colossus by combining SpaceX's orbital launch capabilities with xAI's intelligence. Musk aims to utilize SpaceX's satellite constellations to build space-based data centers, potentially revolutionizing how global AI compute and infrastructure are managed.
• Software stocks plunge as AI tools threaten industry incumbents: Major software and data stocks including Adobe and Salesforce saw a massive $300 billion market cap wipeout as investors fear AI will replace traditional software workflows. This signifies a major market shift where AI is no longer just a feature but a potential existential threat to legacy SaaS.
• Massive $100 billion OpenAI and Nvidia partnership talks stall: The landmark investment deal between the world's leading chipmaker and most prominent AI lab is reportedly 'on ice.' This development highlights growing friction between the two giants as OpenAI seeks hardware independence and Nvidia evaluates the risks of such a massive private investment.
• Snowflake announces $200 million strategic partnership with OpenAI: Snowflake is committing significant capital to integrate OpenAI's models directly into its enterprise data platform. This move helps Snowflake customers leverage generative AI on their proprietary data more securely, marking a major milestone for enterprise-grade AI adoption and data cloud utility.
• Apple launches agentic coding tools with Claude and OpenAI: Apple has integrated Anthropic's Claude and OpenAI's Codex into Xcode 26.3, bringing agentic capabilities to millions of developers. This move legitimizes AI agents in the professional software engineering workflow and signifies Apple's aggressive push to catch up in the AI developer tools market.
• Microsoft launches marketplace for licensing publisher content to AI: Partnering with major outlets like Hearst and Condé Nast, Microsoft’s new Publisher Content Marketplace creates a structured pathway for AI companies to license high-quality training data. This addresses legal concerns over copyright while providing publishers with a new revenue stream in the AI economy.
• Overland AI raises $100 million for autonomous military robots: The funding led by 8VC highlights the growing intersection of AI and defense. Overland AI specializes in off-road autonomous navigation for military applications, showcasing how AI is moving beyond digital environments and into complex, physical battlefields where reliability and ruggedness are paramount.
• Skyryse secures $300 million to automate Black Hawk helicopters: Skyryse's flight automation operating system represents a massive leap in aerospace AI. By integrating SkyOS into iconic aircraft like the Black Hawk, the company aims to reduce human error in aviation, potentially transforming both military and civilian flight safety through advanced AI-driven control systems.