Technology

• Amazon plans first big-box retail store in Chicago suburb - Amazon has submitted plans for a large-format store near Chicago that would be larger than a Walmart Supercenter.
• OpenAI and SoftBank announce $1 billion investment in SB Energy as part of massive AI buildout - OpenAI and SoftBank agreed to invest $1 billion into a SoftBank-backed energy provider as the companies prepare for a massive buildout of AI data centers.
• Meta signs nuclear energy deals to power Prometheus AI supercluster - Meta said it secured agreements with energy companies Vistra, TerraPower and Oklo, which are all working on nuclear power technologies.
• Intel stock rises after Trump touts 'very successful' CEO, applauds government's investment - In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said he just met with Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan, and applauded the company for launching a processor in the U.S.
• Meta faces China probe over acquisition of AI agent startup Manus - China to probe Meta's acquisition of artificial intelligence startup Manus to assess its compliance with export control laws.
• The boldest bitcoin predictions for 2026 are in — from $75,000 to $225,000 - Industry executives and investors forecast a wide range of prices for bitcoin in 2026, dropping as low as $75,000 and rising as high as $225,000.
• China’s first 'AI tiger' goes public as Zhipu climbs in Hong Kong debut - Shares of China-backed Zhipu made small gains on their Hong Kong debut, following a $558 million initial public offering.
• Samsung Electronics estimates nearly three-fold profit surge as memory prices skyrocket - The memory giant projected an operating profit of 20 trillion won for the final quarter of 2025, a significant improvement from a year earlier.
• Microsoft revealed as company behind controversial data center proposal in Michigan township - Locals have concerns about water use in a township that has dealt with shortages.
• Elon Musk's xAI raises $20 billion from investors including Nvidia, Cisco, Fidelity - Elon Musk's AI said it raised $20 billion in new funding after CNBC reported in November that a financing round would value the company at about $230 billion.