Apple expands its AI-powered Apple Intelligence to India, introducing new features that enhance productivity and privacy. Meanwhile, Elon Musk’s xAI acquires social media giant X, signaling a major shift in AI and data integration. OpenAI secures a massive USD 40 billion investment, pushing its valuation to USD 300 billion, while Qualcomm strengthens its AI capabilities by acquiring VinAI's generative AI division.
Also Read: Apple Launches First Set of Intelligence Features for iPhone, iPad, and Mac Users
Check out the detailed developments below:
1. Apple Intelligence Features Now Available in India
Apple has officially expanded its AI-powered Apple Intelligence to users in India, introducing a host of features designed to enhance productivity, creativity, and privacy. With this rollout, Apple Intelligence now supports localised English for India and Singapore, along with other languages, including French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, and simplified Chinese.
AI-Powered Productivity Tools
With the latest updates—iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS Sequoia 15.4, Apple Intelligence introduces Writing Tools, allowing users to rewrite, proofread, and summarise text across Mail, Messages, Notes, Pages, and third-party apps. It also includes Describe Your Change, enabling users to customise their writing style. Additionally, Smart Reply offers quick, AI-driven responses in multiple languages.
The Photos app receives a major AI boost with Clean Up, which removes unwanted objects from images, and Memories, which creates videos based on user descriptions. Image Playground lets users design custom images within Messages and other apps, while Genmoji generates personalised emoji using AI.
Smarter Communication and Organisation
Apple Intelligence enhances Mail with Priority Messages, highlighting urgent emails and summarising long threads. Siri gets a more conversational upgrade, enabling users to switch between text and voice seamlessly while maintaining context. According to Apple, the Notes and Phone apps now support audio recording, transcription, and summarisation of conversations.
AI Integration with ChatGPT
Apple integrates ChatGPT into Siri and Writing Tools, allowing users to tap into AI-driven assistance without switching apps. ChatGPT can generate content, summarise information, and even create images. Apple says users retain full control over privacy, with no data stored or used for training unless they opt-in.
Privacy-Focused AI
Apple emphasises privacy with on-device processing, ensuring that many AI tasks run locally. For complex tasks, Private Cloud Compute securely extends processing power to Apple's cloud servers without storing personal data.
"In a first for the industry, independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to continuously verify this privacy promise. Apple Intelligence with Private Cloud Compute is an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI and unlocks intelligence users can trust," Apple said in a statement on March 31, 2025.
2. xAI Acquires X
Elon Musk's AI startup xAI has acquired X in an all-stock transaction, valuing the AI firm xAI at USD 80 billion and the social media giant X at USD 33 billion (after adjusting for USD 12 billion in debt).
"xAI has acquired X in an all-stock transaction," Musk announced in a post on X on March 29. "The combination values xAI at USD 80 billion and X at USD 33 billion (USD 45B less USD 12B debt)." He said in his post on Friday that X has more than 600 million active users.
He continued, saying, "xAI and X's futures are intertwined. Today, we officially take the step to combine the data, models, compute, distribution and talent. This combination will unlock immense potential by blending xAI's advanced AI capability and expertise with X's massive reach."
"The combined company will deliver smarter, more meaningful experiences to billions of people while staying true to our core mission of seeking truth and advancing knowledge. This will allow us to build a platform that doesn't just reflect the world but actively accelerates human progress."
"Since its founding two years ago, xAI has rapidly become one of the leading AI labs in the world, building models and data centers at unprecedented speed and scale." Elon Musk said, adding, "X is the digital town square where more than 600 million active users go to find the real-time source of ground truth and, in the last two years, has been transformed into one of the most efficient companies in the world."
3. OpenAI Raises USD 40 Billion at a USD 300 Billion Post-Money Valuation
OpenAI announced on Monday that it has closed a funding round that will bring in USD 40 billion at a USD 300 billion valuation, including money raised.
"[This new capital] enables us to push the frontiers of AI research even further, scale our compute infrastructure, and deliver increasingly powerful tools for the 500 million people who use ChatGPT every week," OpenAI wrote in the blog post on March 31, 2025.
"We’re excited to be working in partnership with SoftBank Group — few companies understand how to scale transformative technology like they do. Their support will help us continue building AI systems that drive scientific discovery, enable personalised education, enhance human creativity, and pave the way toward AGI that benefits all of humanity," OpenAI added.
CNBC, citing a source familiar with the matter, reported that approximately USD 18 billion of the funding will go toward OpenAI's Stargate infrastructure project, which aims to establish a network of AI data centers across the US.
Meanwhile, SoftBank Group (SBG) announced that on March 31, 2025, it entered into a definitive agreement with OpenAI Global and its affiliates, a US-based artificial intelligence research and development company, to make follow-on investments of up to USD 40 billion. SBG plans to syndicate out USD 10 billion of the up to USD 40 billion investment to co-investors. Accordingly, SBG's effective investment amount is expected to be up to USD 30 billion, the company said in a statement on April 1, 2025.
SoftBank group believes that the "Information Revolution" has now entered a new phase led by artificial intelligence (AI). "In this context, SBG has declared its mission to realise Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) for the advancement of humanity."
"Recognising OpenAI as the partner closest to achieving Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a key milestone on the path to ASI, and its mission of ensuring AGI benefits all of humanity, SBG has positioned OpenAI as its most important partner and invested USD 2.2 billion in total through SoftBank Vision Fund 2 since September 2024," it further said.
"The advancement of OpenAI's AI models is key to achieving AGI and ASI, and massive computing power is essential. To that end, SBG has announced the "Stargate Project" together with OpenAI on January 21, 2025, to build dedicated AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the United States.
"In alignment with this initiative, and to both further support OpenAI's growth and capture the benefits of that growth in SBG's NAV (Net Asset Value), SBG has decided to make follow-on investments in OpenAI," SoftBank said.
As part of the transaction, the payment of USD 10 billion to OpenAI Global, scheduled for April 2025, is expected to be financed through borrowings from Mizuho Bank Limited and other financial institutions (excluding the syndicated amount).
Also Read: AI: Google Health AI Updates, xAI Acquires GenAI Video Startup, Mistral Releases Small AI Model
4. Qualcomm Acquires the Generative AI Division of VinAI
Qualcomm announced the acquisition of MovianAI Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application and Research JSC (MovianAI), the former generative AI division of VinAI Application and Research JSC (VinAI) and part of the Vingroup ecosystem. AI research company VinAI is known for its expertise in generative AI, machine learning, computer vision, and natural language processing, Qualcomm stated.
"This acquisition underscores our commitment to dedicating the necessary resources to R&D that makes us the driving force behind the next wave of AI innovation," said Jilei Hou, senior vice president of engineering, Qualcomm Technologies. "By bringing in high-caliber talent from VinAI, we are strengthening our ability to deliver cutting-edge AI solutions that will benefit a wide range of industries and consumers."
Hung Bui, founder and chief executive officer of VinAI, added, "We are ready to contribute to Qualcomm's mission of making breakthroughs in fundamental AI research and scale them across industries, including smartphones, PCs, software-defined vehicles, and more. Our team's expertise in generative AI and machine learning will help accelerate the development of innovative solutions that can transform the way we live and work."
"Combining VinAI's advanced generative AI research and development (R&D) capabilities with Qualcomm's decades of extensive R&D will expand its ability to drive extraordinary inventions," the companies announced on Monday.
Qualcomm says this acquisition will strengthen its generative AI research and development capabilities and expedite the creation of advanced AI solutions for products like smartphones, PCs, software-defined vehicles, and more.
This is Qualcomm’s second acquisition this year, following its purchase of Edge Impulse, a German AI and Internet of Things company, in early March.
