Apple EU Assistant Choice, NVIDIA NVLink Fusion, and 23andMe Acquisition

Tech News Headlines

• 🗓️ Daily Tech Headlines for Monday, May 19th, 2025, covering major announcements and acquisitions.

NVIDIA's NVLink Fusion and AI Factory

• 🚀 NVIDIA unveiled NVLink Fusion, allowing third-party chip makers like Qualcomm and MediaTek to integrate its high-speed interconnect into their CPUs and AI accelerators.
• 🏭 NVIDIA and Foxconn are building an AI factory supercomputer in Taiwan, powered by 10,000 Blackwell GPUs, to support AI research in areas like smart cities and manufacturing.
• 💻 TSMC will utilize this supercomputer to accelerate its own research and development.

Acquisitions and Data Access

• 🧬 Pharmaceutical maker Regeneron plans to acquire 23andMe for $256 million, gaining access to genetic data from 15 million customers.
• 🔒 This acquisition follows 23andMe's 2023 data breach and bankruptcy filing, with Regeneron pledging to uphold privacy standards for drug discovery.

Apple's EU Compliance and China's Robot Production

• 🗣️ Apple is preparing to allow iPhone users in the EU to choose third-party voice assistants like OpenAI's or Google's, to comply with the EU's Digital Markets Act.
• 🇨🇳 China's industrial robot production surged by 51.5% year-over-year in April 2025, reaching over 71,000 units.

AI and Software Development

• 🤖 OpenAI launched Codeex, an AI coding agent embedded in ChatGPT, optimized for software engineering tasks like writing features and fixing bugs.
• 💰 OpenAI plans to monetize Codeex usage through rate limits and paid credits for pro, enterprise, and team users.

Product Discontinuations and Streaming Rights

• 💻 Microsoft has reportedly wrapped up production of the Surface Laptop Studio 2, effectively discontinuing the line as they focus on other Surface models.
• 📺 Netflix has acquired exclusive global streaming rights to Sesame Street, including past episodes and rights to develop video games, after Warner Brothers Discovery did not renew its Max deal.