The company, long focused on cars and trucks, plans to begin manufacturing large batteries used by utilities, data centers, other businesses and homeowners.

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The company reported a strong holiday quarter on Thursday. But its spending, like that at other big technology companies, is starting to make investors nervous.

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The German manufacturer announced plans to expand factories in several U.S. states and build a new plant in Mississippi.

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SpaceX has formally acquired another one of Elon Musk's companies, xAi, the space company announced on Monday afternoon.

"SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform," the company said. "This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!"

The merging of what is arguably Musk's most successful company, SpaceX, with the more speculative xAI venture is a risk. Founded in 2023, xAI's main products are the generative AI chatbot Grok and the social media site X, formerly known as Twitter. The company aims to compete with OpenAI and other artificial intelligence firms. However, Grok has been controversial, including the sexualization of women and children through AI-generated images, as has Musk's management of Twitter.

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The deal further intermingles Mr. Musk’s companies and creates the most valuable private company on earth.

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SpaceX has formally acquired another of Elon Musk's companies, xAi, the space company announced on Monday afternoon.

"SpaceX has acquired xAI to form the most ambitious, vertically-integrated innovation engine on (and off) Earth, with AI, rockets, space-based internet, direct-to-mobile device communications and the world’s foremost real-time information and free speech platform," the company said. "This marks not just the next chapter, but the next book in SpaceX and xAI's mission: scaling to make a sentient sun to understand the Universe and extend the light of consciousness to the stars!"

The merging of what is arguably Musk's most successful company, SpaceX, with the more speculative xAI venture is a risk. But Musk strongly believes that artificial intelligence is central to humanity's future and wants to be among those leading in its development.

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A group that monitors the U.S. electricity system warns that grid reliability is “worsening” and blackout risks are rising for millions of people.

© Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times

A group that monitors the U.S. electricity system warns that grid reliability is “worsening” and blackout risks are rising for millions of people.

© Tamir Kalifa for The New York Times

A.I. companies are buying up memory chips, causing the prices of those components — which are also used in laptops and smartphones — to soar.

The rivals made billions of dollars in the business over the past year, showing other companies that Nvidia isn’t the only game in town.

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The company said on Wednesday that revenue in the most recent quarter was $81.3 billion, but its share price dropped more than 7 percent in after-hours trading.

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That would be a major jump from $72 billion last year, as the tech giant aims to compete in the artificial intelligence race.

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Driven by the artificial intelligence frenzy, Microsoft is internally projecting that water use at its data centers will more than double by 2030 from 2020, including in places that face shortages.

The tech giant has spent more than $6 million on TV ads in state capitals and Washington, with the message that data centers create jobs.

The steady accumulation of snow and freezing rain and a rise in demand for electricity can cause problems long after the sky clears, energy experts said.

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Demand from centers that power artificial intelligence has driven up electricity bills, frustrating consumers.

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Despite many proposals, there is little consensus among governors, lawmakers and tech executives about exactly how much the companies behind data centers should pay for electricity.

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The agency wants to curtail a section of the Clean Water Act that Democratic governors have used to restrict fossil fuel development.

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The tech giant is responding to concerns that data centers are driving up electricity costs in some communities.

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The tech giant is responding to concerns that data centers are driving up electricity costs in some communities.

The artificial intelligence start-up, which competes with OpenAI, is aiming to raise around $10 billion amid talk of a potential initial public offering.

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The funding is part of an A.I. frenzy, as investors aggressively plow enormous sums into fast-growing start-ups at sky-high valuations.

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Some tech leaders are concerned that the artificial intelligence race will exhaust available land and energy. The solution might lie in orbit.

© Soña Lee

Some tech leaders are concerned that the artificial intelligence race will exhaust available land and energy. The solution might lie in orbit.

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The president has backed policies that allow the industry to grow unfettered. The mutually beneficial alliance is causing concern among some conservatives.

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Kevin Roose and Casey Newton, the hosts of “Hard Fork” at The New York Times, spoke with Andrew Marley, executive director for Effective Altruism DC, about how much water A.I. data centers use.

The deal for Intersect, a data center and energy developer, is set to help Google build out its infrastructure for artificial intelligence.

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Three Democrats are seeking information from tech firms about the growing energy use of data centers and the utility bills of individuals and other businesses.

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The data centers used for work on artificial intelligence can cost tens of billions to build. Tech giants are finding ways to avoid being on the hook for some of those costs.

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Harold Hamm, an Oklahoma oil tycoon, has played a central role in reshaping energy policy by allying himself with President Trump.

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