Key Takeaways
- Google (GOOGL) is reportedly in talks to significantly expand its compute deal with AI company Anthropic, potentially worth tens of billions of dollars, building on its existing over $3 billion investment and a 10% stake in the OpenAI rival.
- Malaysia plans to introduce a carbon tax by 2026, initially targeting the iron, steel, and energy sectors, with the specific rate to be decided after parliamentary approval of its Climate Change Bill, aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050.
- Hong Kong is set to repair and repurpose 20% of its Covid-19 isolation cubicles damaged by recent typhoons, integrating them into future public works construction sites.
Google Eyes Deeper AI Ties with Anthropic
Google (GOOGL) is reportedly exploring an expansion of its stake and a new compute deal with Anthropic, a prominent artificial intelligence company and rival to OpenAI. The potential cloud deal could be worth tens of billions of dollars in compute resources. This comes after Google has already invested over $3 billion in Anthropic, securing an initial 10% ownership stake in 2023.
Anthropic, the developer behind the AI chatbot Claude, has designated Google Cloud as its preferred cloud provider. The company has also utilized Google Cloud's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) for its AI development. This deepening relationship underscores Google's commitment to the burgeoning AI sector, where it competes with other tech giants like Amazon (AMZN), which has also invested a substantial $8 billion in Anthropic. Anthropic's valuation could reach $60 billion following a separate $2 billion funding round, with its annualized revenue for 2024 reportedly growing to $1 billion.
Malaysia to Implement Carbon Tax by 2026
Malaysia is moving forward with plans to introduce a carbon tax by 2026, a key component of its strategy to curb the nation's climate footprint and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. The Finance Ministry has indicated that the specific tax rate will be determined following parliamentary approval of the country's Climate Change Bill.
The carbon tax will initially target emissions from the iron, steel, and energy sectors. While the exact rate is still under consideration, reports suggest an initial rate of 15 ringgit ($3.58) per ton of emissions. This policy is expected to generate approximately 1 billion ringgit annually for the government and aligns with Malaysia's goal to reduce its economy-wide carbon emissions intensity against gross domestic product by 45% in 2030. The implementation of the carbon tax was announced alongside the 2026 budget, although there may be a delay in the Climate Change Bill to allow for more comprehensive consultations with businesses.
Hong Kong Repurposes Typhoon-Damaged Isolation Facilities
In Hong Kong, recent typhoons have caused damage to 20% of the city's Covid-19 isolation cubicles, which were part of community isolation and treatment facilities. The Development Bureau has announced plans to repair and repurpose these damaged modules.
These cubicles, previously used for pandemic response, will be integrated into future public works projects. The reuse strategy involves deploying them at construction sites, demonstrating an effort to maximize the utility of existing infrastructure and mitigate waste following natural disasters.
Ed Liston is a senior contributing editor at TheStockMarketWatch.com. An active market watcher and investor, Ed guides an independent team of experienced analysts and writes for multiple stock trader publications.