Tencent Music beats profit estimates
Tencent Music Entertainment Group delivered a stronger-than-expected quarterly performance, reporting a 36% jump in profit and solid revenue growth, even as the Chinese music streamer grappled with a declining user base. The company said third-quarter revenue rose 20.6% from a year earlier to 8.5 billion yuan ($1.2 billion), exceeding analysts’ expectations. Net profit attributable to shareholders reached 2.2 billion yuan. CEO Liang Zhu acknowledged the pressure from new rivals, naming Qishui Yinyue, Fanqie Changting and NetEase Cloud Music as key competitors. But he expressed confidence in Tencent Music’s “very favorable position,” highlighting its strengths in sound quality, karaoke features, and multidevice compatibility.
OpenAI launches smarter ChatGPT-5.1 series models
OpenAI on Wednesday announced an upgrade to ChatGPT-5, releasing two new models, GPT-5.1 Instant and GPT-5.1 Thinking. The company said the new versions focus on improving intelligence and communication skills, allowing users to customize ChatGPT’s tone to match their preferred chat style. GPT-5.1 Instant uses adaptive reasoning to decide whether to provide a quick response or a more comprehensive one for challenging questions. GPT-5.1 Thinking is designed to provide clearer responses with less jargon, making it easier for users to understand.
AI startup Anthropic plans to invest $50 billion in data centers
U.S. AI firm Anthropic on Wednesday announced a $50 billion investment in computing infrastructure. It will partner with AI cloud computing firm Fluidstack to build data centers in the states of Texas and New York, with plans to expand to more locations. Anthropic said the new facilities will improve the efficiency of its workloads and support cutting-edge research and development. The data centers are scheduled to begin operations next year.
Meta pledges $1 billion to build data center in Wisconsin
Meta Platforms Inc. announced Wednesday that it will build a new data center in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, designed to support large-scale AI workloads. This will be Meta’s 30th data center, with a total investment of over $1 billion. It is expected to create over 100 operational jobs.
Waymo offers freeway robotaxi rides in the U.S.
Waymo announced Wednesday that it will offer robotaxi services for select passengers on freeways in San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles, making it the first company in the U.S. to do so. The service will be available 24 hours a day. Waymo’s driverless vehicles have already offered limited taxi services on city streets in Austin, San Francisco, Phoenix and Los Angeles. The company plans to expand the service to Miami, San Diego and Washington by 2026.
