Former Alibaba Star Researcher Starts New AI Lab, Anthropic’s Rising Costs, Altman Takes The Stand

The AI sector faces significant shifts as former Alibaba researcher Lin Jingyang launches a new startup targeting a $2 billion valuation, challenging the traditional Chinese AI landscape where acquisitions remain rare. Meanwhile, Anthropic’s transition to usage-based pricing for Claude Enterprise is testing customer loyalty; while costs for some firms have tripled, many remain committed due to realized efficiency gains. In legal developments, Sam Altman’s testimony in the Elon Musk-OpenAI trial appears to have bolstered OpenAI’s position, with market sentiment shifting against Musk. Investment firms like FTV Capital are recalibrating software strategies, emphasizing operational leverage over debt while navigating talent retention amid intense competition from frontier labs. Simultaneously, the Senate Banking Committee’s upcoming vote on the Clarity Act highlights a contentious battle between the crypto industry and traditional banks over stablecoin regulations and deposit stability.