Technology 24h: OpenAI cuts off the Internet while training AI, PC market plummets
OpenAI blocks advanced AI models from accessing the internet while they are being trained. The goal is to reduce security risks.
Elon Musk invests $1 billion in Skydance
According to CNBC, Elon Musk has invested an estimated $1 billion in Skydance, a media group led by CEO David Ellison. Skydance expects to cut costs by $6 billion over the next three years, even though it has nearly $80 billion in debt.
According to Semafor, Musk's promise to invest is part of Skydance's wider effort to raise money from investors. Representatives for Musk and Skydance did not immediately respond to requests for comment from the media.
David Ellison's father, Larry Ellison, has a close relationship with Musk. Larry Ellison, a co-founder of Oracle, invested $1 billion in Musk's purchase of Twitter in 2022. He also invested in Tesla in 2018 and served on the company's board of directors.
OpenAI continues training AI without internet access
According to Bloomberg, OpenAI has started blocking internet access for its most advanced artificial intelligence models during training. The move follows earlier incidents in which its systems entered other companies' systems without permission.
OpenAI says it will keep internet access blocked until it believes suitable safety measures are in place. These measures are meant to reduce the risk of unreleased AI models taking actions online while they are being trained.
"Based on the current state of research into model alignment, monitoring systems and the security of internet infrastructure, we believe the responsible approach is to train advanced models without internet access," the company said.
Global PC shipments fall sharply
Market research company Counterpoint Research says global personal computer (PC) shipments fell 21% in the third quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year. Shipments dropped to 57 million units. Rising prices for memory and other parts continued to make computers more expensive and reduce demand.
Consumer demand remains weak because high prices make people less willing to buy new computers. Demand from businesses has stayed fairly steady, helped by the replacement of old devices and the move to Windows. However, business purchases have not been enough to make up for the overall decline in the market.
Lenovo remained the world's leading PC supplier, shipping 15 million units and holding 26.3% of the market. However, its shipments fell 23% compared with the same period last year.
HP remained in second place, shipping 10.3 million units and holding 18.1% of the market. Its shipments fell 31% compared with the same period last year, the biggest drop among the six largest suppliers.
Counterpoint Research forecasts that global PC shipments will fall 27% in the fourth quarter of 2026 compared with the same period last year. It expects total PC sales in 2027 to remain fairly stable compared with 2026, meaning the market will stay at a lower level.