BackFormer Activision Boss Bobby Kotick Eyes TikTok Acquisition Amid US Ban Threats

Developing

TOI Technology2 days agoTech2 min readIndia

Former Activision Boss Bobby Kotick Eyes TikTok Acquisition Amid US Ban Threats

Potential $100B+ Deal as US Bill to Sell TikTok Gains Momentum with Biden's Support

TikTok Bobby Kotick Activision Blizzard

Quick Look

Bobby Kotick, former Activision Blizzard CEO, considers buying TikTok as a US ban looms.
A bipartisan bill, backed by President Biden, demands ByteDance sell TikTok within six months.
Kotick discussed the acquisition with OpenAI's Sam Altman.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

TikTok faces US scrutiny over data privacy and Chinese ties, amid a broader crackdown on Chinese tech companies.

Font size

Bobby Kotick, former head of Activision Blizzard, may buy TikTok amid its potential US ban. A bill to sell TikTok is introduced, backed by President Biden. Kotick discussed acquisition with OpenAI head. Activision Blizzard faced a lawsuit. Concerns about data privacy and ties to China persist. TikTok urges American users to support it. ... (Full article content preserved with paragraph breaks)

What to Watch

AI outlook — possibilities, not facts

TikTok's fate in the US will be decided within the next 6 months.
Likely · Within months

Open Questions

What would be the terms of a potential TikTok sale?
How would a ban affect TikTok's global operations?

Harvard mathematician Levent Alpöge, collaborating with Anthropic's AI model Fable, identified a possible counterexample to the 87-year-old Jacobian conjecture. While awaiting formal peer review, the compact solution has garnered attention, suggesting AI's evolving role in advanced mathematical research.

TOI World

3 min read

Tech·4 hours ago

AI Inheritance of Human Bias: A Study on Gender Stereotypes

An experiment with three leading AI chatbots (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini) shows that despite progress, AI systems often reflect and subtly reinforce historical gender stereotypes, associating men with leadership and women with caregiving, even when using modern, inclusive language.

Times of India

7 min read

Developing·8 hours ago

South Korean Foreign Ministry System Holding Diplomat Records Compromised

South Korea's Foreign Ministry reported an unidentified hacker compromised an online system containing 10,000 diplomat records. While sensitive data like IDs were reportedly unaffected, a significant leak is suspected. The system is offline, and an investigation is underway.

TOI World

1 min read

Developing·23 hours ago

Chris Fall Resigns as Director of Center for AI Standards and Innovation

Chris Fall resigned as director of the Center for AI Standards and Innovation (CAISI) after three months. Arvind Raman will serve as acting director while leading NIST. This leadership change occurs amid increasing uncertainty in US AI policy and research efforts, with intensifying competition from Chinese AI models.

Economic Times

2 min read

Tech·yesterday

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: Expected Price, Camera, and Chipset Upgrades

Apple's rumored iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max, expected September 2026, may feature significant camera upgrades, a new A20 Pro chipset, and potential price increases due to rising component costs, with US prices possibly starting around $1,099-$1,299.