A look at Eric Schmidt’s push to profit from an AI cold war between the US and China; CB Insights: he has taken part in investing $2B+ in AI-focused companies (Kate Kaye/Protocol)

Eamon Javers / CNBC:
Experts raise conflict of interest concerns over Eric Schmidt’s private AI investments while he served as chairman of the National Security Commission on AI  —  – Five months after Schmidt was appointed to the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, he made a little-noticed private investment …

Jordan Novet / CNBC:
The Pentagon awards Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and Oracle a cloud-computing contract of up to $9B each through 2028 under the Joint Warfighting Cloud Capability  —  – Of the four companies receiving cloud-computing contracts from the Pentagon, all of them had received requests for bids from the U.S. federal agency last year.

Ellen Nakashima / Washington Post:
Sources: the Pentagon plans to audit how it conducts online clandestine information warfare after Meta, Twitter, and others removed pro-US operations  —  Complaints about the U.S. military’s influence operations using Facebook and Twitter have raised concern in the White House and federal agencies.

Kate Kaye / Protocol:
Microsoft helped build a robust AI ecosystem in China but the company could be forced to reexamine its relationship with the country under tighter US rules  —  Through decades of support, Microsoft was an instrumental force helping China become the AI powerhouse it is today.

Alex Marquardt / CNN:
Documents: SpaceX told the Pentagon it can’t donate more Starlink terminals to Ukraine or keep funding the service there, asking the Pentagon to provide funding  —  Since they first started arriving in Ukraine last spring, the Starlink satellite internet terminals made by Elon Musk’s SpaceX …

Megha Paul / Tech.eu:
Berlin-based Latana, which offers brand tracking and consumer insights tools, raised a €36M Series B led by Oxx, with participation from Balderton and Kreos  —  The German startup offers direct channel to consumers that helps brands understand exactly what their key audiences are thinking