Elon Musk held Apple by the neck again this week

We’d love to jump right into the Elon vs. Apple saga that blew up on Twitter earlier this week, but before that, we want to engage you for just a moment. The AI Colony is running some in-house research to make our community even better, and we’d truly appreciate it if you could take a minute to complete a short survey. Your input will shape our future projects and help us serve you better. As a thank you, we’ve got a couple of freebies waiting for you. Don’t worry, we made sure the Elon story runs a little longer, so you’ll still get all the tea.

Lovable, the upstart making waves in Europe’s AI scene, says it’s gunning for a huge milestone: hitting $1 billion in annual recurring revenue over the next 12 months. Its CEO, Anton Osika, shared on Bloomberg TV that the startup is currently adding about $8 million in ARR every month. That’s only possible because Lovable reached the impressive mark of $100 million in ARR just eight months after crossing the first $1 million barrier this summer. Based on that trajectory, the company expects to close out the year at $250 million ARR, and then push for the $1 billion mark in the year that follows. The startup, founded in 2023, has quickly earned a reputation as one of Europe’s AI darlings, raising $200 million in a Series A that valued it at $1.8 billion this summer. With a growth pace like this and strong investor backing, Lovable is making it clear that they are not just dreaming big, they are building toward it.

Apple is aiming to make your home smarter in a way we haven’t seen before. Sometime around 2026, the company plans to release a brand-new smart display, think of it as a sleek, Apple-style answer to the Echo Show or Nest Hub, with voice control, HomeKit integration, video calls, note-taking, and even personalized features that change depending on who’s facing the screen. Early designs suggest it could include facial recognition to switch between users and a fresh interface full of widgets and clock faces, powered by a new OS dubbed “Charismatic”X

But the real deal is Apple’s 2027 vision: a $1,000 tabletop robot that looks a bit like Pixar’s lamp, complete with a swiveling arm and a display that can follow you around the room. It’s more than just tech, it’s meant to be a friendly presence in your home, handling video calls, helping with security, and offering suggestions as life happens. At its core is a new, lifelike version of Siri, designed to hold conversations, respond to context, and even display a personality via animated visuals. This isn’t Apple just catching up, it feels like a jump towards where Siri doesn’t just answer your questions, it feels like it’s part of the room. Reports say this version of Siri is powered by powerful new language models, codenamed “Linwood” (and another variant, “Glenwood,” that taps into third-party AI models), helping it understand you better and act more naturally.

However, moving screens around a home in a safe and reliable way is no small feat. Experts point out that this introduces complex engineering challenges, from smooth motion and precise tracking to real-time response and safety, which could turn Apple’s design dream into a tricky tightrope act.

Perplexity AI ust dropped a jaw‑dropping move, a surprise all‑cash offer of $34.5 billion to buy Google’s Chrome browser. That’s way more than the startup itself is worth, but Perplexity says several unnamed investment funds are ready to cover the cost.

Perplexity, currently valued at around $18 billion, insists the offer is serious. The plan is to keep Chrome’s underlying code open‑source, leave the default search engine unchanged, and pour in $3 billion over two years to keep the browser thriving. With over three billion users on chrome, it’s one of the most powerful gateways to search on the internet. Perplexity sees owning it as a shortcut to scaling its own AI browser, Comet, and gaining huge reach fast.

Chrome isn’t actually for sale, and Google has no plans to part with it anytime soon. The company is expected to fight any forced divestiture tooth and nail, especially since Chrome is central to its AI and search strategy. Legal experts warn that even if a judge orders a sale, appeals could drag this out for years, possibly through the DC Circuit or even up to the Supreme Court.

There’s also skepticism about the move’s practicality. Some industry voices are calling it a flashy publicity stunt, a bold, attention-grabbing play more than anything actionable. After all, bidding more than your own valuation doesn’t exactly scream financial prudence.

Earlier this week, Elon Musk took a swipe at Apple. He claims that the App Store is playing favorites, boosting OpenAI while sidelining his AI ventures, X and Grok. Musk argues that Apple is making it nearly impossible for any AI app besides ChatGPT to reach the top spot, calling it an “unequivocal antitrust violation” and announcing that his startup xAI will take immediate legal action.

Musk specifically questioned why X which he says is the world’s number one news app and Grok which ranks fifth overall, aren’t featured in Apple’s “Must Have” section, suggesting the platform is “playing politics.”

Apple quickly pushed back, insisting its App Store remains “fair and free of bias.” The company said app visibility is determined through a blend of curated picks and algorithmic rankings, all rooted in expert evaluation.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, chimed in too, taking issue with Musk’s claim. He pointed to long-standing allegations that Musk manipulates his own platform, X, for personal gain, stoking a broader contest for control and visibility in the AI space.

Elon Musk’s claim doesn’t quite hold up. Other AI players like Perplexity, DeepSeek, and Meta AI have already reached number one in App Store rankings, showing the path isn’t just exclusive to OpenAI.  The article also suggests that Musk’s latest move may be less about building a solid legal case and more about seizing media attention, something he’s mastered. This isn’t Musk’s first clash with Apple over App Store policies. He famously attacked Apple’s 30% commissions as an “Internet tax” and accused them of censorship, tensions that only add fuel to this new showdown.

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