Axios

Early-stage venture deals keep getting bigger, even once stripping out AI juggernauts. And that raises a multi-billion dollar question:

• If AI is supposed to supercharge productivity, why are startups raising more money? Shouldn't they need less?

OpenAI wasn't mentioned once Thursday in a judge's 115-page decision against Google over its dominance of the online ad market — but the ChatGPT maker stands as a key beneficiary of this legal conflict.

Why it matters: The rise of AI is threatening the heart of Google's search business at the same moment that the government is pressing its most sustained challenge to Big Tech power in nearly 30 years.

Google wants employees to focus on their work and not fret about the company's loss of "parts of" its online advertising monopoly case, it said in a memo to employees Thursday.

Why it matters: The court's ruling, which Google said it would appeal, could fundamentally reshape the giant's advertising business, depending on the remedies, or penalties, the judge determines.