Photo by Manny Becerra on Unsplash
Tesla And Samsung Agree To $16.5 Billion Chip Supply Deal
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
Elon Musk confirmed on Monday that Tesla has reached a $16.5 billion agreement with Samsung. The South Korean company will supply semiconductors for the American firm’s electric vehicles (EVs).
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Elon Musk confirmed Tesla has reached a $16.5 billion semiconductor agreement with Samsung.
- The South Korean company submitted a filing but didn’t disclose the counterpart.
- Samsung said the new contract will end by December 2033.
Musk announced the new partnership in a post on the social media platform X, stating that Samsung will develop advanced chips for the automaker.
“Samsung’s giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip. The strategic importance of this is hard to overstate,” wrote Musk. “Samsung currently makes AI4. TSMC will make AI5, which just finished design, initially in Taiwan and then Arizona.”
Samsung’s giant new Texas fab will be dedicated to making Tesla’s next-generation AI6 chip. The strategic importance of this is hard to overstate. Samsung currently makes AI4. TSMC will make AI5, which just finished design, initially in Taiwan and then Arizona. — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 28, 2025
According to CNBC , Samsung explained in a new filing—without naming the counterpart—that it signed a contract starting on July 26, set to expire on December 31, 2033. The Korean firm said it would not reveal the name of the partner until the end of the contract “to protect trade secrets.”
“Since the main contents of the contract have not been disclosed due to the need to maintain business confidentiality, investors are advised to invest carefully, considering the possibility of changes or termination of the contract,” said the company. Its shares rose 6% this week.
Musk did not provide further details about the agreement but emphasized that the strategic partnership plays a crucial role for his company.
“Samsung agreed to allow Tesla to assist in maximizing manufacturing efficiency,” added Musk in another post. “This is a critical point, as I will walk the line personally to accelerate the pace of progress. And the fab is conveniently located not far from my house.”
The new deal also strengthens Samsung’s business trajectory, as it has recently fallen behind competitors such as Micron and SK Hynix.
Tesla has been expanding its services and product offerings. It recently began rolling out its Robotaxi services in Texas .
Photo by Alim Koray Cengiz on Unsplash
Google Says Earthquake System Failed To Alert Millions In Turkey
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Sarah Frazier Former Content Manager
The BBC revealed on Monday how Google’s earthquake detection system failed to alert 10 million citizens about the deadly earthquake in Turkey in 2023. The tech giant admitted that it underestimated the strength of the tremors.
In a rush? Here are the quick facts:
- Google’s earthquake detection system failed to alert 10 million citizens about the deadly earthquake in Turkey in 2023.
- Only 469 devices received the “Take Action” alert.
- The tech giant emphasized that its systems are supplementary and that governments should rely on national systems.
According to the BBC’s investigation , Google’s seismological system, Android Earthquake Alerts (AEA), could have warned over 10 million people using its highest-level alert. Google had previously stated that half a million people received a “light shaking” alert during the first earthquake, but the BBC’s research found that only 469 devices received the “Take Action” alert—the program’s most severe warning.
Google’s AEA system operates on Android devices—which account for over 70% of smartphones in Turkey—by detecting shaking from multiple phones. The “Take Action” alert triggers a loud alarm—even when devices are set to “Do Not Disturb”—and displays a full-screen warning message.
The BBC estimates that, during the 2023 earthquakes, which killed 55,000 people, users could have been woken by the alarm, giving them roughly 35 seconds to move to safety. The first quake struck at 4:17 a.m., when most people were asleep.
While Google’s system was operational—it works in about 100 countries as part of its “global safety net”—it misjudged the severity of the tremors. The system initially predicted magnitudes of 4.5 and 4.9 on the Moment Magnitude Scale (MMS), while the actual quake registered a 7.8.
“We continue to improve the system based on what we learn in each earthquake”, said a spokesperson from Google to the BBC. “Every earthquake early warning system grapples with the same challenge – tuning algorithms for large magnitude events.”
For the second earthquake, the tech giant sent 8,158 Take Action alerts and Be Aware alerts to around 4 million.
Google shared more details of how its system failed on a paper published in the magazine Science .
However, the company emphasized that its systems are supplementary and that governments should have their own national systems.
Modern AI technologies are also playing a growing role in disaster response. A few months ago, after Myanmar was hit by a 7.7 magnitude earthquake, the AI for Good Lab used satellite imagery to rapidly assess which regions had suffered the most damage.
