THE DAILY BRIEF

EPA EXEMPTS DATA CENTER POWER FROM POLLUTION RULES

The EPA has determined that power plants serving only data centers—not the public grid—would not be subject to federal pollution laws, removing a regulatory barrier to AI infrastructure buildout. This follows similar exemptions from acid rain prevention standards.

► Environmental deregulation for data centers could create a race-to-the-bottom dynamic, with AI companies locating polluting infrastructure in permissive jurisdictions.

Apple has rolled out Apple Upgrade, a new leasing program in partnership with Klarna starting at $17.99/month, covering iPhones, iPads, Macs, and Apple Watches to replace its older iPhone Upgrade Program. iOS code also reveals Apple will restrict access to financed devices if payments are missed.

► Apple is shifting from ownership to a subscription model while embedding payment enforcement directly into OS-level hardware controls, signaling a broader shift in device economics.

SK Group Chair Chey Tae Won revealed that Anthropic has requested supplies from SK Hynix to manufacture its own chips, marking a significant vertical integration move by the AI developer to reduce dependence on third-party chip makers.

► AI companies building their own silicon indicates the compute bottleneck is severe enough that controlling the entire stack—not just software—has become strategically necessary.

Since April, when Anthropic PBC unveiled its Mythos model, cyber and national security experts have warned that the internet has entered a new era full of artificial…