iWorld
YouTube’s ad revenue growth slows down in Q2, subscription revenue sees good growth
KOLKATA: In the pandemic-hit period, Google-owned YouTube’s advertising revenue declined in the Q2 of 2020 compared to the previous quarter. It has raked $3.81 billion for the quarter up from $3.60 billion in the year-ago period but lower than $4.04 billion in Q1.
“For YouTube, we ended March with a year-on-year growth rate in the high single digits, and that's reflecting a substantial headwind from brand. The headwind from brand moderated modestly at the end of the second quarter, and then we saw a further improvement in July. Direct response has been consistently strong,” Google and Alphabet CFO Ruth Porat said.
Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai also mentioned strong growth in non-ads revenues particularly from Cloud, Google Play and YouTube subscriptions. Nevertheless, content acquisition costs of the company were primarily driven by content costs for YouTube TV and paid YouTube Music and premium subscription services.
He also added that YouTube Premium Music and TV subscriptions performed well during the quarter. “This, in turn, is helping our partners, developers and creators earn revenue and deliver valuable services to people. We are focused on the steps to build long-term value with these opportunities,” Pichai said.
However, while the ad market saw a bump since March, the headwind from brand moderated modestly at the end of the second quarter seeing further improvement in July. Moreover, the company added features in the quarter to make video ads more easily shoppable and browsable on YouTube as more businesses are shifting to online to offset physical store closures.
iWorld
OpenAI hits back at Elon Musk’s lawsuit ahead of trial
Company calls claims “baseless” and accuses Musk of trying to disrupt a rival.
MUMBAI: When the stakes are measured in billions and egos are involved, even Silicon Valley titans can turn a courtroom into a battlefield. OpenAI has issued a sharp public response to Elon Musk’s ongoing lawsuit, accusing the billionaire of filing the case to harass a competitor rather than address genuine concerns. In a strongly worded statement shared on its official X account, OpenAI described Musk’s allegations as “baseless” and suggested the lawsuit is an attempt to disrupt the company as the case heads toward trial later this month in Oakland, California.
The response comes after Musk’s legal team recently amended the complaint, proposing that any damages potentially exceeding $150 billion should go to OpenAI’s nonprofit entity rather than to Musk personally. OpenAI questioned the timing and motive behind this change, calling it a late-stage attempt to “pretend to change his tune” on the nonprofit structure.
The company further labelled the lawsuit a “harassment campaign”, arguing that Musk’s actions are driven by personal rivalry, ego, and a desire for greater control and financial upside.
At the heart of the dispute is Musk’s claim that OpenAI has abandoned its original nonprofit mission of developing artificial intelligence for the benefit of humanity. A co-founder who left in 2018, Musk is seeking governance changes, including the removal of CEO Sam Altman from the nonprofit board, and the return of certain financial gains linked to Altman and President Greg Brockman.
OpenAI has firmly rejected these allegations, maintaining that its current hybrid structure, a public-benefit corporation overseen by a nonprofit parent remains true to its long-term goals. The company has also previously accused Musk of anti-competitive behaviour aimed at weakening its leadership.
As the case prepares for a jury trial, this public exchange highlights the deepening rift between two of the most influential figures in the AI revolution and raises broader questions about governance, mission, and power in the fast-moving world of artificial intelligence.
In the high-stakes game of AI, it seems the real drama isn’t just inside the models, it’s playing out in courtrooms too.
