AI and Tech News, 19 Oct 2026: Anthropic Fund, Nscale, Samsung

Here are the nine biggest technology and AI stories of the day, from Anthropic's new public benefit fund and Microsoft's exit from an Nscale data center deal to World's identity tools for banks.

1. Anthropic Commits 5% of Its Shares to a New Public Benefit Fund

The commitment needs stockholder approval, the board may add 2% for every 50% rise in value above a baseline, and Anthropic says none of the fund's equity will go to lobbying or political giving.

2. Microsoft Pulls Out of Nscale's Planned UK Data Center, The Telegraph Reports

Microsoft was the anchor tenant at the Loughton, Essex site, where grid officials reportedly do not expect power until the 2030s, while Nscale says it remains committed and is exploring alternative power sources.

3. Samsung Will Reportedly Use TSMC's 3nm Process for Nvidia Memory Base Dies

Citing industry sources, the Seoul Economic Daily says Nvidia asked Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron to use TSMC for custom HBM base dies, which would be Samsung's first use of TSMC in HBM production.

4. Some Nscale Investors Push for a $16B to $19B IPO Valuation, Bloomberg Reports

The Nvidia-backed AI cloud firm has been seeking about $30B, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg, while it answers SEC comments on its filing and no final decision has been made.

5. South Korea's Kospi Opens 3.17% Lower on Monday After a US Tech Selloff

The index pared its loss to 1.69% by 9:15 a.m. local time, with SK Hynix down 2.83%, after Samsung and SK Hynix posted their steepest weekly drops since 2008.

6. Apple Plans a November 6 Store Reset for New Products, Gurman Reports

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says the overnight reset points to a Friday release of new Macs, a new iPad mini or both, though Apple has not announced which products will go on sale.

7. Anthropic Is Consulting Law Firms on How AI Agents Should Negotiate, the FT Reports

Two people familiar with its thinking said Anthropic is studying how lawyers balance clients' interests with fair outcomes, including how often agents should check in with users; Anthropic declined to comment.

8. Apple Is Reportedly Developing a HomeView With a 360-Degree Robotic Arm

Gurman says the higher-end model, code-named J595, has a roughly 9-inch screen, could arrive in 2027 or 2028, and would use voice recognition to turn toward the person speaking.

9. World Launches a World ID Suite for Banks and Opens Its Zoom Check to All Users

Unveiled at Money20/20 in Las Vegas, the bundle combines the World ID app, World ID for Zoom and World ID for Agents to fight deepfake fraud, though no bank customer or pricing was named.