Could OpenAI fill Microsoft’s shoes?

OpenAI recently announced a $200 million deal with the U.S. Department of Defense, which has us wondering: Could this further strain the company’s relationship with its biggest backer, Microsoft?

After all, there have been numerous reports about growing tensions between the two companies, particularly as they become more competitive over enterprise deals.

Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Anthony Ha and Max Zeff discuss how the OpenAI/DoD deal reflects Silicon Valley’s increasingly cozy relationship with the military and why industry leaders are calling for an AI “arms race.”

Listen to the full episode to hear more highlights from the week, including:

• Whether it’s a good thing that Vice President JD Vance joined Bluesky (and was briefly suspended)
• What it means that Wix acquired a six-month-old “vibe coding” startup for $80 million (and why Anthony hates the phrase “vibe coding”)
• A panel in which investor Ali Partovi and Cognition President Russell Kaplan discuss what technical talent means in the age of AI

Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. 

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.