In today’s Digest, we cover OpenAI laying the groundwork for ChatGPT ads in the EU and sharing user data with advertisers, Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Goldman Sachs backing a new enterprise AI venture, and Elon Musk settling an SEC lawsuit over his Twitter purchase, paying a USD$1.5m fine.

OpenAI lays groundwork for ChatGPT ads in EU, shares user data with advertisers

OpenAI appears to be laying the groundwork to expand its advertising business into Europe, with new code updates signalling a focus on compliance with stricter regional privacy laws. Changes to its conversion tracking pixel include the addition of a consent management system, allowing advertisers to obtain explicit user permission before tracking activity and to stop tracking if that consent is withdrawn. 

The update also enables advertisers to exclude specific actions, such as purchases or sign-ups, from tracking. It introduces a country field to the data collected, indicating that jurisdiction-specific data handling is being built into the system. In Europe, explicit consent must be granted before any tracking begins, with users retaining the right to withdraw it at any time.

Meanwhile, OpenAI has formalised its transition into an advertising platform, updating its US privacy policy on 30th April to reflect the infrastructure it has been building behind the scenes. The revised policy explicitly states that the company may receive purchase data from advertisers and use user information both to measure campaign performance and to promote its own products. The update brings new transparency to OpenAI’s data practices. 

The company now acknowledges sharing user data with third-party partners for ad targeting, while also reclassifying its vendor disclosures to include “marketing partners”. 

Blackstone, H&F, Goldman back AI venture

Anthropic has partnered with Blackstone, Hellman & Friedman, and Goldman Sachs to launch a new AI services company aimed at embedding its Claude model into the core operations of mid-sized businesses. Backed by a broader consortium including General Atlantic and Apollo Global Management, among others, the venture is designed to address growing enterprise demand for applied AI. The firm will deploy engineers alongside Anthropic’s Applied AI teams to build tailored solutions and support long-term adoption, positioning itself as a delivery layer for organisations lacking in-house AI expertise.

The new company will work closely with clients to identify high-impact use cases such as automating administrative workflows in healthcare and develop systems integrated into existing operations. It will also join Anthropic’s Claude Partner Network, alongside consultancies like Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC, reinforcing a broader ecosystem approach to enterprise AI deployment.

Musk settles Twitter lawsuit paying $1.5m

Elon Musk has reached a settlement with the US Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations that he delayed disclosing his initial stake in Twitter in 2022. Under the agreement, a trust in Musk’s name will pay a USD$1.5m (£1.19m) civil penalty without admitting wrongdoing, allowing him to avoid repaying the estimated USD$150m (£118.5m) in gains the regulator claimed he made by purchasing additional shares before publicly revealing his holdings. The settlement, filed in a Washington, DC federal court, resolves a lawsuit brought in January 2025 that accused Musk of waiting 11 days to disclose a 5% stake, during which he expanded it to 9.2%.

The case highlights the long-running tensions between Musk and the SEC, dating back to earlier securities fraud charges tied to his leadership of Tesla. While the regulator had sought both financial penalties and disgorgement, the final agreement reflects a more limited outcome. Musk has maintained that the delay was inadvertent, with his legal team framing the settlement as a full resolution of the matter.