Afternoon Coffee: Apple Joins AI Research Group, World Trade Flows Hit New Highs — For Now

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The Partnership on AI, a research group that includes Amazon, Google, Facebook and Microsoft, is adding another notable member: Apple. As Bloomberg reports, Apple’s penchant for secrecy has caused the company to fall behind in AI development, and joining a group that encourages publishing recent findings is an effort to both change this attitude and field top talent.

New Highs for World Trade

World trade flows rose at the fastest pace in more than seven years during November, the Wall Street Journal reports. Economists warned, however, that pledges by the Trump administration to protecting American jobs could threaten gains in trade flows since the financial crisis.  

M&A in Biotech

Johnson & Johnson moved to strengthen its position in the treatment of rare diseases by acquiring Actelion, a Swiss biotechnology firm. The $30 billion deal adds treatments for pulmonary arterial hypertension, or high blood pressure in the lungs, to the world’s largest healthcare company’s roster.

Copper Price Rally

And finally, news from the metas world: A potential strike at the world’s largest mine has pushed copper prices to a 19-month high, Marketwatch reports. Our sister site MetalMiner has the details.