Greece Strikes Deal with OpenAI to Bring AI into Classrooms and Small Businesses

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Greece and OpenAI signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Friday aimed at expanding access to artificial intelligence in schools and boosting innovation for small businesses. The agreement makes Greece one of the first countries to deploy ChatGPT Edu, a specialized version of ChatGPT tailored for academic institutions.

According to OpenAI, the deal will give Greek secondary schools direct access to advanced AI tools, while startups in healthcare, climate change, education, and the public sector will receive credits and support to build projects with OpenAI’s technology.

The MoU was signed by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Onassis Foundation President Anthony S. Papadimitriou, and OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane. In his remarks, Lehane tied the initiative to Greece’s intellectual heritage: “From Plato’s Academy to Aristotle’s Lyceum—Greece is the historical birthplace of western education. Today, with millions of Greeks using ChatGPT, the country is once again showing its dedication to learning and ideas.”

The deal comes just weeks after OpenAI released GPT-5, its latest model, which is powering the next phase of ChatGPT’s global adoption across education, business, and cultural applications.

Thoma Bravo Prepares $2B Sale of School Safety Firm Raptor Technologies

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Thoma Bravo, a major private equity player with over 70 software companies in its portfolio, is preparing to sell Raptor Technologies, its Houston-based school safety software provider. According to people familiar with the matter, the deal could value Raptor at more than $2 billion. JPMorgan has been tapped to advise on the process, which is expected to begin later this year.

Raptor Technologies develops software for K-12 schools worldwide, offering tools for crisis prevention, emergency response and recovery, and student movement management. Its systems are currently used in 60,000 schools across 55 countries.

The company reportedly generates more than $80 million in EBITDA, making it an attractive acquisition target amid rising demand for school safety technology. In recent years, U.S. schools have increasingly turned to digital safety platforms as violent incidents surge. Data from the K-12 School Shooting Database shows 336 incidents in 2024—just below the record 351 in 2023.

Neither Thoma Bravo, JPMorgan, nor Raptor commented on the potential sale.

Google Fined $3.45 Billion by EU for Antitrust Breaches in Adtech; Trump Threatens Retaliation

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Google (Alphabet) has been fined €2.95 billion ($3.45 billion) by the European Union for abusing its dominance in the online advertising technology market, marking the fourth major EU penalty against the company in a decade.

The European Commission found that since 2014, Google unfairly favored its own adtech services, particularly its AdX exchange, to the detriment of rivals and online publishers. The watchdog ordered Google to end these self-preferencing practices and address conflicts of interest, warning that stronger remedies, including potential divestitures, remain on the table if compliance efforts fall short. Google has 60 days to propose changes and another 30 days to implement them.

U.S. President Donald Trump blasted the fine as “unfair” and “discriminatory,” threatening to launch a Section 301 trade investigation that could nullify EU penalties and impose retaliatory tariffs. “We cannot let this happen to brilliant American ingenuity,” Trump said, vowing to confront the EU directly.

Google said it would appeal, arguing the decision is “wrong” and would harm European businesses that rely on its services to generate ad revenue. “There’s nothing anticompetitive in providing services for ad buyers and sellers, and there are more alternatives than ever,” said Lee-Anne Mulholland, Google’s VP of regulatory affairs.

The fine comes amid mounting U.S.-EU trade tensions, with Brussels under pressure to balance antitrust enforcement with the risk of Trump’s tariff retaliation on European exports, including cars. While the Commission stopped short of ordering a breakup, critics—including the European Publishers Council—warned that fines alone would not curb Google’s dominance in the €120 billion adtech market.

The ruling adds to Google’s history of penalties in Europe: €4.3 billion in 2018, €2.42 billion in 2017, and €1.49 billion in 2019. Meanwhile, Google faces a U.S. trial in September to determine remedies in a Justice Department case that found it illegally monopolized online advertising.

Google’s advertising business remains the backbone of its revenue, generating $264.6 billion in 2024 (75.6% of total sales) across services including YouTube, Gmail, Maps, and Google Play.