Tech Brew Ride Home

This episode explores the fascinating journey of Demis Hesabis and the development of AI through the lens of Sebastian Malaby's book, The Infinity Machine. We delve into the minds of AI pioneers, their motivations, and the race to achieve superintelligence, offering insights into the future of technology and humanity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SpaceX is officially kicking off the year of the biggest IPOs ever. More job cuts and more signs AI is the cause, in one way or another. Microsoft makes its first public moves to divorce itself from OpenAI when it comes to AI models. And a billion-dollar company with only two employees? You guessed it: AI is why. SpaceX Has Filed Confidentially for IPO Ahead of AI Rivals (Bloomberg) Larry Ellison’s Oracle cuts thousands of jobs after AI push (The Times of London) US Job-Cut Announcements in Tech Keep Rising With AI Adoption (Bloomberg) Cloudflare launches EmDash — the 'spiritual successor' that wants to take on WordPress (Tech Radar) Alibaba Unveils Third Closed-Source AI Model in Focus on Profit (Bloomberg) Microsoft launches 3 new AI models in direct shot at OpenAI and Google (VentureBeat) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: How A.I. Helped One Man (and His Brother) Build a $1.8 Billion Company (NYTimes) AI Perfected Chess. Humans Made It Unpredictable Again (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI closes a monster round, but does Anthropic continue to steal their thunder? Is that Anthropic code leak from yesterday a bigger deal for them than I thought it was? What can happen when all the self-driving cars shut down at once. And you are finally able to change that embarrassing Gmail account you’ve been living with. OpenAI closes record-breaking $122 billion funding round as anticipation builds for IPO (CNBC) OpenAI raises $3bn from retail investors as part of record funding haul (FT) OpenAI Is Falling Out of Favor With Secondary Buyers (Bloomberg) Anthropic Races to Contain Leak of Code Behind Claude AI Agent (WSJ) Claude Code Leak Reveals Always-On ‘Kairos’ Agent (The Information) Robotaxi Outage in China Leaves Passengers Stranded on Highways (Wired) You can finally replace your embarrassing Gmail username (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the Iran war coming for US tech companies specifically? Meta unveils new smartglasses. A leak gives us a look at how Claude Code works. SpaceX is losing contact with satellites for reasons we don’t know yet. And Whoop is the big wearable player I guess we don’t talk about enough. Iran says it will target US tech companies in Middle East (The Hill) Iran’s hackers go to war (FT) The latest Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses are more customizable and expensive (Engadget) Claude Code's source code appears to have leaked: here's what we know (VentureBeat) Google commits to video generation, announces Veo 3.1 Lite (9to5Google) Another Starlink satellite has inexplicably exploded (The Verge) Whoop, a Wearable Health Device Maker, Raises $575 Million (NYTimes) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With everyone suddenly chasing Anthropic, are we getting strong signals AI is about to get more expensive? The dream of pairing AI models against each other and asking them to fight. We really are getting datacenters in space startups, aren’t we? And Project Hail Mary is Amazon’s biggest movie win ever. The Sudden Fall of OpenAI’s Most Hyped Product Since ChatGPT (WSJ) Andrew Curran X Post Claude is limiting usage more aggressively during peak hours — here’s what changed (TechRadar) Microsoft’s Researcher AI Agent Can Now Make GPT and Claude Models Work Together (Thurrott) Starcloud raises $170 million Series A to build data centers in space (TechCrunch) ‘Project Hail Mary’ becomes Amazon MGM’s biggest box office hit (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Anthropic about to release an AI model that will be a true step change? Is Apple about to open Siri up to everyone, not just ChatGPT? Is OpenAI already making serious bank from Ads? Is Elon trying to open the SpaceX IPO to normies? And of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Anthropic wins preliminary injunction in DOD fight as judge cites ‘First Amendment retaliation’ (CNBC) Exclusive: Anthropic acknowledges testing new AI model representing ‘step change’ in capabilities, after accidental data leak reveals its existence (Fortune) Apple Plans to Open Up Siri to Rival AI Assistants in iOS 27 Update (Bloomberg) Sony is raising PS5 prices by $100 in April (The Verge) OpenAI Surpasses $100 Million Annualized Revenue From Ads Pilot (The Information) Exclusive: Musk rewrites IPO playbook with large slice of SpaceX stock for retail investors, source says (Reuters) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Gemini task automation is slow, clunky, and super impressive (The Verge) How Apple Became Apple: The Definitive Oral History Of The Company's Earliest Days (Fast Company) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The big ruling from that big social media trial is in and it could have big implications for big tech going forward. Wikipedia bans the use of AI for creating Wikipedia entries. GitHub is about to train AI on what you do on GitHub. And the idea of lossless compression might sound like a Silicon Valley joke, but it could be a big deal. Jury in Los Angeles finds Meta, YouTube negligent in social media addiction trial (CNBC) Do Back-to-Back Courtroom Losses Herald Meta’s ‘Big Tobacco’ Moment? (WSJ) Nintendo confirms its US Switch 2 games will soon cost more as physical versions (VGC) Wikipedia bans AI-generated articles (The Verge) GitHub’s Copilot will use you as AI training data, but you can opt out (How-To Geek) Google unveils TurboQuant, a new AI memory compression algorithm — and yes, the internet is calling it ‘Pied Piper’ (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI is abandoning Sora to do the big refocus they’ve been signaling. Meta is starting to rack up the losses in court. Is China going to block the Manus acquisition by Meta from going through? They’re not even letting the founders leave the country. And interesting raises from vertical AI startups. OpenAI Scraps Sora Video Platform Months After Launch (WSJ) Meta must pay $375 million for violating New Mexico law in child exploitation case, jury rules (CNBC) Supreme Court Sides With Internet Provider in Copyright Fight Over Pirated Music (NYTimes) China reviews $2bn Manus sale to Meta as founders barred from leaving country (Financial Times) AI Notetaker Granola Hits $1.5 Billion Value in $125 Million Funding (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Buying an internet router made outside the US is now verboten. Claude can now basically fully use your computer for you. More layoffs and surprising production cuts in the gaming industry. And the two big prediction markets try to close the barn door when it comes to insider trading. US regulator bans imports of new foreign-made routers, citing security concerns (Reuters) Anthropic's Claude Can Now Control Your Computer (CNET) Epic Games Cuts About 1,000 Jobs Across Company Amid ‘Fortnite’ Slump (Bloomberg) Nintendo Cuts Switch 2 Output by Over 30% on Weak US Sales (Bloomberg) Kalshi says it will block politicians and athletes from trading in markets they’re tied to (The Verge) Polymarket, Kalshi Take On Insider Trading as Scrutiny Grows (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mark Zuckerberg has spun up his own AI bot to do his job for him. Or help him do his job quicker, I guess. OpenAI hires an ad guru from Meta. Elon loses a case. Maybe some managers actually want you to use as many tokens as possible. And how to get your LLM to recursively improve itself? Maybe? Mark Zuckerberg Is Building an AI Agent to Help Him Be CEO (WSJ) OpenAI Taps Former Meta Executive to Lead Ad Push (WSJ) Samsung's Galaxy S26 Phones Will Work With Apple's AirDrop, Much Like the Pixel 10 (CNET) Musk Misled Twitter Investors Before 2022 Buyout, Jury Says (Bloomberg) More! More! More! Tech Workers Max Out Their A.I. Use. (NYTimes) ‘The Karpathy Loop’: Former OpenAI researcher’s autonomous agents ran 700 experiments in 2 days—and gave a glimpse of where AI is heading (Fortune) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

OpenAI is becoming a superapp. Does Amazon really want to try its hand at a smartphone again? Google is making further steps to obviate classic Google Search in that innovator’s dilemma way. And in the Longreads, why has AI gotten worse at writing. OpenAI Plans Launch of Desktop ‘Superapp’ to Refocus, Simplify User Experience (WSJ) White House releases AI policy blueprint for Congress (Politico) Exclusive: Amazon plans smartphone comeback more than a decade after Fire Phone flop (Reuters) Super Micro shares tank 25% after employees charged with smuggling Nvidia chips to China (CNBC) Google Search is now using AI to replace headlines (The Verge) Jeff Bezos in Talks to Raise $100 Billion for AI Manufacturing Fund (WSJ) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: ChatGPT did not cure a dog’s cancer (The Verge) The Human Skill That Eludes AI (The Atlantic) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In three parts I’ll make the case that in Q1 of this year, the AI race has become basically a land grab for design and development tasks. MLB fully embraces our new prediction market overlords. Even if they’re behind in AI Apple is still making big money from AI. And Uber is still placing bets in the self-driving race. Google introduces 'vibe design' with Stitch (The Deep View) OpenAI to Acquire Startup Astral, Expanding Push Into Coding (Bloomberg) Crypto.com cuts around 12% of staff as CEO pushes enterprise-wide AI integration (The Block) Major League Baseball Steps Into the Prediction Markets, Strikes Deal With Polymarket (WSJ) Apple Is Way Behind in AI—and Still Making a Fortune From It (WSJ) Uber to invest $1.25 billion in Rivian as part of new robotaxi deal (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At long last, the government has issued guidance to crypto on what is or is not allowed. The blowup from gamers has caused Jensen to push back. A tale of contrasting IPOs from wildly different industries. And is your boss about to ask you to submit expense reports for your token use? SEC, CFTC Move to Define Which Digital Assets Are Securities (Bloomberg) Jensen Huang says gamers are 'completely wrong' about DLSS 5 — Nvidia CEO responds to DLSS 5 backlash (TomsHardware) Meta to Discontinue Key Metaverse Product for VR Headsets (Bloomberg) AI Drone Software Stock Jumps 520% in Best IPO Since Newsmax (Bloomberg) Crypto exchange Kraken freezes multibillion-dollar IPO plan due to difficult market conditions (CoinDesk) Apple Cracks Down on ‘Vibe Coding’ Apps (The Information) You’ve Finally Figured Out AI at Work—Now Comes the Bill (WSJ) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

All the headlines from Nvidia’s big event yesterday. Can Apple make fetch happen with foldable phones cause nobody else seems to be able to. One hour deliveries is the new, screw it, we’re doing five razorblades. And the robots are really coming to Disney theme parks, right now. NVIDIA claims DLSS 5 will deliver 'photoreal' image quality with AI this fall (Engadget) Nvidia Makes Trillion-Dollar Forecast at Annual Product Expo (Bloomberg) Samsung to Stop Selling $2,899 TriFold Phone After Three Months (Bloomberg) Amazon rolls out 1-hour, 3-hour delivery as ultrafast shipping trend grows in the U.S. (CNBC) OpenAI to Cut Back on Side Projects in Push to ‘Nail’ Core Business (WSJ) I met Olaf — the Frozen robot who might be the future of Disney Parks (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Meta about to do the mother of all layoffs? New AirPods Max 2. Why OpenAI delayed its sexytime chat… the calls to do so were coming from inside the house. What does it mean if the San Francisco real estate market is ripping again? And what if it ends up Apple has played a blinder by sitting out AI CAPEX spending? Exclusive: Meta planning sweeping layoffs as AI costs mount (Reuters) Apple quietly launches AirPods Max 2 (TechCrunch) Encyclopedia Britannica sues OpenAI over AI training (Reuters) OpenAI’s Bid to Allow X-Rated Talk Is Freaking Out Its Own Advisers (WSJ) The AI Boom Has Exploded the San Francisco Housing Market (WSJ) The most brilliant move in corporate history? (ASYMCO) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta’s big new AI model is delayed because they still can’t get to state of the art. The social media addiction trial is winding down. All the video apps are going to end up looking exactly like one another eventually. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Meta Delays Rollout of New A.I. Model After Performance Concerns (NYTimes) Lawyers in landmark social media addiction trial make final appeals to the jury (AP) Peacock expands into AI-driven video, mobile-first live sports, and gaming (TechCrunch) Disney+ is rolling out its TikTok-like ‘Verts’ short-form video feed (TechCrunch) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: Why ATMs didn’t kill bank teller jobs, but the iPhone did (David Oks's Blog) James Mason in a cave with a cat (Joel Morris's Substack) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More AI inspired job cuts. I gotta say, adding AI to Google Maps makes it sound like it might work much, much better. A new entrant into the AI health space. An Iran-war-related hacking takes down a company. And Mark Gurman tells us what to expect from a foldable iPhone. Atlassian slashes 10% of workforce to ‘self-fund’ investments in AI and enterprise sales (CNBC) You can now ask Google Maps ‘complex, real-world questions’ — and Gemini will answer (The Verge) Anthropic’s Claude AI can respond with charts, diagrams, and other visuals now (The Verge) Microsoft’s New AI Health Tool Can Read Your Medical Records and Give Advice (WSJ) Iran Expands War With Major Cyberattack Against U.S. Company (WSJ) Apple’s Foldable iPhone to Feature iPad-Like Interface When Opened (Bloomberg) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sources say the US government is investigating Binance around Iranian sanction evasion. Meta is helping authorities worldwide crack down on scammers. YouTube literally now is, officially, the biggest media entity in the world. And the legal way to listen to full songs right inside of TikTok. Justice Department Probes Iran’s Use of Binance to Evade Sanctions (WSJ) Meta, Thai police shut down 150,000 scam accounts (Axios) Anthropic is launching a new think tank amid Pentagon blacklist fight (The Verge) YouTube Lays Claim to Another Crown: The World’s Largest Media Company (THR) Nintendo Shares Soar 10% as Surprise Hit Pokémon Game Lifts Mood (Bloomberg) TikTok Teams With Apple Music to Allow Users to Stream Full Songs (Variety) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meta moves for the social network for AI bots. Code Review for Claude Code seems to be like another revolution for the software development industry. Yan LeCun raises the biggest European seed round of all time. And the MacBook Neo… worth investing in or not? Exclusive: Meta hires duo behind Moltbook (Axios) OpenAI and Google employees rush to Anthropic’s defense in DOD lawsuit (TechCrunch) This new Claude Code Review tool uses AI agents to check your pull requests for bugs - here's how (ZDNet) Amazon holds engineering meeting following AI-related outages (FT) Yann LeCun’s AI start-up raises more than $1bn in Europe’s largest seed round (FT) MacBook Neo review: the Mac for the masses (The Verge) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Anthropic is fighting the government in court. Microsoft is turning to Anthropic to get agentic in all its productivity products. A big new hyperscaler startup has raised a monster round. And could the war with Iran be something that could pop the AI bubble? Anthropic is suing the Department of Defense (The Verge) Microsoft announces Copilot Cowork with help from Anthropic — a cloud-powered AI agent that works across M365 apps (VentureBeat) Nscale Raises $2 Billion and Adds Sandberg, Clegg to Board (Bloomberg) Iran War Imperils $300 Billion in Gulf AI Spending (The Information) When Using AI Leads to “Brain Fry” (HBR) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dario might need some message discipline as Anthropic is officially designated a risk by the US government. GPT-5.4 is here. Oracle is considering laying off a ton of people and Softbank is considering taking on a ton of debt, both for the same reason. An early warning system for AI job destruction. And, of course, The Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Anthropic says it will challenge Defense Department's supply chain risk designation in court (Engadget) Anthropic CEO apologizes for lashing out at Trump as he gears up for court battle with Pentagon (NYPost) OpenAI’s new GPT-5.4 model is a big step toward autonomous agents (The Verge) Oracle Plans Thousands of Job Cuts in Face of AI Cash Crunch (Bloomberg) SoftBank Seeks Record Loan of Up to $40 Billion for OpenAI Stake (Bloomberg) Anthropic launches AI job destruction detector (Axios) Labor market impacts of AI: A new measure and early evidence (Anthropic) Weekend Longreads Suggestions: SpaceX: the final frontier of IPOs (FT) Who needs data centers in space when they can float offshore? (TechCrunch) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the long war between Google and Epic Games finally over? OpenAI wants you to know its revenue numbers are also stellar. Maybe ChatGPT isn’t so great at medical advice. Maybe the chip shortage isn’t great for Nintendo specifically. And maybe the MacBook Nano isn’t great for the Windows ecosystem generally. Google Revamps Android App Stores to Resolve Antitrust Claims (Bloomberg) Tim Sweeney signed away his right to criticize Google until 2032 (The Verge) Google’s AI-powered workspace is now available to more users in Search (The Verge) OpenAI Tops $25 Billion in Annualized Revenue as Anthropic Narrows Gap (The Information) ChatGPT Health 'under-triaged' half of medical emergencies in a new study (NBC News) Nintendo Switch 2 Users Face Storage Woes as Memory Crisis Bites (Bloomberg) I can't believe it: Apple’s $599 MacBook Neo just lit a monstrous fire under the Windows laptop market — Microsoft better be panicking (Windows Central) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices