TechCheck

Tech stocks continuing to rally this week, the NASDAQ 100 hitting another record high today as AI optimism buoys big tech names. We dig into why the market could be overlooking a major risk propping up the next leg of the AI trade. Check out the full deep dive on CNBC.com/tctakes. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI reasoning models were supposed to be the industry’s next leap, promising smarter systems able to tackle more complex problems. Now, a string of research is calling that into question. In June, a team of Apple researchers released a white paper titled “The Illusion of Thinking,” which found that once problems get complex enough, reasoning models stop working. Even more concerning, the models aren’t “generalizable,” meaning they might be just memorizing patterns instead of coming up with genuinely new solutions. Researchers at Salesforce, Anthropic, and other AI labs have also raised red flags. The constraints on reasoning could have major implications for the AI trade, businesses spending billions on AI, and even the timeline to superhuman intelligence. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Uber surging after opening its robotaxi partnership with Waymo to the public in Atlanta. It comes just two days after Tesla launched its small-scale robotaxi fleet in Austin, we dig into the rapidly expanding race for autonomous taxis. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tesla rolled out their first limited batch of robotaxis in Austin Texas over the weekend, sending shares soaring. We dig into how the robotaxi race is rapidly expanding, and how that value may be being overlooked in Google and Amazon shares Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A source confirming to CNBC that Meta tried to buy Perplexity before the $14.3B deal for Scale AI and its founder Alexandr Wang. Plus, we look at Softbank’s Masayoshi Son is continuing his trend of moonshot bets with a reported proposal to build a $1T AI hub in Arizona. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Ahead of the Federal Reserve’s decision on interest rates, we look at what’s at stake and what to expect from today’s projections. Plus, Senator Warren joins us live from Capitol Hill to address President Trump’s criticism of Fed Chair Powell and the conflict in the Middle East. And OpenAI’s Sam Altman is accusing Meta of poaching its staff with 9-figure signing bonuses. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of the longest-standing partnerships in AI could be reaching a breaking point. We look at the souring relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft and why AGI is at the center of it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Geopolitical turmoil in the Middle East continues to escalate, as U.S. tech firms deepen their ties to Gulf states investing in AI. We dig into how those connections are starting to expose the risks of sovereign AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meta making its investment in scale AI official. Spending $14.3B for a 49% stake in the company, as CEO Alexandr Wang departs for a role inside Meta. We dig into how tech giants are spending Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI has gone primetime, with a completely AI-generated ad from the prediction platform Kalshi airing last night during the NBA finals. The company says it was created from idea to live in less than 72 hours and cost them less than $2,000 to make. It shows just how fast AI is moving up the value chain and raises new questions around public trust and AI media consumption. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A source confirming to CNBC that Meta is spending $15B to obtain a 49% stake in AI startup Scale AI. We dig into why Meta is going big on the deal, and the flurry of AI valuation headlines making news this week. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Researchers at Apple are out with a new paper that throws cold water on the biggest trend in AI right now: reasoning models. Scientists there say that beyond a certain point, the models lose all accuracy. Plus, OpenAI has just hit $10 billion in annual recurring revenue, driven by chatGPT, its consumer business and APIs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Morgan Stanley calling out Amazon as an “under-appreciated Gen AI winner” over its investments in automation. We dig into how robotics could translate into big savings for Amazon’s core business. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alphabet’s self-driving unit Waymo may not be as loud as Tesla in the autonomous vehicle race, but co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana says that Waymo is the only company that’s operating fully driverless rides at scale - most recently notching 10 million autonomous rides. CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa sits down with her in an exclusive interview at the Google I/O developer conference. Aired on May 21st 2025. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is warning against a provision in the GOP’s massive reconciliation bill that would ban state AI laws for 10 years. We dig into the growing debate and the newest AI-related threat to cyber security. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New footage obtained by Bloomberg reveals the shocking moments before a pedestrian was struck and killed in 2023 by a Tesla using FSD technology. We dig into the camera vs lidar debate as Tesla gets set to launch its robotaxis in Austin this month. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Senate is getting their turn at the GOP’s massive reconciliation bill, but now state lawmakers are speaking out against a provision buried inside that would tie their hands on AI regulation. We dig into how the controversial rule is reigniting debate on the future of AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Startup Perplexity is close to a deal with Samsung that would make their assistant the default on upcoming devices. We look at what the deal means as AI companies battle to reach more users and become the default chatbot. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Anduril's Palmer Luckey are now teaming up to make virtual reality headsets for defense military training. But the new venture represents a reconciliation between two tech CEOs who had a complicated last decade and speaks to the new alignments taking shape between Silicon Valley and politics. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

China may have been the big headline out of Nvidia's quarter, with 28 mentions on the earnings call, but right behind was inference at 27. It represents the next wave of AI, models that generate responses after getting trained, and could unlock a major new growth engine for Nvidia. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Meta is reportedly shaking up its AI team after months of delays on its latest Llama 4 Behemoth AI model. We look at how Meta is not alone in having model issues, and the reignited debate around slowing AI progress. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump’s threat to slap iPhones with a 25% tariff is just his latest attempt to reshape the global supply chain. We look at how his push for American manufacturing could derail big tech’s move into physical AI. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OpenAI’s deal with iphone designer Jony Ive came right in the middle of Google I/O and sent a signal the AI company is aiming to challenge the big tech ecosystem. Plus, we look what DOJ’s reported probe of Google’s Character.AI deal means for the AI talent battlefield. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alphabet kicks off its adeveloper event Google I/O today – we look at the tech giant’s delicate balancing act between prioritizing AI while maintaining its core search business Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apple and Alibaba shares under pressure after New York Times reporting that their deal to bring AI to Chinese iPhones is facing U.S. government scrutiny. We look at how as Apple feels the squeeze of Trump’s trade policies, defense tech is winning big. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Wall Street Journal reporting Meta has again delayed the launch of flagship AI model, named “Behemoth.” We look at how the news highlights Meta’s massive AI spend and the increasing focus on leaner models. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump attacking Tim Cook over Apple’s plans to produce more iPhones in India. We look at how Trump’s tariffs are shifting supply chains. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Databricks CEO talks with Deirdre Bosa about the company’s $1B deal to acquire cloud-based database software vendor Neon, and the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Plus, we walk through what to watch in AI Infrastructure Coreweave’s first quarterly report since its March IPO. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump escalating chip diplomacy in his trip to the Gulf states. We look at how Gulf ambitions to become an AI and their longstanding ties to Chinese tech. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump kicking off the first major international trip of his second term today, heading to the Gulf states as top tech CEOs make their way to the region for a major investor conference. We look at how a partnership between the Gulf and big tech could reshape the AI landscape. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

"Inside a secretive lab in Santa Barbara, California, scientists at Alphabet are working on one of the company's most ambitious bets yet. They're attempting to develop the world's most advanced quantum computers. Late last year, Google unveiled a breakthrough quantum computing chip called Willow, which it says can solve a benchmark problem unimaginably faster than what's possible with a classical computer. CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa gets an exclusive look inside Google quantum lab and explores whether Willow may give Google a chance to take the lead in the next technological era. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OpenAI is now trying to balance the interests of its biggest backers after the AI darling announced their restructuring plan to remain under non-profit control. We look at where that leaves its major investors like Microsoft and Softbank. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One of AI's emerging superpowers is writing software, as shown by the rapidly climbing valuation of Anysphere, which makes one of the leading tools in the space. But now, we're also seeing big tech jump in, with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon all saying that 30% of their code is being written by AI. We dive into when we'll start seeing evidence of the boom impacting profits. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Apple and Amazon mark the tail end of the big tech earnings season, megacaps are sending bullish signals about their ability to weather the tariff storm. Amazon's CEO said AI demand is growing triple digits while Apple shifts production to India and Vietnam. But it might also be too early to capture the full impact of macro uncertainties, and quarters ahead could be messier. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI stocks moving sharply higher after Meta and Microsoft posted strong results and doubled-down on AI spending plans. We dig into why the AI bull case may be more complicated than it seems. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Early in the AI race, apps like Perplexity, Cursor, Sesame and Abridge were known pejoratively as “wrappers,” describing the way their either app or business was wrapped around existing AI models. Critics called them as second-rate middlemen, slapping an interface on someone else’s technology while companies like OpenAI, Google, Meta and Anthropic developed their own models. Now, that thesis is changing. Wrappers have changed the way Silicon Valley builds, ushering in the era of vibe-coding. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Nvidia under pressure after reporting that Trump administration officials are considering changes to chip export laws that would lead to country-by-country deals. We dig into how AI is getting caught in the crossfire of the trade war. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The White House slamming Amazon today over reports that Amazon was considering showing the added price of tariffs next to products. We dig into how the spat highlights the cracks showing in the relationship between President Trump and big tech. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Nvidia sliding today after reports that Chinese rival Huawei is developing a new AI chip. We dig into how the news is adding fuel to the debate in Silicon Valley over the best strategy in the AI arms race against China. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alphabet shares up after reporting stronger than expected Q1 results. We dig into how new numbers around Waymo showing the robotaxi company could most undervalued part of the tech giant. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alphabet kicks off earnings season for the hyperscalers after the bell today. We dig into what investors are looking for, from ad revenue to color around capital expenditures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elon Musk reiterating his plan to launch paid, driverless Robotaxis in Austing by the end of June on the Tesla earnings call. We look at Musk’s robotaxi ambitions and why he believes Tesla has an edge on rival Waymo. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Google back in court today for day two of the search remedies trial, where the DOJ is arguing that AI could help the tech giant expand its search monopoly. We look at how regulators are moving past playing catch-up with big tech, and going on the offense. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tech stocks continuing their steep decline amid Monday’s selloff, with Nvidia down after reports that Huawei is planning mass shipments of its own AI chip. Plus, we look at reports that Amazon is joining Microsoft in pausing some data center leases, and what it means for the AI trade. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Nvidia shares falling and dragging down the rest of semis after a surprise reveal of a $5.5 billion hit tied to China chip export controls. We look at why the restrictions may be the opening a Chinese rival needs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Trump promising to expedite permits for Nvidia after the chip giant announced plans to build AI supercomputers in the United States. We look at how Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg offer two very different case studies on how CEOs are gaming out the Trump 2.0 playbook. Plus, with Tariff uncertainty already impacting behavior, could we see an earnings mirage as big tech begins to report next week? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As big tech continues to feel the whiplash from Trump’s tariff policy, one pocket of tech has remained insulted. We look at the AI startups that are setting funding records and what they mean for Megacap tech. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tech COEs flipped the script for Trump 2.0 and played nice with millions in donations to Trump’s inauguration and visits to Mar-a-Lago. We look at why they are still waiting for a return on their charm offensive. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy affirming the company will continue it’s AI spend the day after Google CEO Sundar Pichai recommitted Google to $75 Billion in Capex for 2025. We look at what it means amid tariff whiplash and what Amazon’s Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Deirdre Bosa sits down with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian to talk the announcements coming out of Google Cloud Next and how the tech giant could leverage AI to navigate tariff uncertainty roiling the market. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.