TechCheck

GenAI startup darlings are dropping like flies. Some of the most promising are increasingly being swallowed up by megacaps as they struggle to find viable business models and big tech firms look to skirt the regulatory scrutiny of outright acquisitions. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The extent of the tech sell-off today has been staggering, with billions of dollars wiped out from the Magnificent 7 alone in just the first two hours of trading, and trillions over the last week. Part of the reason is a fundamental story investors have been worried about – just when will the high costs of AI begin to pay off? Valuations have also re-rated since the Nasdaq hit all-time highs just a few weeks ago. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Intel are on pace for their worst day in 50 years after a tough second-quarter result. The chipmaker also announced a massive, $10 billion cost-savings program that will include thousands of layoffs and a half on dividend payments. CNBC’s Jon Fortt spoke to Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger on the turnaround plan, modest CPU demand and areas to be impacted by the layoffs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Some key themes to watch ahead of Apple earnings include signs the iPhone sales slump is coming to an end, whether new AI features will drive an upgrade cycle, how the AI rollout in China will play out, and, of course, capex concerns that are looming over all of big tech. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In Palo Alto, the epicenter of tech and VC money, JD Vance is headlining a fundraiser tonight hosted by a cryptocurrency executive where tickets are going for as much as $50,000. It's another sign of Silicon Valley elites, which have traditionally backed the left, now opening their pocketbooks for the Trump-Vance ticket. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OpenAI just announced the prototype of a search engine called SearchGPT that now puts the pressure on Google, with what the startup says are more natural and intuitive results that include sources, similar to a product from Perplexity AI. The announcement alone yesterday was enough to send shares of Google down 3% after it had already been bruised by disappointing earnings results. That also doesn’t bode well for a slate of big tech earnings next week – where we’ll hear from Microsoft, Meta, Amazon and Apple. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The NBA is announcing a $76 billion TV rights deal with ESPN, Amazon and NBC Sports, essentially a snub to NBA’s longtime partner Warner Bros Discovery. We break down how this deal will transform the future of sports streaming. Plus, chip stocks have been riding the AI wave this year. But with the recent sell-off, AI beneficiaries like Nvidia, Qualcomm and Micron are well off their respective highs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

One lesson from Alphabet earnings that we can expect from all megacaps this season: it's not cheap to be a hyperscaler in the age of AI. CEO Sundar Pichai told investors he'd rather spend too much than too little to meet Google's AI moment – but that still leaves uncertainty around how long it’ll take until these massive investments show a return. Plus, semiconductors stocks are contributing to today’s broader tech sell-off, with names like Nvidia, Broadcom and Taiwan Semi sinking. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The cloud security startup Wiz is now walking away from a monster $23B deal to be bought by Google, telling employees it'll opt instead to pursue an IPO. Anti-trust and investor concerns also reportedly played a factor, which could signal a win for Jonathan Kanter, Lina Khan and even JD Vance. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There’s a time bomb ticking in the AI space: spending is too high, and returns are too low. Megacaps like Meta, Google and Amazon have seen capex spending surge as they throw cash at building out the infrastructure to stay ahead of the AI game. Microsoft in particular has spent billions at a premium valuation, and shelled out $13 billion investing in OpenAI while Apple was reportedly able to secure a partnership with the startup darling for free just 18 months later. That could be a warning for the broader AI space, as experts sound the alarm on the widening gap between what companies are spending on AI, and what they’re getting back from it. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Something that AI apparently can't do yet: inspect your home. OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman might've found that out the hard way, now suing the developer of a mansion that he paid $27 million for claiming shoddy workmanship, mold, raw sewage on the property and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The latest in Silicon Valley to come out for former President Trump are Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, two of the most influential names in the startup ecosystem. They point to overregulation of tech and take issue with Biden’s proposal on taxing unrealized capital gains, and say they believe that a Trump administration would help innovation flourish. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former President Trump’s newly announced running mate has longtime ties to Silicon Valley as a former venture capitalist -- but any optimism that another Trump administration would be friendlier to big tech deserves another look. His past statements show him aligning more with what insiders are increasingly calling “little tech.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A new, high-stakes sport is gaining traction here in the U.S. SailGP, co-founded by Oracle’s Larry Ellison, is the Formula 1 of sailing, featuring ten teams from around the world racing on the most iconic waterfronts in the world. Avenue Capital’s Marc Lasry also has taken an interest, leading the investing group that acquired the U.S. team for more than $35 million. We sit down exclusively with SailGP CEO and champion yachtsman Russell Coutts on the league’s growth, its high-profile investors, skyrocketing funding, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa shares details about Tesla’s delay of its robotaxi, the market impact to ride-share companies, and more. Plus, Google has reportedly backed away from acquiring marketing software firm, HubSpot. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC confirms that OpenAI was hacked in April of last year, and never told law enforcement or the public. It raises of question how much genAI companies should be sharing about security incidents, and how transparent OpenAI is as its influence grows. Plus, the Meta-owned social media app Threads is celebrating its one year anniversary today, and has now hit 175 million monthly active users, according to CEO Mark Zuckerberg. But AI startups are increasingly putting traditional social apps on the backfoot as AI-generated content becomes king. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Between last week’s debate and today’s Supreme Court ruling, Silicon Valley is thinking more than ever about what another Trump presidency would mean for the tech industry. A friendlier deal environment could benefit megacaps and the small to midcap software names. Gig economy names and American e-commerce would also get some relief from a lighter touch. On the flipside, the Trump short tech basket includes Temu-owner Pinduoduo and social media names. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The world has gone crazy for Nvidia -- or at least, Wall Street has. The stock has almost single-handedly lifted the entire market due to its monster valuation and latest, monster quarter. But the largest companies in the world are also typically the most well-known… and Nvidia is far from being a household name. And the last time a tech company without mass brand recognition became the most valuable in the world? That was Cisco in the late 90s. Is another bubble brewing? This week on TechCheck, the stock everyone owns and no one knows. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Japanese tech investor Softbank is now backing Perplexity with a $10 million to $20 million fresh round of funding, valuing Perplexity AI at $3 billion and making it one of the most valuable startups in the space. It shouldn’t come as a surprise, since Masayoshi Son and his team have been saying for months now that they’re going on the AI offensive, but is another sign of the red hot funding environment for AI startups. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC's Dierdre Bosa is at Figma's "Config" Conference in San Francisco with Figma CEO Dylan Field. Following a regulatory block of Adobe’s $20 billion acquisition of Figma last December, the San Francisco software design firm received a $1 billion breakup fee and is forging ahead with product launches and further software partnering with Google. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Another major antitrust charge is coming out of the European Union today, saying that Microsoft’s bundling of Teams with other software like Office 365 is an unfair distribution advantage. It comes a day after the EU hit Apple with the first charge under the new Digital Markets Act, accusing its App Store policies of violating competition rules. Investors don’t seem to be worried, but this new chapter in European regulation could lead to tens of billions of dollars in fines. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apple is being hit with the first charge under the EU’s new Digital Markets Act, with regulators accusing the tech giant of preventing app store customers from being steered to customers alternative, cheaper options. It could have key implications for Apple’s AI strategy, as it reportedly holds talks with longtime rival Meta to form an unlikely alliance, potentially offering Meta’s large language model Llama to Apple Intelligence. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As Nvidia turns lower today, Softbank's Masayoshi Son expressed regret over selling his shares too soon - a stake that would have been worth $160B today. He also doubled down on the narrative that he's now going on the AI offensive, with a new strategy built around the company’s crown jewel and largest holding, Arm. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Retail investors have been crowding into a few pockets of big tech, including the Mag 7, Nvidia, and riskier, turbo-charged Nvidia plays through long-leveraged semiconductor ETFs like NVDL and SOXL, according to new data from Vanda. So far, this narrow strategy has been working, with retail outperforming the S&P, but there is risk in being so indexed to big tech and the AI story, and could add to volatility in these names. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. Surgeon General is now calling for a warning label to be applied to social media apps, similar to those on alcohol and tobacco products. He says immediate action is needed to protect young people from the potential mental health harms of social media. But the demand would require congressional action, which historically has not acted to curb social media usage in the past. Plus, political deepfakes are now circulating online as election campaigns heat up. We discuss with former North Dakota senator Heidi Heitkamp and a professional of artificial intelligence. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apple has now leapfrogged leaders Microsoft and Google in the high-stakes AI race by promising the first killer use of AI - a true personal assistant, in the form of.... the iPhone. Even the stock, once a laggard, has jumped to historic highs, anchored by Apple's singular combination of hardware, software and data. But its biggest edge over AI devices like the Humane pin and Rabbit R1 is that it's already in billions of consumers' pockets. This week on TechCheck, Apple takes the AI lead. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Apple are hitting fresh highs today after showcasing at WWDC that it is not only catching up to the other megacaps, but may actually have leapfrogged the leaders. Its edge is its 2.2 billion install base and its focus on making AI usable by integrating it with your personal information. A slew of bullish commentary from the Street is also helping sentiment, outlining how Apple’s AI features will drive hardware sales later this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Apple are hitting fresh highs today after showcasing at WWDC that it is not only catching up to the other megacaps, but may actually have leapfrogged the leaders. Its edge is its 2.2 billion install base and its focus on making AI usable by integrating it with your personal information. A slew of bullish commentary from the Street is also helping sentiment, outlining how Apple’s AI features will drive hardware sales later this year. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Apple just debuting its generative AI system Apple Intelligence, integrated with chatGPT that can look across your apps to retrieve, compile and take action on information. But after some of the other tech giants’ flagship products faced backlash, such as Microsoft’s Recall and Google’s AI Overviews, should Apple proceed with caution? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Silicon Valley investors held a mega fundraiser for former President Trump in the heart of San Francisco - what was once an overwhelmingly liberal bastion of America. It’s the most visible sign yet of a growing circle of tech elites switching camps -- and they’re vocal, emboldened and rich. This week on a special edition of TechCheck, we go to David Sacks’ mansion, as tech shifts to Trump. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A mega-fundraiser for former president Trump is about to kick off in the heart of San Francisco, what was once a liberal bastion of America, and could raise more than $12 million. Hosted by the prominent venture capitalists David Sacks and Chamath Palihapitiya, the event is an example of a growing circle of tech elites now switching camps – turning against President Biden and warming to Trump. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

It worked the first time -- Elliott Management might be hoping the playbook works again. It's now rebuilding a more than $2 billion stake in Softbank and calling for a $15B buyback after pushing successfully for changes in early 2020. At the center of the push is that Softbank as a whole’s market value is far less than the sum of its parts: its 90% stake in Arm alone is worth more than $100 billion, far more than its market cap of around $85 billion. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elon Musk and Sam Altman are both now facing scrutiny for balancing conflicts of interest with their side ventures. Musk has now seemed to confirm a report that he diverted Nvidia AI chips reserved for Tesla, prioritizing getting them to X and xAI instead, while Altman has a sprawling empire of investments, raising questions of side dealing. The two are also CEOs who best exemplify the Silicon Valley view of the cult of the founder, with some investors willing to look the other way when developing paradigm-shifting technology. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Spotify is hiking prices for the second time in a year, raising a premium individual plan to $11.99 a month. But not all streamflation is the equal. Users are more loyal to audio services than video – plus Spotify’s main competitors are megacaps like Apple and Amazon, which also have other giant businesses that its audio streaming only compliments. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Google is doing damage control again, this time with its newest AI product. It’s scaling back an AI search tool it had unveiled just a few weeks ago, after users reported getting back questionable and even downright bizarre results. They included suggestions that it was good to eat rocks or to use glue to thicken pizza sauce. But the rollbacks might also signal a new, nimbler Google that's now willing to disrupt traditional Search and make mistakes. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Salesforce's quarterly revenue miss and weak guidance has sent shares plunging today, as the threat of AI looms over the cloud. Could it be a trend we're seeing across software, or might Salesforce’s subscription-based model just be harder to justify in the coming age of AI, especially compared to consumption-based names that have posted stronger quarters? We talked exclusively to Box CEO Aaron Levie on the trends he’s seeing in software cycles. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

New details were revealed today around the OpenAI saga that saw CEO Sam Altman ousted and reinstated within a week last fall. A former board member is now speaking out, pointing to a toxic atmosphere, psychological abuse, sketchy safety practices and more. That, along with a flurry of new deals that ChatGPT inked today aligns with the AI darling’s drive for commercialization and monetization, signaling the growing divide between OpenAI and other startups in the space like Anthropic. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elon Musk's startup xAI is now valued at $24 billion after raising $6 billion in a fresh round of funding. The new raise is backed by a web of Musk's most loyal insiders – including venture capitalists like Andreessen Horowitz and Sequoia, who also invested in his acquisition of X, but also includes institutional support from Fidelity and some new faces. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Dierdre Bosa discusses the AI profit motives behind companies investing all into AI and the latest news on Amazon, home smart speakers, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa discusses the latest news on monetizations towards AI features and China’s AI competition. Plus, Brent Thill, software and internet research analyst at Jeffries, shares his reaction to Microsoft’s developer conference, the company’s approach to AI, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa breaks down the latest news on executive departures from OpenAI, big tech, AI plans, and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Gen AI startups are growing up -- through both the underlying tech as we saw with OpenAI’s demo of GPT-4o and Google’s showcase of Gemini and Project Astra, but also the composition of the companies themselves. Recent executive moves and hires are showing how AI startups are now focusing more on products, monetization and commercialization. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

AI has moved into a new era – from chatbots to AI agents capable of having instantaneous, real-time conversations as showcased by Microsoft-backed OpenAI’s GPT-4o and Google’s Project Astra. The news -- bullish for Nvidia and over chipmakers, but Meta, Amazon, Apple and other megacap tech names will have to step up to the plate soon. We break down what’s behind the big leap forward, the risks involved, and sit down with Google CEO Sundar Pichai exclusively on the news Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Shares of Walmart continue to be one of the top S&P performers today, rallying after beating quarterly earnings and revenue estimates while also posting big gains in e-commerce. Could its online shopping gains now threaten the e-commerce king, Amazon? Plus, OpenAI’s debut of its more conversational, real-time GPT-4o model have investors now asking whether it will disrupt sectors from education technology, advertising technology, white-collar jobs and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Google is now fully integrating generative AI into search, overhauling the 10 blue links we’ve known for decades. Deirdre Bosa spoke to Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Google’s head of search Liz Reid on what this change will mean for advertisers, publishers, and consumers. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai joins CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa at Google I/O developer conference to talk its new AI rollout, project Astra, its response to OpenAI’s search competitor and more. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

OpenAI unveiled its new flagship AI model GPT-4o today that it says brings GPT-level intelligence to everyone, including free users. The event now raises the stakes for Google’s all-important developers’ event tomorrow, Google I/O, where the tech giant is set to outline its latest advancements in AI. Google has in the past been relatively slow to roll out its AI features to its wide base of users, so the question hanging over the event tomorrow is whether it will go all-in on gen AI, potentially at the expense of search. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Google has been consolidating its AI efforts and power around one man: Demis Hassabis. As one of the most respected leaders in the space, the DeepMind co-founder has a track record of critical AI breakthroughs. But can an academic also pave the way for Google's genAI commercialization and monetization? Hassabis is the key to Google's lead in AI but his biggest challenge lies ahead. This week on TechCheck, the real test. Can Google and Hassabis show Wall Street, investors, and the public that it can turn AI into actual products? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Money is continuing to flow into AI startups in the private market, with new reports of funding deals for Elon Musk’s xAI at a $18 billion valuation and the French AI startup Mistral’s valuation tripling to $6 billion. It signals that companies that can raise money in the private markets will continue to do so, especially as the kind of scrutiny that goes along with being a public company is exactly what some startups and founders want to avoid. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Stanley Druckenmiller says rate cuts should be entirely off the table and that the Fed fumbled the football on the 5-yard line with the game on the line. We’ll look at the path forward for the Fed. Plus, Disney nearly broke even on streaming, but missed revenue estimates for a fourth consecutive quarter. We’ll ask Oscar-winner Brian Grazer about the future of Hollywood. And Apple unveiling its first iPads since 2022, but today’s news is only an appetizer for next month’s big event. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.