Mon. 03/20 – Robots All The Way Down

Looks like China tariffs are back off, question mark? But not soon enough for some deals. OpenAI and Microsoft are trying to work out how to get to an IPO. Saudi Arabia, the country, makes a big AI play. Why you might want to take out AI insurance? And did the Pope choose his name because of the AI moment?Sponsors:Tonal.comMackWeldon.com promocode BRIANLinks:Apple Considers Raising iPhone Prices, Without Blaming Tariffs (WSJ)SoftBank Stargate Venture With OpenAI Snags on Tariff Fears (Bloomberg)OpenAI negotiates with Microsoft to unlock new funding and future IPO (FT)Saudi Arabia launches AI venture Humain ahead of Donald Trump visit (FT)Insurers launch cover for losses caused by AI chatbot errors (FT)Klarna Slows AI-Driven Job Cuts With Call for Real People (Bloomberg)Pope Leo signals he will closely follow Francis and says AI represents challenge for humanity (CNN)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

More signs that Apple is diversifying its smart headgear ambitions. Meta wants back in on the stablecoin game it arguably bailed on too early. The Celsius network CEO gets 12 years in prison. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions.Sponsors:Quince.com/ridehomeLinks:Apple Is Developing Specialized Chips for Glasses, New Macs and AI Servers (Bloomberg)Meta Explores Stablecoin Integration as US Senate Blocks Key Crypto Bill (Coinpaper)Google rolls out AI tools to protect Chrome users against scams (TechCrunch)Celsius Founder Mashinsky Gets 12 Years for Crypto Fraud (Bloomberg)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:Can we make AI less power-hungry? These researchers are working on it. (ArsTechnica)Rejoice! Carmakers Are Embracing Physical Buttons Again (Wired)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OpenAI has hired Instacart’s CEO to be a kind of CEO. Apple reveals the degree to which AI might be eating into Google Search. Why aren’t people seeing a return on their AI investments yet? And my dream grid gadget is finally coming to the US.Sponsors:Oracle.com/techmemeLinks:OpenAI hires InstaCart CEO Fidji Simo for major leadership role (Fortune)Instacart CEO Fidji Simo is joining OpenAI (TechCrunch)Apple Eyes Move to AI Search, Ending Era Defined by Google (Bloomberg)Anthropic rolls out an API for AI-powered web search (TechCrunch)FYI: Most AI spending driven by FOMO, not ROI, CEOs tell IBM, LOL (The Register)Netflix debuts its generative AI-powered search tool (TechCrunch)EcoFlow brings its plug-in solar power plant to US homes (The Verge)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meta wins a case against that NSO Group in spyware allegations. Netflix is completely revamping its design for the first time in years. Amazon has a new robot that can do 70% of the work in its warehouses. And a big chip breakthrough that can bring about the ChatGPT moment for quantum computing?Sponsors:CornBreadHemp.com/ride and code rideAcorns.com/rideLinks:Meta wins $168 million in damages from Israeli cyberintel firm in Whatsapp spyware scandal (Courthouse News Service)Netflix Overhauls Its Home Screen for the First Time in 12 Years (NYTimes)Amazon makes ‘fundamental leap forward in robotics’ with device having sense of touch (The Guardian)Generative AI tops cybersecurity in 2025 tech budget priorities, new AWS study finds (GeekWire)Mistral claims its newest AI model delivers leading performance for the price (TechCrunch)Cisco says its new entanglement chip could speed up practical quantum computing by a decade (Fast Company)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

OpenAI backtracks in a major way, saying its nonprofit entity will remain in control of business operations. Huge consolidation happening all at once in the food delivery space. New Surface hardware from Microsoft. Huge investment in European defense tech startups. And Shein and Temu turn to Europe to stay afloat.Sponsors:LinkedIn.com/rideLinks:OpenAI reverses course, says its nonprofit will remain in control of its business operations (TechCrunch)OpenAI Reaches Agreement to Buy Startup Windsurf for $3 Billion (Bloomberg)DoorDash strikes £2.9bn deal for Deliveroo (FT)Microsoft shrinks its Surface Laptop down to 13 inches, priced at $899 (The Verge)Microsoft’s smaller Surface Pro has a 12-inch display and starts at $799 (The Verge)Capital flies into Europe’s defence drone start-ups (FT)Exclusive: Shein, Temu ramp up advertising in UK and France as US tariffs hit (Reuters)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The whole Telegram use by government officials story gets weirder as a Telegram clone has been hacked. Apple is thinking about REALLY shaking up its iPhone release schedule. Who put AI in my crypto? Deepfakes are being chased from the Internet. And the maker of Cursor closes its big round.Sponsors:Take control of your cellular health today. Go to qualialife.com/ride and save 15% to experience the science of feeling younger.Links:TeleMessage, a modified Signal clone used by US govt. officials, has been hacked (TechCrunch)Apple Plans iPhone Release Schedule Shakeup, New Styles (The Information)Tether CEO says the firm's AI product will enable peer-to-peer network of AI agents (The Block)Senate Democrats' reversal on US stablecoin bill throws future of legislation into doubt (The Block)Leading deepfake porn site is shut down for good (Engadget)Maker of AI ‘vibe coding’ app Cursor hits $9bn valuation (Financial Times)Reports: US losing edge in AI talent pool (Semafor)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Omnibus Week Of 04/28See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The big cultural event of maybe the decade is going to take a little while longer to get here. Earnings from Apple and Amazon. More signs of the impending death of the password. More signs of self-driving rapidly becoming reality. And in the longreads, what happens when AI completely changes your field? The AI researchers were the first to experience it.Links:Grand Theft Auto VI release delayed to May 2026 (The Verge)Amazon Says Operating Profits May Decline Amid Economic Uncertainty (NYTimes)Microsoft goes passwordless by default on new accounts (The Verge)Temu Blocks US Shoppers From Seeing Products Shipped From China (Wired)Aurora’s driverless trucks are making deliveries in Texas (The Verge)Weekend Longreads Suggestions:When ChatGPT Broke an Entire Field: An Oral History (Quanta Magazine)The Life of the Most-Used Citi Bike in New York City (Bloomberg)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Apple basically got held in contempt of court in the Epic case. Rumors about Elon staying at Tesla. Meta and Microsoft earnings. Xbox price increases. Would you wear a smart ring that proves you’re not cheating on your significant other?Links:Apple Dealt Stinging Court Defeat on App Store Sales Commissions (Bloomberg)Tesla Board Opened Search for a CEO to Succeed Elon Musk (WSJ)Microsoft is raising prices on Xbox consoles, controllers, and games worldwide (The Verge)Meta tightens privacy policy around Ray-Ban glasses to boost AI training (The Verge)Would you wear a smart ring that proves you’re not a cheater? (The Verge)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Meta has launched a standalone competitor to ChatGPT. But is ChatGPT bending too far backwards in an attempt to please you? Even OpenAI thinks so. Waymo and Toyota cut a deal. And concerns about sovereign tech stacks rear their head again.Sponsors:Go to my sponsor https://venice.ai/techmeme and use code techmeme to enjoy private, uncensored AI. Using my code will get you 20% off a pro plan.Links:Meta’s ChatGPT competitor shows how your friends use AI (The Verge)Microsoft CEO says up to 30% of the company’s code was written by AI (TechCrunch)OpenAI rolls back update that made ChatGPT ‘too sycophant-y’ (TechCrunch)Waymo, Toyota strike partnership to bring self-driving tech to personal vehicles (CNBC)Google Play sees 47% decline in apps since start of last year (TechCrunch)EU views break from US as ‘unrealistic’ amid global tech race (Politico)Microsoft vows to protect European operations from Donald Trump (Financial Times)See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.