The Information’s 2026 Predictions, PwC Leader on Media & Ecomm, ByteDance’s Victory | Dec 19, 2025

The Information’s CEO Jessica Lessin speaks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about her 2026 predictions including major tech layoffs and the momentum of Google Gemini. We also talk with AI reporter Stephanie Palazzolo about Amazon’s need to acquire an AI lab, Deputy Bureau Chief Katie Roof about a record-setting H2 for IPOs led by SpaceX, and Crypto reporter Yueqi Yang about Tether laying the groundwork for a public offering. Finally, we discuss the future of agentic commerce with PwC’s Dallas Dolen and wrap with Co-Executive Editor Martin Peers on why ByteDance is the real winner of the TikTok battle.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/bytedance-signs-deal-create-u-s-tiktok-venturehttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/googles-ai-weakness-turned-strengthTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

OpenAI reporter Sri Muppidi talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about OpenAI's potential $750 billion valuation and the internal organizational tensions slowing down ChatGPT. We also talk with Robinhood’s Steve Quirk about the firm's new AI research tools and the surge in prediction markets interest, and The Information’s Anissa Gardizy about the financing hurdles facing Oracle’s newest data center. We also get into Lyft’s financial turnaround with CFO Erin Brewer and discuss the future of the media landscape with Axios CEO Jim VandeHei and The Information’s CEO Jessica Lessin. Lastly, the Tubi CEO Anjali Sud joins to announce its first-ever TikTok Awards.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openais-organizational-problems-hurt-chatgpthttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-discussed-raising-tens-billions-valuation-around-750-billionhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/openais-chatgpt-problemhttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/youtube-will-broadcast-oscars-starting-2029TITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

The Information’s Anissa Gardizy talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about OpenAI’s talks to raise $10 billion from Amazon and the strategic move to use Amazon’s Trainium chips. We also talk with Katie Roof about Waymo’s early talks to raise billions at a $100 billion valuation, as well as Valida Pau and Stephanie Palazzolo about how OpenAI and Anthropic are hunting for specialized data as public sources dry up. Lastly, we get into the "scarcity premium" risk facing upcoming mega IPOs with our finance editor Ken Brown.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-talks-raise-least-10-billion-amazon-use-ai-chipshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/private-tech-giants-lose-scarcity-premium-iposhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/banks-pitching-mega-ipos-seek-limit-mass-sellinghttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/openai-anthropic-discuss-data-deals-biotech-companiesTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

The Information’s Kevin McLaughlin breaks down Databricks’ massive $4 billion funding round and the growing liability of corporate chatbots. We also talk with Crypto Reporter Yueqi Yang about Lead Bank tightening its grip on the stablecoin industry and Sapphire Ventures’ Rajeev Dham about his enterprise AI predictions for 2026. Finally, we look at whether NVIDIA’s Jensen Huang will fund AI-powered alien hunting with AI Reporter Rocket Drew and discuss the future of humanoid robots and their role in the AI boom with Centific SVP Prithivi Pradeep.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/small-bank-critical-stablecoin-payments-tightens-risk-controlshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/corporate-chatbots-gone-wildhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/alien-hunters-want-jensen-huang-fund-ai-telescopehttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/servicenow-sell-highlights-jittery-marketTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

The Information’s Wayne Ma talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about Apple's new org chart following recent executive exits, including the demotion of the AI group. We also talk with Features Editor Nick Wingfield about the origins and viability of putting data centers in space, and TMF Associates’ Tim Farrar analyzes the big questions around a potential $1.5 trillion SpaceX IPO and its reliance on the Starlink story. Lastly, we get into xAI's uphill battle to sell Grok to businesses with The Information’s Theo Wayt, and the harsh reality of AI’s colossal power infrastructure needs with Ann Davis Vaughan, as she launches her debut AI Infrastructure newsletter. Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/bragawatt-data-center-era-brings-reality-checks-energy-breakthroughshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/elon-musk-suddenly-talking-space-data-centershttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/xai-uphill-battle-selling-grok-businesseshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/people-running-apple-executive-exodusTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

Harvey's Niko Grupen talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about OpenAI's GPT-5.2 and its new capability awareness feature. We also talk with Theory Ventures' Tomasz Tunguz about Broadcom's stock drop despite strong earnings, and Wealthfront CEO David Fortunato discusses the company's IPO and its cautious view on AI in core investing. Rubrik Co-Founder and CEO Bipul Sinha shares his company's growth playbook and his view on Larry Ellison's big cloud bet. Lastly, The Information's Editors Martin Peers and Nick Wingfield discuss the scale of Larry Ellison's bets in media and tech, and Nebius Co-Founder Roman Chernin explains his focus on open-source AI and the changing customer profile in cloud infrastructure.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/whatnots-schlock-empire-shows-digital-live-shopping-can-thrive-americahttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/tech-giants-partnering-broadcom-break-free-nvidiahttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/oracles-data-centers-openai-reportedly-delayedhttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/exclusive-wealthfront-prices-ipo-14-tripling-tiger-investmentTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

Co-Executive Editor Martin Peers talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about Disney's $1 billion investment in OpenAI and the risks of licensing its characters for Sora videos. We also talk with Asia Correspondent Juro Osawa about Tencent poaching ByteDance AI talent and the heating China AI race, and RBC Capital Markets Managing Director Rishi Jaluria breaks down Oracle's quarterly results, $10 billion cash burn, and the challenge of financing its AI cloud expansion. Lastly, we get into the future of the cloud, 'Cognition as a Service,' and AI teammates with Mayfield's Managing Partner Navin Chaddha and discuss the strategy for TalkShopLive with its new CEO Sandie Hawkins.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/briefings/disney-invest-1-billion-openaihttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/oracles-costly-ai-expansion-turns-wall-streethttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/disney-openai-ai-startup-valuations-keep-falling-revenue-riseshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/tencent-poaches-bytedance-researchers-china-ai-race-heatsTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about using open-source AI models to rival proprietary leaders and how AI chatbots will change advertising. We also talk with Asia Bureau Chief Jing Yang about China's emergency meetings on the Nvidia H200 chip and DeepSeek's model development, and The Information’s Miles Kruppa about the UAE fund becoming a major financier for big US data center projects. Lastly, we get into custom models and the future of the AI model battlefield with AWS Director of Technology Shaown Nandi.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/china-weighs-nvidia-chip-purchase-emergency-meetings-tech-companieshttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/nvidia-builds-technology-help-fight-chip-smugglinghttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/deepseek-using-banned-nvidia-chips-race-build-next-modelhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/uae-fund-mgx-quietly-becomes-one-biggest-data-center-financiersTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

The Information’s Editor-in-Chief Jessica Lessin and Moor Insights & Strategy’s Patrick Moorhead talk with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about President Trump allowing NVIDIA to sell H200 chips in China and the uncertainty surrounding the deal. We also talk with D.C. Correspondent Sylvia Varnham O'Regan about how AI backlash, including data center costs and job fears, is shaping the 2026 midterm elections. Next, CoreWeave VP Chen Goldberg discusses CoreWeave's new Mission Control GPU monitoring features. IBM’s Rob Thomas and Confluent CEO Jay Kreps discuss the rationale behind IBM's $11 billion acquisition of Confluent, and finally, we get into Instacart's new ChatGPT integration and the advertising implications with E-Commerce Reporter Ann Gehan.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/ai-backlash-shape-midterm-electionshttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/instacart-launches-chatgpt-app-instant-checkout-featurehttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/trump-reportedly-let-nvidia-sell-advanced-ai-chips-chinahttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/ibm-agrees-buy-confluent-11-billionTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

The Information’s Co-Executive Editor Martin Peers talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about Paramount’s hostile tender offer for Warner Bros. and its advantages over the Netflix deal. We also talk with Water Tower Research’s Paul Meeks about IBM’s $11 billion acquisition of Confluent and what to watch for in Oracle and Broadcom's earnings. OpenAI Reporter Sri Muppidi gives us the latest from the company's 'Code Red' and an interview with ChatGPT product head Nick Turley, and AI Reporter Stephanie Palazzolo discusses the growing skepticism around AI breakthroughs in biology from the NeurIPS conference. Lastly, Crypto Reporter Yueqi Yang breaks down the intensifying competition in prediction markets following Kalshi's $11 billion valuation.Articles discussed on this episode: https://www.theinformation.com/articles/ais-biggest-event-researchers-said-field-needs-overhaulhttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/chatgpt-product-chief-responding-code-redhttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/ellisons-paramount-skydance-make-108-billion-tender-offer-warnerhttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/ibm-agrees-buy-confluent-11-billionhttps://www.theinformation.com/briefings/openais-head-chatgpt-envisions-ai-superpowersTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda