The Briefing by Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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The Briefing

By Martin Peers, Jessica Lessin and the team at The Information

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Recent Editions

Sam Altman, left, CEO of OpenAI and Howard Lutnick, U.S. Commerce Secretary. Photos via Getty Images; art by Mike Sullivan

Trump Administration Asks OpenAI to Stagger Release of New Model Over Security Concerns

By Leo Schwartz, Stephanie Palazzolo and Amir Efrati · Jun 25, 2026 1:16pm PDT · 2 comments

For AI companies on the verge of releasing cutting edge new AI models, there’s a new normal in the wake of the Trump administration’s tense showdown with Anthropic in recent weeks. On Wednesday, for example, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman informed staff during a Q&A session that the company would release its latest model, GPT 5.6, in a limited... For AI companies on the verge of releasing cutting edge new AI models, there’s a new normal in...

Photo by Benjamin Fanjoy/Getty Images

Google Strikes Tough Negotiating Stance With Publishers on AI Licensing

By Ann Gehan · Jun 25, 2026 1:02pm PDT · 2 comments

Google is tightening the screws on news publishers. In recent months, the tech giant has been pitching publishers on a pilot program to test new AI features in Google News. The program, announced in December with initial partners such as The Washington Post and The Guardian, offers publishers promotion in “AI-powered article overviews” in Google... Google is tightening the screws on news publishers. In recent months, the tech giant has been...

Getty Images

Anthropic Customers Find Errant Charges, Auditing Startup Says

By Laura Bratton · Jun 25, 2026 12:31pm PDT

Some customers may be paying more for Anthropic and OpenAI products than they should be due to billing inaccuracies, according to data from Vaudit, which sells an AI bill-auditing tool.Between March and June, Vaudit audited bills sent to 60 companies totaling $34 million, mostly for usage of Anthropic’s Claude Code, and found about $1.7 million... Some customers may be paying more for Anthropic and OpenAI products than they should be due to...

Art by Clark Miller.

Is an AI Price War Brewing?

By The Information Staff · Jun 25, 2026 10:01am PDT · 2 comments

Art by Clark Miller.

Is an AI Price War Brewing?

By The Information Staff · Jun 25, 2026 10:01am PDT · 2 comments

After months of runaway corporate usage, enterprise buyers are starting to treat AI as a budget problem as much as a productivity tool. The shift from simple chatbots to multi-step agents has sent token consumption surging, forcing companies to cap usage, route work to cheaper models and renegotiate software contracts. That new cost discipline... After months of runaway corporate usage, enterprise buyers are starting to treat AI as a budget...

Art by Mike Sullivan

World Models vs VLAs: The Rift Dividing Physical AI

By Rocket Drew · Jun 25, 2026 7:01am PDT

Tech leaders from Elon Musk and Jensen Huang to a slew of startup founders and their venture-capitalist backers say robotics is headed for a “ChatGPT moment” where AI enables a wide range of physical world tasks. But the industry is increasingly split on how to get there.At issue is which kind of AI models are most promising for powering robots.... Tech leaders from Elon Musk and Jensen Huang to a slew of startup founders and their...

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, on stage at Google I/O. Photo by David Paul Morris / Getty Images

Google Revamps New AI Coding Strike Team Amid Struggle to Catch Up With Anthropic

By Erin Woo · Jun 25, 2026 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Google is reorganizing its recently launched strike team working on AI coding tools to try to catch up with Anthropic in the most lucrative AI applications, according to people familiar with the changes. The goal is for the months-old strike team to change the approach to training Google’s AI models to improve their abilities in both coding... Google is reorganizing its recently launched strike team working on AI coding tools to try to...

Residents of Saline, Mich. protest the nearby Stargate data center facility in December. Jim West/Getty Images.

The AI and Data Center Image Problem

By Nick Wingfield · Jun 24, 2026 5:01pm PDT · 3 comments

A couple days ago, John Carmack, a videogame pioneer and former virtual reality executive at Meta Platforms, wrote on X that he had begun seeing anti–data center yard signs popping up in his neighborhood. “I am entertaining the idea of paying for a billboard with something like ‘Data centers are awesome, Texas should lead!’” wrote Carmack, who... A couple days ago, John Carmack, a videogame pioneer and former virtual reality executive at Meta...

SambaNova CEO Rodrigo Liang via Getty

Intel-Backed AI Chip Firm SambaNova to Quintuple Valuation to $10 Billion

By Phoebe Liu and Valida Pau · Jun 24, 2026 12:44pm PDT

SambaNova CEO Rodrigo Liang via Getty

Intel-Backed AI Chip Firm SambaNova to Quintuple Valuation to $10 Billion

By Phoebe Liu and Valida Pau · Jun 24, 2026 12:44pm PDT

AI server chips that effectively compete with Nvidia’s have never been more in-demand as AI developers and cloud providers seek lower-cost alternatives to the market leader. In the latest example, nine-year-old chip startup SambaNova is set to raise between $800 million and $1 billion, its executive chairman, Lip-Bu Tan, said at an event on... AI server chips that effectively compete with Nvidia’s have never been more in-demand as AI...

Getty Images.

The Information Finance

What’s a Bet on Kalshi Really Worth?

By Meredith Mazzilli · Jun 24, 2026 11:43am PDT

Finance isn’t exactly known for minting new business models overnight. The industry is heavily regulated, customers are slow to move money and licensing often keeps firms in familiar lanes. Prediction markets are proving a rare exception. Fast-growing U.S. prediction market Kalshi recently topped $2 billion in annualized revenue. At that... Finance isn’t exactly known for minting new business models overnight. The industry is heavily...

Partner Content

How to Build a Personal Brand with Google Gemini

By The Information Partnerships · Jun 24, 2026 10:41am PDT · 1 comment

For founders, the benefits of building a personal brand are undeniable. A high-profile personal brand can lead to more attention and opportunities from media and investors, create inbound demand from warm leads, and foster trust with potential customers. And, unlike traditional marketing, it can be executed with zero budget. However, building a... For founders, the benefits of building a personal brand are undeniable. A high-profile personal...

Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images.

The 300-Plus Bans and Moratoriums Threatening the U.S. Data Center Boom

By Shane Burke · Jun 24, 2026 9:59am PDT · 4 comments

Since the start of the year, cities, towns, counties and states across America have slammed the brakes on allowing new data centers in their backyards. By exhaustively combing through a combination of legal documents and local news reports, The Information has identified more than 300 temporary and permanent bans on data center development that... Since the start of the year, cities, towns, counties and states across America have slammed the...

Runpod CEO and cofounder Zhen Lu. Photo courtesy of Runpod.

Cloud Startup Runpod Raises $100 Million, Says It Turned Down Buyout Offers

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jun 24, 2026 7:00am PDT

Runpod CEO and cofounder Zhen Lu. Photo courtesy of Runpod.

Cloud Startup Runpod Raises $100 Million, Says It Turned Down Buyout Offers

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jun 24, 2026 7:00am PDT

By some accounts, the compute crunch of 2026 has become even more dire than the chip crunch of 2023, which saw even venture capital firms becoming quasi-cloud providers temporarily. That’s good news for a subclass of firms that popped up to rent out computing power and help developers run open-source models to power applications. Some people... By some accounts, the compute crunch of 2026 has become even more dire than the chip crunch of...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

XAI Bets on Grok’s Racy Side

By Grace Kay and Theo Wayt · Jun 24, 2026 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

SpaceX’s xAI is doubling down on video- and image-generating tools, people familiar with the project said. That’s seizing on an opening left by OpenAI and Anthropic, which offer fewer visual capabilities. XAI launched an upgraded video model last week, highlighting how it’s pushing ahead with its own visual efforts even as it brings in outside... SpaceX’s xAI is doubling down on video- and image-generating tools, people familiar with the...

Mark Zuckerberg wearing Meta's Ray Bans. Getty Images

Meta Looks Good With Glasses On

By Martin Peers · Jun 23, 2026 5:01pm PDT · 2 comments

Here’s a suggestion for Mark Zuckerberg: Maybe you should ditch AI model development and spend even more on smart glasses! Meta Platforms on Tuesday unveiled its latest selection of smart glasses, devised with eyewear giant EssilorLuxottica, and it’s hard not to be impressed with the way they look. Meta would seem to have more chance of... Here’s a suggestion for Mark Zuckerberg: Maybe you should ditch AI model development and spend...

Pat Gelsinger, General Partner at Playground Global. Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images.

U.S.-Backed Chipmaking Startup Chaired by Former Intel CEO Is Raising $350 Million

By Phoebe Liu and Jemima McEvoy · Jun 23, 2026 4:32pm PDT · 1 comment

XLight, a startup developing advanced lasers for semiconductor manufacturing, is in talks to raise $350 million in funding from a pair of investment firms just weeks after receiving substantial investment from the U.S. Department of Commerce, according to the company’s verbal and written pitch to prospective investors. The company wants to... XLight, a startup developing advanced lasers for semiconductor manufacturing, is in talks to...

Photo by David Paul Morris/ Getty Images

Walmart’s $1.4 Billion Ad Tech Purchase: How The Price Compares

By Catherine Perloff and Valida Pau · Jun 23, 2026 2:20pm PDT

Photo by David Paul Morris/ Getty Images

Walmart’s $1.4 Billion Ad Tech Purchase: How The Price Compares

By Catherine Perloff and Valida Pau · Jun 23, 2026 2:20pm PDT

Walmart’s $1.4 billion purchase of New York–based advertising technology startup Vibe on Tuesday is a reminder of how serious the retail giant is about building its ad business.Walmart is paying a big price for Vibe, which helps small businesses buy ads on streaming platforms and will allow Walmart to reach more advertisers looking to buy spots... Walmart’s $1.4 billion purchase of New York–based advertising technology startup Vibe on Tuesday...

Vipul Ved Prakash. Photo by Big Event Media/Getty Images

Open Source Growth Boosts Together AI, Hugging Face

By Julia Hornstein, Laura Bratton and Kevin McLaughlin · Jun 23, 2026 11:09am PDT

Anthropic and OpenAI are booming, but so are providers of open-source AI models and other cheaper alternatives, thanks to businesses using open-source to control their costs, we reported in detail this morning. But there’s more.Together AI, the neocloud which rents out Nvidia cloud servers and access to open source models, raised its annual ... Anthropic and OpenAI are booming, but so are providers of open-source AI models and other cheaper...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Why Agent Loops Are Hot

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jun 23, 2026 7:01am PDT

If you’ve been on the AI side of X or Reddit recently, you’ve probably seen the phrase “agent loops” popping up more than usual. That term refers to a new way to run models and AI agents to improve their performance on longer-running or more vaguely-defined tasks, and it’s been gaining traction with developers in recent months.The basic idea... If you’ve been on the AI side of X or Reddit recently, you’ve probably seen the phrase “agent...

Art by Mike Sullivan

How AI Customers Are Lowering Their Anthropic and OpenAI Bills

By Laura Bratton and Catherine Perloff · Jun 23, 2026 6:00am PDT

As prices for Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s flagship products soar, some large customers are using cheaper AI models from those companies’ menus as well as from other providers. Ensemble Health Partners, a provider of software for hospitals that plans to spend up to $100 million on AI this year, says it’s had success switching to an OpenAI model that... As prices for Anthropic’s and OpenAI’s flagship products soar, some large customers are using...

Art by Clark Miller.

Sell SpaceX, Buy Tesla?

By Theo Wayt · Jun 22, 2026 5:05pm PDT

Art by Clark Miller.

Sell SpaceX, Buy Tesla?

By Theo Wayt · Jun 22, 2026 5:05pm PDT

Here’s a question: If you’re an investor who wants exposure to Elon Musk, is SpaceX or Tesla a better bet? Today, the answer seemed to be Tesla, with shares in the electric automaker climbing 1% to $405.05 as SpaceX shares tumbled 16% to $154.60. SpaceX shares are still above their IPO price of $135 per share, but today was their third... Here’s a question: If you’re an investor who wants exposure to Elon Musk, is SpaceX or Tesla a...