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

Get smarter about the day’s news in tech, media and finance by following Silicon Valley’s most-read executive newsletter.

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Recent Editions

Art by Mike Sullivan

TikTok Considers Quibi-Style Minidramas to Broaden Appeal

By Juro Osawa and Kaya Yurieff · Nov 16, 2024 6:00am PST · 5 comments

Everyone from Hollywood veteran Jeffrey Katzenberg to Snap and Meta Platforms has tried luring Americans with minuteslong TV-style shows on social media apps. All have failed. But that isn’t deterring TikTok from exploring the concept. The ByteDance-owned video app is considering ways of using such minidramas, which have proved to be a... Everyone from Hollywood veteran Jeffrey Katzenberg to Snap and Meta Platforms has tried luring...

Art by Clark Miller

The Personal Trainers Tech Execs Trust

By Annie Goldsmith · Nov 16, 2024 5:00am PST · 6 comments

Ozempic be damned. Silicon Valley is holding on tight to its love of the personal trainer. These are people like Matt Dixon, a San Francisco–based trainer and former professional triathlete whose clients include billionaire Max Levchin. After several decades of whipping folks like Levchin into tip-top shape, Dixon has a thesis for why so... Ozempic be damned. Silicon Valley is holding on tight to its love of the personal trainer. These...

Elon to Lead D.O.G.E., Bitcoin Surges & the Trump Alliance

By Jessica E. Lessin · Nov 15, 2024 3:43pm PST · 2 comments

This week on More or Less: A shift in the Silicon Valley narrative and why D.O.G.E. is not X. Plus, Jessica's new investment and Brit's new hair. Apple Podcasts Spotify This week on More or Less: A shift in the Silicon Valley narrative and why D.O.G.E. is not...

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul face off during weigh-ins before their upcoming fight. Photo via Getty.

Netflix’s Friday Night Fights

By Nick Wingfield · Nov 15, 2024 3:30pm PST · 1 comment

Mike Tyson and Jake Paul face off during weigh-ins before their upcoming fight. Photo via Getty.

Netflix’s Friday Night Fights

By Nick Wingfield · Nov 15, 2024 3:30pm PST · 1 comment

Any Friday night plans? A decent number of you will probably tune into tonight’s boxing match on Netflix between Mike Tyson and Jake Paul because you’re curious whether the great heavyweight of the 1980s can, at the age of 58, beat the 27-year-old influencer turned pugilist. Another group of you may watch more because you’re curious how Netflix... Any Friday night plans? A decent number of you will probably tune into tonight’s boxing match on...

Art by Clark Miller (photos: Getty Images)

Making a Beautiful, Tesla-Beating Electric Car Is a Frustrating Business

By Steve LeVine · Nov 15, 2024 9:00am PST · 28 comments

The other evening, a stranger told Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson that if he ever came across an electric vehicle that would go 500 miles on a charge, he’d buy it. “And I said, ‘That’s Lucid Air!’” Rawlinson recalls, referring to his company’s sleek sedan. “He said, ‘What? How long has that... The other evening, a stranger told Lucid Motors CEO Peter Rawlinson that if he ever came across...

Photo by Getty

Pro Weekly: Help Wanted! Job Openings in Tech

By Akash Pasricha · Nov 15, 2024 8:00am PST

Longtime readers of The Information know our Free Agents stories. Every few months, our newsroom publishes a list of executives and investors who are searching for their next gig after leaving high-profile roles. Today, we’re flipping Free Agents on its head. Instead of people looking for jobs, we’re focusing on jobs looking for people. Longtime readers of The Information know our Free Agents stories. Every few months, our newsroom...

Art by Mike Sullivan

A $100 Billion Middle East AI Fund Plots Its U.S. Expansion

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Nov 15, 2024 6:00am PST

Last month, when OpenAI announced a record-breaking $6.6 billion venture round, an unfamiliar new name appeared among the investors pouring money into the hot artificial intelligence startup: MGX. It was the first public investment ever for the Abu Dhabi–based MGX, and it was a splashy debut for a firm most Silicon Valley investors had... Last month, when OpenAI announced a record-breaking $6.6 billion venture round, an unfamiliar new...

Disney CEO Bob Iger. Photo via Getty.

Disney’s Streaming Profit Hopes Rest on More Price Increases

By Martin Peers · Nov 14, 2024 5:00pm PST

Disney CEO Bob Iger. Photo via Getty.

Disney’s Streaming Profit Hopes Rest on More Price Increases

By Martin Peers · Nov 14, 2024 5:00pm PST

We got some good news from the poor old entertainment companies this earnings season. Video streaming is finally becoming a money-making business! Disney, for instance, reported today that its Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ streaming operations made a profit of $321 million in the September quarter, quite the turnaround from losing a slightly bigger... We got some good news from the poor old entertainment companies this earnings season. Video...

Forward's CarePod. Photo via Forward.

The Unicorn Hangover Lingers; Ben Horowitz’s Post-Election Sniping

By Natasha Mascarenhas and Jon Victor · Nov 14, 2024 3:46pm PST

Another day, another multibillion-dollar valuation for a generative AI startup! Today it’s Synthesia, a video-generation startup that’s near a $2 billion price tag in a round led by New Enterprise Associates, we scooped Thursday. Given the firehose of AI deals, it’s easy to forget that plenty of startups aren’t as lucky – and could be... Another day, another multibillion-dollar valuation for a generative AI startup! Today it’s...

Photo via Shutterstock

Creator Economy

Google Hosts Website Creators as Search Complaints Grow

By Catherine Perloff and Kaya Yurieff · Nov 14, 2024 2:20pm PST · 1 comment

Any creator who relies on Google search to drive readers to their websites is used to changes in the search engine’s powerful algorithm. But some recent updates have been so disruptive that Google made a rare overture to these small publishers: In late October, it invited several to its Mountain View, Calif., headquarters to hear their... Any creator who relies on Google search to drive readers to their websites is used to changes in...

Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli. Photo via Getty.

Recent Venture Deals Show AI Valuations May Be Cooling

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Natasha Mascarenhas · Nov 14, 2024 11:58am PST

Valuations of generative artificial intelligence startups appear to be coming down—slightly. The latest example is Synthesia, which helps companies create AI videos. It’s raising $150 million in funding at a valuation of $2.1 billion after the investment, double its valuation from 17 months ago, according to a person involved in the... Valuations of generative artificial intelligence startups appear to be coming...

Photo via Getty

How AI Researchers Are Rising Above Scaling Limits

By Kalley Huang, Rocket Drew and Jon Victor · Nov 14, 2024 7:00am PST

Photo via Getty

How AI Researchers Are Rising Above Scaling Limits

By Kalley Huang, Rocket Drew and Jon Victor · Nov 14, 2024 7:00am PST

Now that we know OpenAI isn’t the only artificial intelligence developer seeing a slowdown in improvements using traditional “scaling” methods, it’s worth looking at all the ways companies are trying to make up for that.There are tried and true methods to make large language models perform better, such as tweaking the parameters—settings that... Now that we know OpenAI isn’t the only artificial intelligence developer seeing a slowdown in...

Art by Clark Miller

The Enterprise Search App That Got Google and OpenAI’s Attention

By Kevin McLaughlin · Nov 14, 2024 6:00am PST · 1 comment

ChatGPT changed how people search for information online, sparking a battle among tech giants. Now Glean, a five-year-old startup led by a former Google search engineer, is attracting big rivals in a related market: search chatbots for businesses. These products, which are powered by the same technology that’s behind ChatGPT, help... ChatGPT changed how people search for information online, sparking a battle among tech giants....

Novonix's new graphite factory in Chattanooga, Tenn. Photo: Courtesy Novonix.

The Electric: A Stellantis Contract With a Startup Shows Rare Confidence in EVs

By Steve LeVine · Nov 14, 2024 4:30am PST

In a rare sign of confidence in the future of electric vehicles under President-elect Donald Trump, Stellantis has agreed to buy a six-year supply of battery-grade graphite from a new Chattanooga, Tenn., plant, enough to make roughly 300,000 EVs. In a rare sign of confidence in the future of electric vehicles under President-elect Donald...

Matt Gaetz. Photo via Getty.

What Matt Gaetz’s Attorney General Nomination Means for Tech

By Martin Peers · Nov 13, 2024 5:00pm PST · 2 comments

All those techies and bankers hoping the new Trump administration will relax Joe Biden’s tough antitrust approach might want to think again. Donald Trump on Wednesday said he would nominate Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz as attorney general, putting forward someone who has appeared supportive of Federal Trade Commission Chair Lina Khan and has called... All those techies and bankers hoping the new Trump administration will relax Joe Biden’s tough...

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. Photo via Getty.

Trump’s AG Pick Is a Hail Mary for TikTok

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 13, 2024 2:49pm PST

Florida Congressman Matt Gaetz. Photo via Getty.

Creator Economy

Trump’s AG Pick Is a Hail Mary for TikTok

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 13, 2024 2:49pm PST

The new Trump administration is shaping up to be quite friendly to TikTok and its hopes of survival in the U.S. The latest development: President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday announced he wants to appoint Republican representative Matt Gaetz from Florida as his attorney general. The new Trump administration is shaping up to be quite friendly to TikTok and its hopes of...

Art by Clark Miller

Following OpenAI, Google Changes Tack to Overcome AI Slowdown

By Jon Victor · Nov 13, 2024 9:31am PST · 2 comments

Google has recently struggled to achieve performance gains in its Gemini conversational artificial intelligence at the same rate it did last year, prompting researchers to focus on other ways to eke out gains, according to an employee who has been involved in the effort. The situation appears similar to the slowdown in AI advances that rival... Google has recently struggled to achieve performance gains in its Gemini conversational...

Photo by Getty

Meta to Launch Ads on Threads in Early 2025

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan and Kalley Huang · Nov 13, 2024 9:22am PST

Meta Platforms plans to introduce advertisements to its text app, Threads, early next year, hoping to cash in on the app’s rapid growth, according to three people with direct knowledge of the company’s plans. A team inside Instagram’s advertising division is leading the effort, which is still in the early stages, the people... Meta Platforms plans to introduce advertisements to its text app, Threads, early next year,...

Inside xAI's facility. Photo via YouTube/ServeTheHome.

Why Elon Musk’s AI Rivals Will Face Delays with Supercomputers

By Anissa Gardizy · Nov 13, 2024 7:00am PST · 2 comments

OpenAI and other artificial intelligence developers are scrambling to keep up with Elon Musk’s xAI startup in setting up data centers to develop new AI models. Among their tactics: flying a plane over his brand new Memphis AI datacenter so they can scrutinize how it was developed and powered, as I reported this morning. Now I’m hearing... OpenAI and other artificial intelligence developers are scrambling to keep up with Elon Musk’s...

Photo of Donald Trump by Getty. Art by Mike Sullivan

Online Retailers Roll the Dice on Trump’s China Tariffs

By Theo Wayt and Ann Gehan · Nov 13, 2024 7:00am PST · 2 comments

Photo of Donald Trump by Getty. Art by Mike Sullivan

Online Retailers Roll the Dice on Trump’s China Tariffs

By Theo Wayt and Ann Gehan · Nov 13, 2024 7:00am PST · 2 comments

Andy Gossett, the owner of surfing accessories and apparel brand Cor Surf, is planning an unusual strategy this holiday season: dialing back on discounts ahead of the key Black Friday and Cyber Monday shopping period. Cor, which makes most of its products in China and sells on Amazon, its own site and through retailers, is trying to keep... Andy Gossett, the owner of surfing accessories and apparel brand Cor Surf, is planning an unusual...