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

Photo: Courtesy 6K

The Electric: Facing a Skeptical Clientele, a Battery Company Builds Its Own Plant

By Steve LeVine · Sep 19, 2024 4:30am PDT

In 2020, 6K, a North Andover, Mass., materials company, launched an energy division with the aim of making the toxic and laborious manufacture of battery electrodes cheaper and cleaner. Now, after failing to win business from large established electrode makers, the company plans to make the electrodes itself.The move reflects how Western battery... In 2020, 6K, a North Andover, Mass., materials company, launched an energy division with the aim...

PayPal's San Jose headquarters. Photo via Adobe

PayPal Makes Headway With Flurry of Deals

By Martin Peers · Sep 18, 2024 5:00pm PDT

Can an old dog learn new tricks? If the old dog is PayPal, the answer seems to be yes. Under newish CEO Alex Chriss—who’s about to celebrate his first anniversary in the job—the digital payments pioneer is striking deals that should rejuvenate its business and help it challenge newer rivals such as Silicon Valley star Stripe. Today, for... Can an old dog learn new tricks? If the old dog is PayPal, the answer seems to be yes. Under...

Photo Credit: Erin Beach

Partner Content

AI Summit Recap: IBM’s Gil on How Enterprises Can Get AI Right

By The Information Partnerships · Sep 18, 2024 3:15pm PDT

As director of IBM Research and co-chair of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, Dr. Dario Gil oversees one of the world’s largest research institutes. He shapes IBM’s AI vision and, as chair of the National Science Board, has a rare vantage point into the technology’s many evolutions and uses. As part of The Information’s recent... As director of IBM Research and co-chair of the MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab, Dr. Dario Gil oversees one...

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via YouTube

YouTube Unveils a Cornucopia of AI Tools

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 18, 2024 2:01pm PDT

YouTube CEO Neal Mohan. Photo via YouTube

Creator Economy

YouTube Unveils a Cornucopia of AI Tools

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 18, 2024 2:01pm PDT

It’s been a busy week for creator economy events, from TikTok’s day in court to LTKCon and Snap’s Partner Summit—and it’s only Wednesday!Earlier today, I attended the annual Made On YouTube presentation, where executives including CEO Neal Mohan announced a host of new features for creators. Some will probably be popular, as they copy already... It’s been a busy week for creator economy events, from TikTok’s day in court to LTKCon and Snap’s...

Mitchell Green. Photo provided by Lead Edge Capital.

The Big Interview

Why One Investor Is Buying ByteDance Stock Despite TikTok Ban Threat

By Kate Clark · Sep 18, 2024 12:01pm PDT · 2 comments

A growing number of ByteDance shareholders have been selling their shares as hopes fade that the TikTok parent will go public anytime soon. But one New York–based venture firm that’s already invested over $100 million in the internet company is still eager to buy. Mitchell Green, founder of Lead Edge Capital, which has been... A growing number of ByteDance shareholders have been selling their shares as hopes fade that...

Evan Spiegel using Spectacles. Photo by Snap

Snap Shows AI Wearables Are Far Off; Salesforce CEO Says Microsoft Sells ‘Science Projects’

By Erin Woo and Jon Victor · Sep 18, 2024 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

Before we get to the main part of today’s column, we wanted to share a juicy tidbit about Nvidia’s $165 million offer to buy artificial intelligence software startup OctoAI, which Anissa broke Tuesday.Most OctoAI shareholders aren’t expected to get much of a payout, but merger documents show the startup’s senior management team would do quite... Before we get to the main part of today’s column, we wanted to share a juicy tidbit about Nvidia’...

Lawyers leave the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia on Sept. 9 where the Department of Justice's antitrust trial against Google is being held. Photo by AP

YouTube Could Be Hurt By Ad-Tech Antitrust Lawsuit Against Google

By Sahil Patel · Sep 18, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Google’s YouTube isn’t the focus of the Justice Department’s second antitrust case against Google, now on trial in a Virginia courthouse. The case centers on the tech giant’s dominance of tools used by other companies buying and selling ads across the web and whether that sway hurts independent publishers. But YouTube... Google’s YouTube isn’t the focus of the Justice Department’s second antitrust...

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. Photo by Getty

Instagram’s Teen Safety Act

By Martin Peers · Sep 17, 2024 5:00pm PDT

Instagram chief Adam Mosseri. Photo by Getty

Instagram’s Teen Safety Act

By Martin Peers · Sep 17, 2024 5:00pm PDT

Meta Platforms has come a long way from the “move fast” days. Instagram’s much-ballyhooed announcement on Tuesday—aimed at protecting teens from creepy adult stalkers as well as from bombardment by overnight notifications—will surely be welcomed by many parents and perhaps politicians. But it took several years of incremental Instagram... Meta Platforms has come a long way from the “move fast” days. Instagram’s much-ballyhooed...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Crypto Funds Are Hunting for Yield

By Yueqi Yang · Sep 17, 2024 3:44pm PDT

After a two-year drought of initial public offerings, venture capitalists are finding new ways to return cash to shareholders, we wrote last week. Crypto investors have a few other tools to get capital back to their investors, or limited partners. But they also are facing more hurdles these days.Funds that bought tokens, or digital assets tied... After a two-year drought of initial public offerings, venture capitalists are finding new ways to...

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel. Photo by Snap.

Creator Economy

Snap Tries for a Streamlined App—With a Lot of Features

By Erin Woo · Sep 17, 2024 3:26pm PDT

Snapchat, launched more than a decade ago, has been showing its wear. The app is a jumble of features, from TikTok-like videos (Spotlight) to Maps to its flagship disappearing Stories. With a major redesign unveiled Tuesday, it’s attempting to streamline the way its 850 million monthly users interact with the photo messaging app. Many may... Snapchat, launched more than a decade ago, has been showing its wear. The app is a jumble of...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, left, and Octo.AI CEO Luis Ceze. Photo by Getty; screenshot via YouTube.

Nvidia Recently Discussed Acquiring Software Startup OctoAI for $165 Million

By Anissa Gardizy, Aaron Holmes and Stephanie Palazzolo · Sep 17, 2024 11:37am PDT

Nvidia has been in advanced talks to buy OctoAI, a Seattle-based startup that sells software to make artificial intelligence models run more efficiently, according to a message sent to shareholders. The purchase would add to a string of small AI startup acquisitions by the AI chip heavyweight, which is trying to strengthen its software and... Nvidia has been in advanced talks to buy OctoAI, a Seattle-based startup that sells software to...

Art by Mike Sullivan via Midjourney

Why OpenAI is Hiding its Reasoning Model’s ‘Thoughts’

By Amir Efrati and Anissa Gardizy · Sep 17, 2024 7:00am PDT

Art by Mike Sullivan via Midjourney

Why OpenAI is Hiding its Reasoning Model’s ‘Thoughts’

By Amir Efrati and Anissa Gardizy · Sep 17, 2024 7:00am PDT

In the artificial intelligence race, competition is fierce. Every big AI developer is watching rivals like a hawk and trying to reverse-engineer or copy their best work, as we’ve reported.What can a leader like OpenAI do to keep its edge? The company’s newly released reasoning model, o1-preview, aka Strawberry, shows one way: by hiding the ball... In the artificial intelligence race, competition is fierce. Every big AI developer is watching...

The People in Charge at Productivity App Notion

By Jon Victor · Sep 17, 2024 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Notion, a maker of popular task-management software, is injecting artificial intelligence into every pore of its products, aiming to make it easier for people to draft documents, summarize data and query spreadsheets. AI is also reshaping Notion’s executive ranks. The company recently hired Jackie Rocca, formerly vice president of product... Notion, a maker of popular task-management software, is injecting artificial intelligence into...

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Photo via AP.

Amazon’s Jassy Vows to Fight Bureaucracy

By Martin Peers · Sep 16, 2024 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

CEO letters to staff are usually written with so much bombast and blather that they say little of note. But that’s not the case with one that came from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy today. Despite a sleepy headline, “Strengthening Our Culture and Teams,” Jassy’s letter delivers some home truths. Most notably, he made it clear his concern that Amazon is... CEO letters to staff are usually written with so much bombast and blather that they say little of...

Art by Clark Miller

Why AI Developers Are Skipping Google’s Gemini

By Erin Woo · Sep 16, 2024 3:11pm PDT · 12 comments

One of Google's efforts to catch up to OpenAI in the artificial intelligence race is struggling. Google’s conversational AI, Gemini, is too difficult for app developers and businesses to use compared to rivals’ technology, according to interviews with developers and several Google employees that help companies use the AI. One of Google's efforts to catch up to OpenAI in the artificial intelligence race is...

TikTok creator Talia Cadet speaks to reporters outside the courthouse in Washington on Monday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.

TikTok’s Tough Day in Court

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 16, 2024 3:00pm PDT · 2 comments

TikTok creator Talia Cadet speaks to reporters outside the courthouse in Washington on Monday. Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images.

Creator Economy

TikTok’s Tough Day in Court

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 16, 2024 3:00pm PDT · 2 comments

Things are not looking great for TikTok. I spent the morning hearing TikTok’s lawyers present their arguments to convince a Washington appeals court that a ban would infringe on the First Amendment rights of 170 million American users, as well as creators. The response from the court—a panel of three judges of the United States Court of... Things are not looking great for TikTok. I spent the morning hearing TikTok’s lawyers present...

image via Grok

Why OpenAI’s Reasoning Model Is Special

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Amir Efrati · Sep 16, 2024 7:00am PDT

OpenAI finally released its Strawberry reasoning artificial intelligence last week—or rather, an initial, less-complete version known as o1-preview. We first reported about the breakthrough behind Strawberry 10 months ago when it was still called Q*, and more recently told you what was coming, though we expected a more inspiring name than... OpenAI finally released its Strawberry reasoning artificial intelligence last week—or rather, an...

Photo by Getty

ByteDance Steps Up AI Chip Efforts

By Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu · Sep 16, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is accelerating efforts to make its own artificial intelligence chips as it looks for an edge over its rivals in China’s AI chatbot market. ByteDance is aiming for mass production of two semiconductors it has designed by 2026, in collaboration with chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.,... TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is accelerating efforts to make its own artificial...

Ford CEO Jim Farley, top, and the company's head of EV development, Doug Field. Photos: Getty

Three-Quarters of Ford’s EV ‘Skunkworks’ Are Tesla, Apple and Rivian Alums

By Steve LeVine · Sep 16, 2024 4:30am PDT

In a call with Wall Street analysts in February, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Chief Financial Officer John Lawler detailed the costs to the company of its flagship electric Mach-E SUV and F-150 Lightning pickup. Ford lost $47,000 for each electric vehicle it sold in the fourth quarter of 2023, and was on track to lose up to $5.5 billion on EVs this... In a call with Wall Street analysts in February, Ford CEO Jim Farley and Chief Financial Officer...

Art by Clark Miller

Apple Is Slowly Killing the iPhone

By Abram Brown · Sep 14, 2024 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Art by Clark Miller

Apple Is Slowly Killing the iPhone

By Abram Brown · Sep 14, 2024 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The firebrand investor who can explain MAGA tech• The Top 5: The doggone best pet gadgets• Plus: San Francisco goes Bourbon Street for fall; how yuppies live on; and the immigrants and the internet. Remember when an Apple unveiling was actually exciting? Honestly, I can’t. It’s probably... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: The firebrand investor who can explain...