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

Photos of Jony Ive and Sam Altman via Getty. Art by Mike Sullivan

OpenAI Raids Apple for Hardware Talent, Manufacturing Partners

By Wayne Ma, Aaron Tilley, Qianer Liu and Juro Osawa · Sep 19, 2025 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

As OpenAI’s plans to make devices infused with its artificial intelligence get closer to reality, the company is increasingly plucking talent from Silicon Valley’s most successful device maker: Apple. In recent months, the startup behind ChatGPT has been raiding the ranks of Apple’s design, manufacturing and supply chain teams, in addition to ... As OpenAI’s plans to make devices infused with its artificial intelligence get closer to reality,...

Mark Zuckerberg introduces the Meta Oakley Vanguard AI glasses at Meta Connect. Photo via Getty

Meta’s AR Presence

By Martin Peers · Sep 18, 2025 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

If Mark Zuckerberg has his way, in a few weeks you could be talking to a friend wearing Meta’s new “display” glasses (you might call them augmented reality-lite glasses). All of a sudden, your friend will get a glazed look in their eyes and their fingers will start twitching. “Oh no,” you’ll realize. “They got just a text and now they’re... If Mark Zuckerberg has his way, in a few weeks you could be talking to a friend wearing Meta’s...

Photo via Getty

TikTok U.S.’s New Investor Lineup Remains In Flux

By Jing Yang and Cory Weinberg · Sep 18, 2025 1:37pm PDT · 1 comment

If President Donald Trump and Chinese premier Xi Jinping wrap up a deal for a U.S.-controlled investor group to buy TikTok U.S. on Friday, the next stage of the deal will begin—figuring out the final lineup of the investor consortium. Oracle and Silver Lake are widely reported to be among a group of new investors buying into a newly... If President Donald Trump and Chinese premier Xi Jinping wrap up a deal for a U.S.-controlled...

Anjney Midha, General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz. Image via Getty.

How Andreessen Horowitz’s ‘Compute Whisperer’ Wins AI Deals

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Sep 18, 2025 1:14pm PDT

Anjney Midha, General Partner, Andreessen Horowitz. Image via Getty.

How Andreessen Horowitz’s ‘Compute Whisperer’ Wins AI Deals

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Sep 18, 2025 1:14pm PDT

Andreessen Horowitz general partner Anjney Midha’s main job is to lead investments in AI startups such as France’s Mistral AI and Germany’s Black Forest Labs. But behind the scenes, he’s also functioned as what he calls the firm’s “compute whisperer,” setting up and managing a group of thousands of Nvidia chips that the firm then rents to... Andreessen Horowitz general partner Anjney Midha’s main job is to lead investments in AI startups...

Photo via Getty

Studios Say AI Is Finally Good Enough to Design Videogames

By Catherine Perloff and Aaron Holmes · Sep 18, 2025 10:30am PDT

Without video games, the artificial intelligence boom may not have happened: the Nvidia chips that powered recent AI breakthroughs were originally designed to process video game graphics.Now, game studios are increasingly turning to generative AI to automate the work of developing their games. Without video games, the artificial intelligence boom may not have happened: the Nvidia chips...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Amazon’s AR Glasses Could Help Train Its Humanoid Delivery Robots

By Rocket Drew · Sep 18, 2025 7:35am PDT

On Wednesday, Meta Platforms took a big step towards dominating the still-nascent augmented reality market when it unveiled the latest version of its Ray-Bans smart glasses, this time with a see-through display and a wristband for controlling the device. People will be able to send text messages via hand motions interpreted by the wristband.Meta... On Wednesday, Meta Platforms took a big step towards dominating the still-nascent augmented...

Oracle chairman Larry Ellison. Photo via Getty

The Magical Thinking Behind Oracle’s Valuation

By Anita Ramaswamy · Sep 18, 2025 6:00am PDT · 5 comments

For a company whose name refers to divine prophecies, Oracle hasn’t done a very good job of predicting the future. Investors, though, appear to believe in the company’s latest, most incredible forecast. The database giant last week upped its forecast for future revenue it expects to generate, based on its current contracts, by a whopping $317... For a company whose name refers to divine prophecies, Oracle hasn’t done a very good job of...

The Luxeed R7 extended-range electric vehicle, produced by China's Chery. Photo: VCG/Getty

The Electric: With the Clock Running Out on EV Subsidies, Carmakers Offer Up a New Idea

By Steve LeVine · Sep 18, 2025 4:30am PDT

The Luxeed R7 extended-range electric vehicle, produced by China's Chery. Photo: VCG/Getty

The Electric: With the Clock Running Out on EV Subsidies, Carmakers Offer Up a New Idea

By Steve LeVine · Sep 18, 2025 4:30am PDT

In less than two weeks, the clock will run out on the $7,500 consumer tax credit on the purchase of electric vehicles in the U.S., killed by Congress as part of President Donald Trump’s energy policy. Carmakers expect EV sales to fall off a cliff, since most consumers think the vehicles still cost too much, don’t go far enough on a charge, and... In less than two weeks, the clock will run out on the $7,500 consumer tax credit on the purchase...

Photo via Getty

StubHub’s IPO Miss

By Martin Peers · Sep 17, 2025 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Note to private tech CEOs: The IPO market may look like it’s rocking but looks can be deceiving. If your company isn’t growing fast, and/or has a lot of debt, and doesn’t have either a crypto or AI angle, don’t expect a crush of demand. Check out StubHub, which fails on all the counts I just mentioned. Its stock tanked on its opening day as a... Note to private tech CEOs: The IPO market may look like it’s rocking but looks can be deceiving....

An Axon body camera on a police officer. Photo via Getty

Axon in Advanced Talks to Buy Emergency Response Startup for $800 Million

By Katie Roof · Sep 17, 2025 4:37pm PDT · 1 comment

Axon Enterprise, a maker of police body cameras and Taser electroshock devices, is in advanced talks to buy Prepared, a startup that sells software to emergency responders, including an artificial intelligence tool that summarizes real-time transcripts of 911 calls, according to a person involved in the deal. The companies are discussing a deal... Axon Enterprise, a maker of police body cameras and Taser electroshock devices, is in advanced...

From left: Adam Presser, Donald Trump, Xi Jinping and Shou Chew. Photos via Getty

What We Do and Don’t Know About the TikTok Deal

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Sep 17, 2025 11:44am PDT · 4 comments

The long-awaited sale of TikTok’s U.S. business appears headed to a final resolution this week after China and the U.S. agreed to the framework for a deal during trade talks in Spain. A Chinese government official confirmed that China has agreed to let TikTok’s parent, ByteDance, license the TikTok algorithm—which dictates what users see... The long-awaited sale of TikTok’s U.S. business appears headed to a final resolution this week...

Art by Clark Miller.

Breaking Up Google Won’t Fix the Ad Market. Here’s What To Do Instead

By Bill Ready · Sep 17, 2025 10:08am PDT

Art by Clark Miller.

Breaking Up Google Won’t Fix the Ad Market. Here’s What To Do Instead

By Bill Ready · Sep 17, 2025 10:08am PDT

Earlier this month, a federal court issued its remedies for the Department of Justice’s case against Google Search. However, there’s another equally consequential remedies decision before the court that could reshape the integrity of the open web and the future of digital publishing. In this case, the court has already ruled that Google... Earlier this month, a federal court issued its remedies for the Department of Justice’s case...

Deep Research Report: AI 2026 Predictions

By The Information Staff · Sep 17, 2025 10:08am PDT · 3 comments

Businesses are evaluating a growing list of AI products aimed at specific uses. We asked our Deep Research tool, “What are the biggest applied artificial intelligence themes for the coming 12 months?”, and received the following answer. Businesses are evaluating a growing list of AI products aimed at specific uses. We asked our Deep...

Art by Clark Miller

OpenAI’s Models Are Getting Too Smart For Their Human Teachers

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Sep 17, 2025 7:00am PDT

In the fight to improve AI models, Anthropic and OpenAI have doubled down on two methods: letting models train on fake clones of apps—otherwise known as reinforcement learning environments or gyms—and getting experts in various fields to teach models new things, as I reported in this Tuesday story.One problem is emerging, though: It’s getting a... In the fight to improve AI models, Anthropic and OpenAI have doubled down on two methods: letting...

Art by Clark Miller

IPOs Roar Back, Injecting Cash Into Venture Firms

By Katie Roof · Sep 17, 2025 6:21am PDT · 1 comment

September is on track for six venture-backed tech listings, the most since November 2021. The rising number of IPOs means venture funds can start returning more cash to the limited partners that back them, relieving one of the strains that had held back VC fundraising over the last few years. Nearly all of September’s listings are from companies... September is on track for six venture-backed tech listings, the most since November 2021. The...

Image via Getty

Why TikTok America’s Growth Could Surge

By Martin Peers · Sep 16, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Image via Getty

Why TikTok America’s Growth Could Surge

By Martin Peers · Sep 16, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Our long international nightmare may soon be over. Both China and the U.S. seem to be in agreement about the terms under which TikTok U.S. will be sold to a new company majority-owned by Americans, judging by a statement overnight from a Chinese government official. We don’t know the details, including the full investor lineup in the new TikTok,... Our long international nightmare may soon be over. Both China and the U.S. seem to be in...

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Images via Getty

Who Will Own the New OpenAI, in One Chart

By Sri Muppidi · Sep 16, 2025 2:45pm PDT

One question has loomed over OpenAI investors for years: How would they generate a return on their investment? The ChatGPT maker is a nonprofit that capped the potential returns of early backers in its for-profit arm, such as Khosla Ventures and Microsoft, and would prevent the newer investors including Thrive Capital and SoftBank from reaping... One question has loomed over OpenAI investors for years: How would they generate a return on...

Marc Benioff, left, and Satya Nadella. Photos via Getty

Salesforce, Microsoft Find Selling AI to Enterprises Is Easier Said Than Done

By Aaron Holmes and Kevin McLaughlin · Sep 16, 2025 10:30am PDT · 1 comment

As new artificial intelligence flooded the software market over the past few years, CEOs of incumbents such as Salesforce and Microsoft said they were in pole position to capitalize on the wave.They already have relationships with the largest companies in the world, which rely on their apps as systems of record, meaning they use them to hold... As new artificial intelligence flooded the software market over the past few years, CEOs of...

Art via Mike Sullivan

How Anthropic and OpenAI Are Developing AI ‘Co-Workers’

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Sep 16, 2025 10:01am PDT · 2 comments

Anthropic, OpenAI and other artificial intelligence developers are sending large language models to the office. The AI models are being taught how to use everything from Salesforce’s customer relationship management software to Zendesk’s customer support and Cerner’s health records apps. The idea is to teach AI how to handle some of the... Anthropic, OpenAI and other artificial intelligence developers are sending large language models...

Art by Clark Miller

Help The Information Find Its New AI Columnist

By Abram Brown · Sep 16, 2025 8:00am PDT · 3 comments

Art by Clark Miller

Help The Information Find Its New AI Columnist

By Abram Brown · Sep 16, 2025 8:00am PDT · 3 comments

Artificial intelligence has already altered wide swaths of our world. As for the parts that it hasn’t changed—well, it sorta seems inevitable that the technology will reorder them, too. The Information’s Weekend section wants to add a columnist who will explore and explain this disruption. They should have a wide interest in the technology... Artificial intelligence has already altered wide swaths of our world. As for the parts that it...