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

Biden praised GM CEO Mary Barra as the country's EV leader, even as the company badly trailed Tesla. Photo: Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty

The Electric: From Big Auto to Big Oil, a Big Bet on a Long Tail for Combustion

By Steve LeVine · Oct 30, 2023 4:30am PDT

For more than two years, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen have followed a similar script: In just a few years, each company claimed, it would puncture Tesla’s dominance of electric vehicle sales and possibly overtake the industry leader. Now, though, all three have ripped up their talking points—and turned back the clock: In place of more... For more than two years, Ford, General Motors and Volkswagen have followed a similar script: In...

One AI Device to Rule Them All

One AI Device to Rule Them All

By Jon Steinberg · Oct 28, 2023 6:00am PDT

Hi, welcome to your Weekend.It’s been 10 years since the movie “Her” introduced us to a queasy future in which a man falls in love with his AI-powered digital assistant. Guess who loved that movie? Yup, Sam Altman, the father of ChatGPT. “The things ‘Her’ got right—like the whole interaction models of how people use AI—that was incredibly... Hi, welcome to your Weekend.It’s been 10 years since the movie “Her” introduced us to a queasy...

WTF speakers Sophia Amoruso, founder of Girlboss; Valerie Capers Workman, chief legal officer, Handshake; Julia B. Chan, editor-in-chief, The 19th; Jessica Lessin, founder, The Information; and artist and entrepreneur Katy Perry. Art by Mike Sullivan. All photos by Erin Beach.

WTF: Women in Tech, Media and Finance

Katy Perry, ChatGPT Vacations and an Enthusiastic Return to Office: Inside The Information’s WTF Conference

By The Information Staff · Oct 28, 2023 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

“There’s been 10 years of women that are championing other women,” singer-songwriter Katy Perry said to The Information CEO Jessica Lessin and a crowd of 232 women at The Estate Yountville in Napa Valley, Calif. “The positive of social media is that it took the gatekeeper away.…It’s up to you to become... “There’s been 10 years of women that are championing other women,”...

The Pentagon. Photo via United States Department of Defense.

Tech Loves Big Government (as a Customer)

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 27, 2023 4:30pm PDT · 2 comments

The Pentagon. Photo via United States Department of Defense.

Tech Loves Big Government (as a Customer)

By Cory Weinberg · Oct 27, 2023 4:30pm PDT · 2 comments

Tech giants usually prefer to avoid Washington politicians and bureaucrats. Congressional hearings, Justice Department lawsuits and Securities and Exchange Commission probes are no fun. But a new generation of tech companies is finding governments are more likely to be customers than adversaries. That’s clear from the under-the-hood... Tech giants usually prefer to avoid Washington politicians and bureaucrats. Congressional...

Sam Bankman-Fried is questioned by his attorney Mark Cohen, left, as Judge Lewis Kaplan looks on from the bench as Bankman-Fried testifies in his trial at Manhattan federal court on Friday. Sketch by Elizabeth Williams via AP.

Sam Bankman-Fried’s Testimony Was Always His Only Case

By Aidan Ryan · Oct 27, 2023 3:53pm PDT · 4 comments

Some observers saw Sam Bankman-Fried’s decision to testify in his trial on fraud charges as a Hail Mary pass. But he might not have had any other choice. Bankman-Fried began testifying before the jury Friday morning, the third witness called by his lawyers, following brief appearances by his Bahamas lawyer and an expert witness who... Some observers saw Sam Bankman-Fried’s decision to testify in his trial on fraud charges as...

The New Founder Mindset: The End of the Product-Focused CEO

By Jessica Lessin · Oct 27, 2023 10:24am PDT · 3 comments

People often ask me how being a founder changes how I report on founders. Let me count the ways! I got the chance to discuss some of them as the gang debated the state of founderhood and some prominent founders of the moment. I hope you enjoy. Apple Spotify People often ask me how being a founder changes how I report on founders. Let me count the...

Art by Clark Miller.

Market Research

Has Continuous Glucose Monitoring Peaked?

By Annie Goldsmith · Oct 27, 2023 10:00am PDT · 5 comments

In November 2020, marketing consultant Sarah Eade Bengard was in St. Barts, mingling at a venture capitalist friend’s beach party, when she noticed something strange. A number of guests had small circular sensors dotting their upper arms. They were continuous glucose monitors, medical devices usually reserved for diabetics who need to... In November 2020, marketing consultant Sarah Eade Bengard was in St. Barts, mingling at a venture...

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

By Akash Pasricha · Oct 27, 2023 8:00am PDT

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

Pro Weekly: How Our Readers Are Using AI

By Akash Pasricha · Oct 27, 2023 8:00am PDT

The Information’s readers are using artificial intelligence to create voice-overs for TikTok videos, summarize legal documents and maintain their lawns, among other tasks, they say in interviews.In our recent survey of 593 subscribers, almost 90% said they use AI, and two-thirds of that group said they are paying for one or more generative AI... The Information’s readers are using artificial intelligence to create voice-overs for TikTok...

The Ai Pin by Humane will feature a laser projector in place of a screen. Art by Clark Miller

Has Humane Created the Next iPhone—or the Next Google Glass?

By Julia Black · Oct 27, 2023 6:00am PDT · 13 comments

In late September, a stakeholder in Humane received a humbled message from the startup. The Information had just broken the news that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman had been secretly meeting with renowned former Apple designer Jony Ive. The duo was dreaming up the “iPhone of artificial intelligence,” according to later reports,... In late September, a stakeholder in Humane received a humbled message from the startup. The...

The Amazon Spheres in Seattle. Photo via Getty.

Amazon Cranks Up Its AI Euphoria

By Nick Wingfield · Oct 26, 2023 5:00pm PDT

Amazon’s artificial intelligence growth is a sight to behold. No, the company didn’t report how much money it’s making from AI, and it probably won’t anytime soon. We’re talking about the expanded use of AI buzzwords in its earnings release. References to Bedrock and CodeWhisperer—two generative AI products from Amazon—rose 67% and 200% in the... Amazon’s artificial intelligence growth is a sight to behold. No, the company didn’t report how...

Erin and Sara Foster. Photo by Erin Beach.

Creator Economy

What Creators Can Learn From Kim Kardashian’s Skims

By Kalley Huang · Oct 26, 2023 3:45pm PDT · 1 comment

It’s Kalley Huang, reporting from The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance Summit in Yountville, Calif. Creators and influencers are increasingly launching their own companies to expand their audiences and to generate revenue beyond sponsorships. But their names aren’t enough to sell offline brands, said Erin and Sara Foster, the... It’s Kalley Huang, reporting from The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance Summit in...

Jackie Reses, CEO of Lead Bank. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.

Fintech Meltdown, Working for Musk, Regulating AI: WTF Highlights

By Natasha Mascarenhas, Erin Woo and Anissa Gardizy · Oct 26, 2023 2:37pm PDT

Jackie Reses, CEO of Lead Bank. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.

WTF: Women in Tech, Media and Finance

Fintech Meltdown, Working for Musk, Regulating AI: WTF Highlights

By Natasha Mascarenhas, Erin Woo and Anissa Gardizy · Oct 26, 2023 2:37pm PDT

The coming wave of fintech failures. How to “own your story” while working for a leader like Elon Musk. A regulatory crackdown on artificial intelligence. And the repercussions of bad press on high-profile female founders. These are some of the topics discussed by speakers at The Information’s Women in Tech, Media and Finance... The coming wave of fintech failures. How to “own your story” while working for a...

The SPVs Behind Venture Capital’s Biggest Bets

The SPVs Behind Venture Capital’s Biggest Bets

By Kate Clark · Oct 26, 2023 10:00am PDT · 2 comments

You might have noticed that Thrive Capital has made a number of bold bets this year, leading massive investments in Stripe, Ramp and OpenAI once again, even as other late-stage investors have pulled back. Special-purpose vehicles helped buttress the firm’s Stripe investment, while lowering the risk of its core fund’s performance. The same could... You might have noticed that Thrive Capital has made a number of bold bets this year, leading...

From left to right, Kara Nortman, Rachel Holt and Ruchi Sanghvi. Photo by Erin Beach for The Information.

WTF: Women in Tech, Media and Finance

VC Founders: to Create the Next Sequoia, Do it ‘From the Ground Up’

By Kate Clark and Natasha Mascarenhas · Oct 26, 2023 8:31am PDT · 1 comment

Women founders who started their own venture firms say the autonomy has allowed them to alter stubborn industry practices—a benefit that’s worth the risks of failure. “If I'm going to do this, I'm going to build it from the ground up,” said Rachel Holt of her decision to co-found early-stage venture fund Construct... Women founders who started their own venture firms say the autonomy has allowed them to alter...

Photo via Shutterstock.

Don’t Laugh at Intel; Biden’s Industry-Friendly Executive Order

By Anissa Gardizy · Oct 26, 2023 7:00am PDT

Congratulations if you already knew that Intel, the American chip pioneer, had started selling artificial intelligence-related software—as opposed to just hardware—to businesses that want to build generative AI apps. I had no idea myself until I wrote a story on Wednesday about Intel expanding that effort. It’s planning to announce the move... Congratulations if you already knew that Intel, the American chip pioneer, had started selling...

Left to right: Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril; Ryan and Brandon Tseng, co-founders of Shield AI. Photos via Getty, Shield AI and Anduril.

How Anduril Is Fueling VC’s Push Into Defense Tech

By Cory Weinberg, Natasha Mascarenhas and Kate Clark · Oct 26, 2023 6:00am PDT · 5 comments

Left to right: Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Anduril; Ryan and Brandon Tseng, co-founders of Shield AI. Photos via Getty, Shield AI and Anduril.

How Anduril Is Fueling VC’s Push Into Defense Tech

By Cory Weinberg, Natasha Mascarenhas and Kate Clark · Oct 26, 2023 6:00am PDT · 5 comments

Anduril, the defense tech startup that says it’s trying to build the “Lockheed Martin of the 21st century,” laid out lofty goals to investors early last year. It set its sights on $1 billion in annual revenue by 2026, five times its expectation for $200 million of revenue in 2022. Achieving that ambition will be expensive.... Anduril, the defense tech startup that says it’s trying to build the “Lockheed Martin...

Graphite mining in Quebec, Canada. Photo:

The Electric: In Batteries, China Owns the 2020s—and Possibly the 2030s, Too

By Steve LeVine · Oct 26, 2023 4:30am PDT

A U.S. official said a new Chinese restriction on the export of graphite is a warning that Beijing could also crack down on other materials vital to the electric vehicle industry. Giulia Siccardo, director of the U.S. Department of Energy’s office of manufacturing and energy supply chains, said U.S. auto companies should rethink their reliance... A U.S. official said a new Chinese restriction on the export of graphite is a warning that...

Photo by NurPhoto via Getty.

Meta’s Happy Days Are Here Again, For Now

By Martin Peers · Oct 25, 2023 5:01pm PDT

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has 34.1 billion reasons to be satisfied with the social network’s third-quarter result, released Wednesday afternoon. That’s how many dollars Meta reported as revenue, near the top end of the company’s guidance, and representing 23% growth over the year-earlier revenue line. That’s a return to the kind of... Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has 34.1 billion reasons to be satisfied with the social...

Photo via YouTube/Meta.

Creator Economy

Mark Zuckerberg Talks Up ‘Creator AIs’

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Oct 25, 2023 3:46pm PDT

It’s all about artificial intelligence.That was the message from Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg when he discussed the company’s third-quarter earnings Wednesday on an investor call. Buoyed by strong overall results—the company’s revenue jumped 23% and profit nearly tripled—Zuckerberg said the company’s new AI tools will change the way people... It’s all about artificial intelligence.That was the message from Meta Platforms CEO Mark...

Image via Getty

AI Laggard Intel Expands Effort to Help Companies Build ChatGPT-Like Apps

By Anissa Gardizy · Oct 25, 2023 2:31pm PDT · 1 comment

Image via Getty

AI Laggard Intel Expands Effort to Help Companies Build ChatGPT-Like Apps

By Anissa Gardizy · Oct 25, 2023 2:31pm PDT · 1 comment

Intel has been largely left behind as an artificial intelligence boom has catapulted rival chipmakers such as Nvidia and Broadcom. While the once-iconic U.S. chipmaker still hopes to grab a piece of the fast-growing AI chip market, in the short term it is trying something different—selling specialized AI software and services. Intel is... Intel has been largely left behind as an artificial intelligence boom has catapulted rival...