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 Clark Miller

OpenAI’s Chaos Energy

By Abram Brown · Jan 24, 2026 7:00am PST

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: How Greg and Anna Brockman became MAGA’s newest megadonors • The Takeway: When a Davos trip presents a chance to test AI’s limits • The Top 5: The moguls went to Davos—then we went shopping • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Articles of Interest,” “I... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: How Greg and Anna Brockman became MAGA’s...

Art by Clark Miller (photos: Getty Images)

A Tech Mogul’s Guide to Winter Fashion, Davos-Style

By Esther Achara · Jan 24, 2026 6:01am PST · 3 comments

Tackling global dilemmas is what the World Economic Forum does best, and keen observers of the happenings at Davos, Switzerland, can definitely glean a sense of where the world might be heading. It’s also not a bad place to pick up a sense of mogul-appropriate winter wear. “Dressing for Davos isn’t easy,” admitted Victoria Hitchcock, a Silicon... Tackling global dilemmas is what the World Economic Forum does best, and keen observers of the...

Art by Clark Miller

I Let AI Analyze My Davos Reporting Trip. Here’s What It Missed

By Jessica E. Lessin · Jan 24, 2026 6:00am PST · 19 comments

Earlier this week, I found myself with time to kill in an airport lounge ahead of my flight back to San Francisco from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. So I did what any bleary-eyed tech editor who felt totally wiped out from dozens of interviews and events would do: I parked myself in an oversize lounge chair, booted up the... Earlier this week, I found myself with time to kill in an airport lounge ahead of my flight back...

Art by Clark Miller (photos: Getty Images)

How Greg and Anna Brockman Became MAGA Megadonors

By Jemima McEvoy, Stephanie Palazzolo and Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Jan 23, 2026 11:07am PST · 2 comments

Art by Clark Miller (photos: Getty Images)

How Greg and Anna Brockman Became MAGA Megadonors

By Jemima McEvoy, Stephanie Palazzolo and Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Jan 23, 2026 11:07am PST · 2 comments

In November, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, and his wife, Anna, enjoyed a glitzy night out in Washington: a White House state dinner for Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. The Brockmans were among a broad contingent of tech elite in attendance at the fete, hosted by President Donald Trump. Soon after the event, the... In November, Greg Brockman, OpenAI’s president and co-founder, and his wife, Anna, enjoyed a...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Crypto Exchanges Want to Trade U.S. Stocks Everywhere

By Yueqi Yang · Jan 23, 2026 10:00am PST

Some of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges are racing to let their customers trade crypto tokens that seek to track U.S. stocks, creating a parallel market that’s beyond the reach of U.S. regulators. Binance is exploring reintroducing stock tokens on its exchange after having removed them in 2021, according to a person familiar with the plan.... Some of the world’s biggest crypto exchanges are racing to let their customers trade crypto...

How Meta Is Reshaping Its Organization for an AI Computing Blitz

By Jyoti Mann · Jan 23, 2026 6:00am PST

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expanded his direct reports to include the two co-heads of the company’s newly created Meta Compute team, signaling the importance of the new effort to manage Meta’s AI computing capacity needs. Zuckerberg announced Meta Compute in mid-January, declaring it a new “top-level initiative” that will be central... Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg has expanded his direct reports to include the two co-heads of...

Getty Images

Brexit in Fintech

By Martin Peers · Jan 22, 2026 5:00pm PST

That’s what you call going out with a whimper. Capital One’s agreement on Thursday to buy Brex, a corporate credit card startup, for $5.15 billion is an uninspiring end to Brex’s life as an independent company. Those with long memories will remember that the nine-year-old Brex’s ambitions were once so grand it claimed to be disrupting American... That’s what you call going out with a whimper. Capital One’s agreement on Thursday to buy Brex, a...

An Exit for Brex Investors; Rising Zombie Funds

An Exit for Brex Investors; Rising Zombie Funds

By Laura Mandaro and Cory Weinberg · Jan 22, 2026 4:30pm PST

An Exit for Brex Investors; Rising Zombie Funds

An Exit for Brex Investors; Rising Zombie Funds

By Laura Mandaro and Cory Weinberg · Jan 22, 2026 4:30pm PST

Brex’s $5.15 billion agreement to sell to Capital One isn’t the kind of exit employees or investors would have dreamed of four years ago, when it was valued privately at $12.3 billion. But it appears to be a good enough ending to the corporate credit card startup’s run as a private company. For one, the half-cash, half-stock deal gives Brex... Brex’s $5.15 billion agreement to sell to Capital One isn’t the kind of exit employees or...

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar. Screenshot via World Economic Forum.

OpenAI Plans to Take a Cut of Customers’ AI-Aided Discoveries

By Amir Efrati · Jan 22, 2026 10:30am PST · 3 comments

Hi! If you’re finding value in our Applied AI newsletter, I encourage you to consider subscribing to The Information. It contains exclusive reporting on the most important stories in tech, like this story from Aaron and Wayne on Apple software chief Craig Federighi‘s cautious approach to improving the company’s AI standing. Save... Hi! If you’re finding value in our Applied AI newsletter, I encourage you to consider subscribing...

Chart by Shane Burke

Intel is Now Pricier Than TSMC: That Makes No Sense

By Anita Ramaswamy · Jan 22, 2026 9:06am PST · 2 comments

Intel’s stock price has more than doubled in the past five months, since President Donald Trump announced the U.S. government would buy a 10% stake in the ailing chip manufacturer, followed by similar investments from SoftBank and Nvidia. Investors are betting the new capital, coupled with a surge in AI demand, will help resuscitate the company.... Intel’s stock price has more than doubled in the past five months, since President Donald Trump...

Art by Getty Images

Why Some Researchers at OpenAI, Thinking Machines and Amazon Want to Change How LLMs Are Trained

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jan 22, 2026 7:00am PST

It seems like every AI researcher these days has lots of ideas around how to combat major shortcomings in the field, such as the “split-brain problem” (in which a model can incorrectly answer a question just because of the way the question is phrased), by developing new models that do “continual learning,” for instance.AI researchers also tell... It seems like every AI researcher these days has lots of ideas around how to combat major...

Art by Mike Sullivan

With Google Deal, Apple’s Craig Federighi Plots a Cautious Course in AI

By Aaron Tilley and Wayne Ma · Jan 22, 2026 6:00am PST

Art by Mike Sullivan

With Google Deal, Apple’s Craig Federighi Plots a Cautious Course in AI

By Aaron Tilley and Wayne Ma · Jan 22, 2026 6:00am PST

Last fall, Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, delivered a warm message to a meeting of the company’s combined software and AI groups. Federighi said he was excited about deeper collaboration between his software team and Apple’s AI group. But then came Federighi’s criticism. He added that he liked moving fast and feeling the “wind at his... Last fall, Apple’s software chief, Craig Federighi, delivered a warm message to a meeting of the...

Millions of these metals-rich nodules are strewn across the seafloor three miles below the surface of the Pacific. Photo: Carolyn Cole / L.A. Times/Getty

The Electric: Trump Expedites Deep Sea Mining of Critical Minerals

By Steve LeVine · Jan 22, 2026 4:30am PST

Startup Western mining companies got key U.S. support Wednesday in their yearslong effort to extract copper, cobalt and other key metals from the deep Pacific seabed, a move intended to accelerate non-Chinese supplies for tech and defense companies. Startup Western mining companies got key U.S. support Wednesday in their yearslong effort to...

Dario Amodei, co-founder and chief executive officer of Anthropic, during the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, on Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026.

Anthropic Lowers Gross Margin Projection as Revenue Skyrockets

By Sri Muppidi · Jan 21, 2026 6:19pm PST · 4 comments

Anthropic last month projected it would generate a 40% gross profit margin from selling AI to businesses and application developers in 2025, according to two people with knowledge of its financials. That margin was 10 percentage points lower than its earlier optimistic expectations, though it’s still a big improvement from the year before. The... Anthropic last month projected it would generate a 40% gross profit margin from selling AI to...

Larry Ellison. Craig Hudson/The Washington Post via Getty Images.

Oracle Should (but Likely Won’t) Cut Its Dividend

By Martin Peers · Jan 21, 2026 5:00pm PST

Here’s a question: How much are big tech companies cutting back on sending money to shareholders as they ramp up their AI development spending? It’s a good time to ask: On Friday, Oracle is due to pay out its latest quarterly dividend of 50 cents a share. That will amount to $1.4 billion going out the door, which Oracle can ill afford. After... Here’s a question: How much are big tech companies cutting back on sending money to shareholders...

Barret Zoph. YouTube/OpenAI.

OpenAI Names Former TML Staffer Zoph to Oversee Enterprise Push

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Erin Woo · Jan 21, 2026 2:14pm PST · 1 comment

Barret Zoph. YouTube/OpenAI.

OpenAI Names Former TML Staffer Zoph to Oversee Enterprise Push

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Erin Woo · Jan 21, 2026 2:14pm PST · 1 comment

Barret Zoph, the Thinking Machines Lab cofounder who rejoined OpenAI in a swirl of controversy last week, will lead the company’s push to sell AI products to businesses, as part of a broader reorganization across the company, OpenAI’s CEO of Applications Fidji Simo told staff on Wednesday. Brad Lightcap, OpenAI’s chief operating officer, will... Barret Zoph, the Thinking Machines Lab cofounder who rejoined OpenAI in a swirl of controversy...

What the Thinking Machines Shake-Up Reveals About the AI Talent Market

By The Information Staff · Jan 21, 2026 12:11pm PST

The recent shake-up at Thinking Machines Lab offers a clear view into how competition for AI talent is evolving across the industry. As leading firms move more aggressively to recruit and retain a small pool of highly sought-after researchers, the effects are showing up not just in hiring practices but in valuations, investor confidence and... The recent shake-up at Thinking Machines Lab offers a clear view into how competition for AI...

Art by Mike Sullivan/Gemini

Apple Developing AI Wearable Pin

By Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu · Jan 21, 2026 11:58am PST · 1 comment

Apple is developing an AI-powered wearable pin the size of an AirTag that is equipped with multiple cameras, a speaker, microphones and wireless charging, according to people with direct knowledge of the project. The device could be released as early as 2027, they said. Such a product would position Apple to compete more effectively with OpenAI,... Apple is developing an AI-powered wearable pin the size of an AirTag that is equipped with...

GE Vernova turbines at the Stargate AI data center construction site in Abilene, Tex. Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

The Information Finance

Data Center Inflation Is Here

By Ken Brown · Jan 21, 2026 8:00am PST · 5 comments

In the first weeks of the year, it has become clear that building data centers is getting more expensive. On a relative basis, the shift could benefit the cash-rich tech giants, particularly Google, while potentially hurting cash-burning startups. This doesn’t mean giant data centers won’t get built. Investors are still enthusiastic about... In the first weeks of the year, it has become clear that building data centers is getting more...

Screenshots of Runway videos via YouTube.

AI Videos Nearly Indistinguishable From Real Videos, Runway Finds

By Rocket Drew · Jan 21, 2026 7:00am PST

Screenshots of Runway videos via YouTube.

AI Videos Nearly Indistinguishable From Real Videos, Runway Finds

By Rocket Drew · Jan 21, 2026 7:00am PST

Runway today is releasing its latest AI model, Gen-4.5, that can generate videos from an image. The model, from the startup that specializes in image and video-generating models, is impressive but is likely to underscore growing concerns about AI-generated deepfakes.To measure the model’s performance, Runway asked over 1,000 people to... Runway today is releasing its latest AI model, Gen-4.5, that can generate videos from an image....