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

Elon Musk, left, and Sam Altman. Photos by Getty Images.

What OpenAI Could Owe Elon Musk; An xAI Hiring Spree

By Rocket Drew · Mar 16, 2026 7:15am PDT

Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the judge hearing Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, has shown herself in other high profile tech cases—such as Epic Games’ lawsuit against Apple—to be unafraid to skewer arguments or testimony from witnesses in her courtroom.That was clear on Friday, in a hearing in the OpenAI case to determine whether an economist Musk... Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, the judge hearing Elon Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI, has shown herself...

OpenAI's Sachin Katti presenting at Mobile World Congress 2025 in Barcelona. Photo courtesy of Intel.

OpenAI Names New Infrastructure Leaders Following Stargate Strategy Shift

By Anissa Gardizy · Mar 16, 2026 6:00am PDT

OpenAI has appointed new leaders to oversee its Stargate computing initiative after deciding to rent more AI servers from major cloud providers rather than build its own data centers, according to two people familiar with the changes. As part of its reorganization, OpenAI has divided its computing effort into three groups: technical design of... OpenAI has appointed new leaders to oversee its Stargate computing initiative after deciding to...

SES AI CEO Qichao Hu has pivoted from batterymaking to scientific discovery with a database he calls Molecular Universe. Photo: Courtesy SES AI.

The Electric: The U.S. Is Good at Finding New Molecules. But Can it Turn Them Into Products?

By Steve LeVine · Mar 16, 2026 4:30am PDT

In manufacturing, some factories use so few humans that operators can turn out the lights and save money on electricity. In the pharmaceutical industry, too, AI has discovered new drugs with almost no human involvement after the prompt. In manufacturing, some factories use so few humans that operators can turn out the lights and...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images.

What to Expect From GTC: Nvidia’s Groq Chip

By Qianer Liu and Anissa Gardizy · Mar 15, 2026 3:00pm PDT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images.

What to Expect From GTC: Nvidia’s Groq Chip

By Qianer Liu and Anissa Gardizy · Mar 15, 2026 3:00pm PDT

It’s party time in San Jose, Calif.! Nvidia on Monday kicks off its annual GTC developer conference in the city, the biggest event on the chip giant’s calendar—which, given the number of public events featuring its CEO, Jensen Huang, is saying something. Huang is scheduled to deliver his keynote tomorrow morning, and it is sure to be a... It’s party time in San Jose, Calif.! Nvidia on Monday kicks off its annual GTC developer...

Sunday Insights

Figma and HubSpot CEOs Say They Aren’t Fazed by Risks From AI Agents. Their Disclosures Say Otherwise

By Laura Bratton · Mar 15, 2026 8:00am PDT · 7 comments

Leaders at enterprise app makers such as Figma, Workday and HubSpot have downplayed threats from AI that could crimp their growth, a concern that has pressured their stocks for months. But the securities filings those leaders sign every quarter are beginning to note the competitive risks the companies face from AI agents, which their customers... Leaders at enterprise app makers such as Figma, Workday and HubSpot have downplayed threats from...

Art by Mike Sullivan

ByteDance Suspends Launch of Video AI Model After Copyright Disputes With Hollywood

By Juro Osawa and Qianer Liu · Mar 14, 2026 9:00am PDT

ByteDance has put on hold the global launch of its latest video-generation model, Seedance 2.0, due to a string of copyright disputes with major Hollywood studios and streaming platforms, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. The TikTok parent released Seedance 2.0 to consumers and businesses in China last month, and... ByteDance has put on hold the global launch of its latest video-generation model, Seedance 2.0,...

Illustraiton: Clark Miller (Photo: Getty Images)

Patrick Collison’s Palace Intrigue Complaint

By Abram Brown · Mar 14, 2026 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Kings League, a fast-growing, internet-savvy soccer startup, takes a lean approach to pro sports• Tech Culture: Can protein-obsessed techies help save Sweetgreen? • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Real Vikings,” “Kutchinsky’s Egg” and “Sirat”Patrick Collison, one... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: Kings League, a fast-growing,...

Illustration: Clark Miller (Photo: Getty Images)

Can Protein-Obsessed Techies Help Save Sweetgreen?

By Jemima McEvoy · Mar 14, 2026 6:56am PDT

Illustration: Clark Miller (Photo: Getty Images)

Can Protein-Obsessed Techies Help Save Sweetgreen?

By Jemima McEvoy · Mar 14, 2026 6:56am PDT

For a little salvation, Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman has lately been looking beyond the piles of chopped romaine lettuce and maple-glazed squash that originally won his company a devoted following with the suit-and-salad lunch set in Washington, New York and Los Angeles. The high-earning young people who used to frequent... For a little salvation, Sweetgreen co-founder and CEO Jonathan Neman has lately been looking...

Getty Images

Ex-Anthropic Researchers Are Raising Capital For New Startup at $1 Billion Valuation

By Julia Hornstein, Anissa Gardizy and Sri Muppidi · Mar 13, 2026 12:54pm PDT · 1 comment

Former Anthropic researchers are in talks to raise $175 million at a $1 billion valuation for a new startup that aims to conduct AI-driven research and development for scientific fields such as biology and materials science, according to people who have spoken to them. Andreesseen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins are in talks to co-lead the round,... Former Anthropic researchers are in talks to raise $175 million at a $1 billion valuation for a...

Travis Kalanick. Photo by AP

Travis Kalanick Plots New Robotics and Self-Driving Venture with Levandowski, Uber

By Jessica E. Lessin · Mar 13, 2026 10:18am PDT

Former Uber CEO and cofounder Travis Kalanick is preparing to launch a new robotics and self-driving car company with major backing from the ride-hailing giant, according to several people familiar with the matter. Kalanick has also been discussing acquiring the startup founded by Anthony Levandowski, a self-driving car pioneer who has been... Former Uber CEO and cofounder Travis Kalanick is preparing to launch a new robotics and...

Elon Musk at Space X in Brownsville, Texas. Photo by Marvin Joseph/ Getty Images.

SpaceX Discusses Dividing Up Bank Roles in Echo of Alibaba’s Lineup

By Valida Pau · Mar 13, 2026 10:06am PDT · 1 comment

When companies typically go public, they appoint one or two investment banks to oversee everything—from valuing the company to lining up investors. That’s not how Elon Musk plans to handle the upcoming SpaceX giant’s initial public offering. The rocket and AI firm has discussed dividing up roles among a larger group of investment banks,... When companies typically go public, they appoint one or two investment banks to oversee...

Illustration: Clark Miller

Fast-Growing Kings League Looks to Conquer America With Lean Approach to Pro Sports

By Simon Parkin · Mar 13, 2026 9:01am PDT

Illustration: Clark Miller

Fast-Growing Kings League Looks to Conquer America With Lean Approach to Pro Sports

By Simon Parkin · Mar 13, 2026 9:01am PDT

Unlike London’s Wembley Stadium, with its arcing steel crown, or the University of Michigan’s Big House, cavernous and iconic, Barcelona’s Cupra Arena is easy to miss. It occupies a dockside warehouse on the outskirts of the city, unremarkable from the road, if not for the gusts of applause that rattle the corrugated walls. It’s home to the... Unlike London’s Wembley Stadium, with its arcing steel crown, or the University of Michigan’s Big...

Photo of Elon Musk via Getty Images. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Musk, OpenAI Lawyers to Face Off Over $109 Billion Claim

By Rocket Drew · Mar 13, 2026 8:00am PDT

On Friday morning, lawyers representing Elon Musk, OpenAI and Microsoft will file into a federal courtroom in Oakland, Calif., where a judge will resolve some crucial questions that remain outstanding before Musk’s lawsuit against OpenAI goes to a trial next month. Among them: whether Musk can rely on the testimony of his damages expert, an... On Friday morning, lawyers representing Elon Musk, OpenAI and Microsoft will file into a federal...

Rajeeb Hazra, CEO, Quantinuum. Photo via Getty

The Startups Inching Toward an IPO in a Volatile Market

By Valida Pau · Mar 13, 2026 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Startups hoping to go public this year will need plenty of grit to get their shares listed. A rout in software stocks over fears AI will make their businesses irrelevant had already poured cold water on many startups’ initial public offering plans. Then the Middle East war made companies even more nervous about testing a volatile stock market.... Startups hoping to go public this year will need plenty of grit to get their shares listed. A...

Shantanu Narayen, Adobe chairman and CEO. Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Adobe CEO’s Departure and Enterprise Software Stress

By Martin Peers · Mar 12, 2026 5:00pm PDT · 2 comments

The Saaspocalypse may have claimed another scalp! Adobe said Thursday its longtime CEO and chair, Shantanu Narayen, had decided to give up the job as soon as his replacement can be found. Less than two months ago, Adobe had given Narayen an annual grant of stock, to vest based on the company's stock performance 2028, suggesting the board wasn’t... The Saaspocalypse may have claimed another scalp! Adobe said Thursday its longtime CEO and chair,...

Nscale CEO Josh Payne. Screenshot via YouTube/Nscale.

Nvidia Cloud Ally Nscale in Talks to Buy a Major U.S. Data Center Site Ahead of IPO

By Anissa Gardizy · Mar 12, 2026 4:35pm PDT

Nscale CEO Josh Payne. Screenshot via YouTube/Nscale.

Nvidia Cloud Ally Nscale in Talks to Buy a Major U.S. Data Center Site Ahead of IPO

By Anissa Gardizy · Mar 12, 2026 4:35pm PDT

Nscale, an upstart cloud provider heavily backed by Nvidia whose customers include OpenAI and Microsoft, is in talks to take control of one of the largest available sites for AI data centers in the U.S., according to people with knowledge of the talks and fundraising documents viewed by The Information. A deal to buy the site, located in West... Nscale, an upstart cloud provider heavily backed by Nvidia whose customers include OpenAI and...

Assaf Rappaport, co-founder and CEO of Wiz. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Google-Wiz Completion Could Greenlight More Tech M&A

By Katie Roof · Mar 12, 2026 4:00pm PDT

Google completed its $32 billion purchase of Wiz this week, finalizing a real windfall for those who invested in the cybersecurity startup. But even the tech investors who missed out on backing Wiz stand to benefit.After many years of regulatory challenges from the U.S. and abroad, the ability for a big tech company to complete a mega deal... Google completed its $32 billion purchase of Wiz this week, finalizing a real windfall for those...

Oracle Chairman Larry Ellison with former Microsoft chair Bill Gates. Photo via Getty

Oracle’s Answer to the SaaS Slump: Free AI Features

By Kevin McLaughlin · Mar 12, 2026 2:39pm PDT

Investors’ fears that AI could dampen spending on traditional business applications have wreaked havoc on the shares of companies like Salesforce, ServiceNow and Workday. But Oracle executives this week cited how businesses can use Oracle’s AI tools as evidence that Oracle is immune to the so-called Saaspocalpyse. On an earnings call... Investors’ fears that AI could dampen spending on traditional business applications have wreaked...

Andrew Milich (left) and Jason Ginsberg (right). Screenshots via YouTube/Linkedin.

XAI Hires Two Senior Leaders From Cursor to Catch Up on Coding

By Erin Woo and Theo Wayt · Mar 12, 2026 12:31pm PDT · 3 comments

Elon Musk’s xAI is hiring two senior Cursor leaders as part of an effort to catch up with AI rivals in coding, according to a person with direct knowledge of the move. The pair, Andrew Milich and Jason Ginsberg, will both report to Musk, the person said. The move follows a string of high-level departures at xAI, including the majority of its... Elon Musk’s xAI is hiring two senior Cursor leaders as part of an effort to catch up with AI...

A man wears a lobster hat that represents OpenClaw at Baidu's headquarters in Beijing. Photo by Adek Berry/ Getty Images)

Nvidia, Startups Race to Make OpenClaw Safer to Use

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Mar 12, 2026 7:00am PDT

A man wears a lobster hat that represents OpenClaw at Baidu's headquarters in Beijing. Photo by Adek Berry/ Getty Images)

Nvidia, Startups Race to Make OpenClaw Safer to Use

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Mar 12, 2026 7:00am PDT

Enthusiasm for OpenClaw, the popular open-source software for powering personal AI agents using personal computers, has been tempered by a number of embarrassing security snafus, such as when OpenClaw started mass-deleting emails from Meta alignment director Summer Yue’s inbox.In China, where developers are arguably even more enthusiastic about... Enthusiasm for OpenClaw, the popular open-source software for powering personal AI agents using...