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, Shutterstock (2).

The Case for Big Action to Regulate Artificial Intelligence

By Chamath Palihapitiya · Apr 25, 2023 9:00am PDT · 7 comments

In technology circles, people balk at the mere mention of government regulation. The naysayers argue it interferes with innovation and is a bad byproduct of big government. But history tells a different story. Transparent, accountable and expert oversight—even when implemented late or ineffectively at first—has proven to be an... In technology circles, people balk at the mere mention of government regulation. The naysayers...

Chart by Shane Burke.

Why Tech Rally Left Behind Some Companies, Including Bill.com and Allbirds

By Akash Pasricha and Ann Gehan · Apr 25, 2023 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

It can be a brutal reality for investors: No matter how much a stock has fallen, it can still fall further. Take digital media firm BuzzFeed, which dropped 87% in 2022 and another 14% so far this year. Or electric truck maker Rivian, which plunged 82% last year and so far this year is down 33%. Both stocks are among a group of tech stocks that... It can be a brutal reality for investors: No matter how much a stock has fallen, it can still...

NYSE. Photo by Bloomberg.

Five Big Tech Companies Report Earnings This Week—Here’s What to Watch

By Martin Peers · Apr 24, 2023 5:00pm PDT

Prepare yourselves. This week we’re going to hear lots of variations on the terms “headwinds” and “challenges” and “execution.” We’ve got March-quarter earnings coming from most of tech’s big names, and the picture isn’t expected to be pretty. Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Meta Platforms and Snap report between Tuesday and Thursday. You can see... Prepare yourselves. This week we’re going to hear lots of variations on the terms “headwinds” and...

Hank Green. Photo by Erin Beach

Why Hank Green Won’t Lobby for TikTok

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 24, 2023 2:28pm PDT · 1 comment

Hank Green. Photo by Erin Beach

Creator Economy

Why Hank Green Won’t Lobby for TikTok

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 24, 2023 2:28pm PDT · 1 comment

I’m still buzzing with excitement from our Creator Economy Summit last week in Los Angeles.One of my favorite conversations of the day was with Hank Green, a longtime YouTube creator who also has 7.5 million followers on TikTok. We covered a lot of ground, from Montana’s threatened TikTok ban to Twitter checkmarks to an argument with his... I’m still buzzing with excitement from our Creator Economy Summit last week in Los Angeles.One of...

How ChatGPT is Roiling 13 Software Companies

By Kevin McLaughlin, Aaron Holmes and Anissa Gardizy · Apr 24, 2023 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

Big software companies including Microsoft and Salesforce are racing to incorporate the technology behind ChatGPT, known as generative artificial intelligence, into their products to attract new users and boost profits. But the rapidly advancing technology threatens other companies that have spent years crafting software to automate tasks or to... Big software companies including Microsoft and Salesforce are racing to incorporate the...

The next big thing in batteries is to replace workhorse Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s with 100-seat, 700-mile electric planes. Photo: Krisztian Bocsi/Bloomberg/Getty

The Electric: Signs of Progress Toward Electric Airliners

By Steve LeVine · Apr 24, 2023 4:30am PDT

In 2011, the U.S. Energy Department, building on advances in battery technology over the prior three decades, devised a road map for the development of cheap and powerful lithium-ion batteries that would make electric vehicles competitive with combustion ones. It set specific, super-stretch goals for cost and capacity. The resulting batteries... In 2011, the U.S. Energy Department, building on advances in battery technology over the prior...

Partner Content

Event Recap: What’s Next for the Startup Economy

By The Information Partnerships · Apr 23, 2023 5:54pm PDT

On March 10, many Silicon Valley startups and investors woke up to the terrifying news that Silicon Valley Bank had collapsed. Now that the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. has stepped in, the panic has subsided and the dust has settled, startups still face an uncertain banking environment. Kate Clark, senior reporter for The Information, spoke... On March 10, many Silicon Valley startups and investors woke up to the terrifying news that...

Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud CEO. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google’s Cloud Unit Gains Key AI Chip Team to Compete With Microsoft

By Anissa Gardizy and Amir Efrati · Apr 23, 2023 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

Thomas Kurian, Google Cloud CEO. Photo by Bloomberg.

Google’s Cloud Unit Gains Key AI Chip Team to Compete With Microsoft

By Anissa Gardizy and Amir Efrati · Apr 23, 2023 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

Google has moved the engineering team responsible for making artificial intelligence chips into Google Cloud, a spokesperson confirmed, in a step that could make the cloud unit more competitive with its bigger rivals, Microsoft and Amazon Web Services, in selling AI-powered software to businesses. The move is the latest sign of how Google is... Google has moved the engineering team responsible for making artificial intelligence chips into...

Kaya Yurieff of The Information and YouTube creator Hank Green. Photo: Erin Beach for The Information.

Creator Economy Summit

TikTok, Generative AI and Startup Failure: Creator Summit Takeaways

By The Information Staff · Apr 22, 2023 8:00am PDT

It’s hard to overstate how much TikTok is still driving much of the conversation around the creator economy. From questions about whether the ByteDance-owned video app can make a success of live shopping, to how much YouTube and Instagram would benefit from a U.S. government ban of TikTok, the app was a recurring topic at The... It’s hard to overstate how much TikTok is still driving much of the conversation around the...

A Steady Hand in Choppy Seas

A Steady Hand in Choppy Seas

By Jon Steinberg · Apr 22, 2023 7:00am PDT

Hi, welcome to your Weekend.There are a lot of moments I love in Margaux’s latest cover story—an intimate portrait of TikTok chief operating officer V Pappas. Among them is a small detail about the signage found outside TikTok’s Los Angeles office. As visitors approach the building, they’re told to go left if they want to access the company... Hi, welcome to your Weekend.There are a lot of moments I love in Margaux’s latest cover...

Fujifilm X100V digital camera ($1,900). Art by Clark Miller.

Market Research

Smart Travel Tech for the Work-From-Anywhere Crowd

By Annie Goldsmith · Apr 22, 2023 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

Luca Tomescu and Selina Eshraghi spend around nine months a year as nomads. The couple just arrived in Vienna, where Tomescu, a Web3 product manager, and Eshraghi, the founder of Pandamonium Design, will remain for the next month and half. Then they will head to Romania, where Tomescu is from, for two weeks, before venturing to New York for June... Luca Tomescu and Selina Eshraghi spend around nine months a year as nomads. The couple just...

Art by Clark Miller.

Wall Street Wants to Dance With TikTok—but Not When Anyone’s Watching

By Michael Roddan · Apr 21, 2023 11:30am PDT · 1 comment

Art by Clark Miller.

Wall Street Wants to Dance With TikTok—but Not When Anyone’s Watching

By Michael Roddan · Apr 21, 2023 11:30am PDT · 1 comment

JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a busy week on social media. The bank’s Instagram account shared a picture snapped by one of its employees, Jock G., from atop a 13,000-foot peak in Colorado. Another post showed footage of a corporate run for workers in India. Meanwhile, over at its Facebook page, the bank celebrated the crowning of Miss New... JPMorgan Chase & Co. had a busy week on social media. The bank’s Instagram account...

TikTok chief operating officer V Pappas testifies before Congress in September 2022. Photo: Al Drago/Bloomberg

The Fighter: V Pappas and the Battle for TikTok’s Future

By Margaux MacColl · Apr 21, 2023 9:00am PDT · 3 comments

V Pappas awoke to the sound of dragons. It had been one week since Pappas’ boss, Shou Zi Chew, was questioned for five grueling hours by members of Congress, and the chief operating officer of TikTok was enjoying their first vacation in months. (Pappas uses the pronouns they and them and recently changed their name to V from Vanessa.) They... V Pappas awoke to the sound of dragons. It had been one week since Pappas’ boss, Shou Zi...

Pro Weekly: Signs of Investor Optimism Despite SVB’s Collapse

Pro Weekly: Signs of Investor Optimism Despite SVB’s Collapse

By Scott Thurm · Apr 21, 2023 8:00am PDT

Welcome back! This week we have the results of our latest reader survey, which showed renewed optimism about technology companies despite the damage caused by the failure of Silicon Valley Bank. Asked whether they expect conditions for technology companies to improve or worsen, respondents were almost equally divided, with roughly one-third... Welcome back! This week we have the results of our latest reader survey, which showed renewed...

Blackstone CEO Stephen Schwarzman in Davos earlier this year. Photo by Bloomberg.

The Impending Fight for Private Equity Buyout Lending

By Rachel Graf and Michael Roddan · Apr 21, 2023 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

A battle is looming over private equity buyout financing. After nearly a year on the sidelines, Wall Street banks are beginning to lend to private equity firms again for their buyout deals. Meanwhile, the direct lenders that stepped in to finance buyouts while the banks were absent—oftentimes PE firms themselves—are ratcheting up the... A battle is looming over private equity buyout financing. After nearly a year on the sidelines,...

Photo by Getty.

What BuzzFeed CEO’s Mea Culpa Means

By Martin Peers · Apr 20, 2023 5:00pm PDT · 2 comments

Photo by Getty.

What BuzzFeed CEO’s Mea Culpa Means

By Martin Peers · Apr 20, 2023 5:00pm PDT · 2 comments

Those CEO apologies we’ve become used to seeing whenever a company announces layoffs are getting even more elaborate. BuzzFeed founder and CEO Jonah Peretti, for instance, had quite a doozy of a mea culpa today as he announced the shuttering of BuzzFeed News and another round of layoffs at the digital media firm. After counting off all the... Those CEO apologies we’ve become used to seeing whenever a company announces layoffs are getting...

Amanda Diaz, Samir Chaudry and Jon Youshaei at a Creator Economy Summit panel. Photo by Erin Beach.

Creator Economy

TikTok’s 150 Million Potential Shoppers

By Isabelle Sarraf · Apr 20, 2023 4:07pm PDT

The Information’s Creator Economy Summit was hopping Thursday, with more than 400 attendees in Los Angeles in attendance. Among the topics: TikTok, live shopping, the future of creator economy startups and generative AI. We’ll go more into some of the sessions’ in next week’s newsletters, but here are some of the early highlights:• TikTok is... The Information’s Creator Economy Summit was hopping Thursday, with more than 400 attendees in...

Photo by Erin Beach.

Creator Economy Summit

TikTok U.S. Shopping Chief: Open to Big Retail Partnerships to Fill Shopping Aims

By Erin Woo and Ann Gehan · Apr 20, 2023 1:54pm PDT · 2 comments

TikTok has ambitions to transform its app into a U.S. shopping destination and is open to working with big retail partners including Walmart to make that happen, according to TikTok’s head shopping executive in the U.S. “If anyone from Walmart is here, come talk to me,” Sandie Hawkins, TikTok’s general manager of U.S.... TikTok has ambitions to transform its app into a U.S. shopping destination and is open to working...

From left, Heidi and Marc D’Amelio at The Information’s Creator Economy Summit in Los Angeles. Photo by Erin Beach

Creator Economy Summit

Father of TikTok Superstar Charli D’Amelio: U.S. Should Back Off App Threats

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Apr 20, 2023 12:26pm PDT · 4 comments

The father of one of TikTok’s biggest stars said the U.S. government should “butt out” of the operations of the app, which is facing a potential ban. Marc D’Amelio and his wife, Heidi, rose to fame as the parents of viral TikTok stars Charli and Dixie D’Amelio, who collectively have more than 200 million followers... The father of one of TikTok’s biggest stars said the U.S. government should “butt...

Jonah Peretti. Photo by Getty.

Shuttering of BuzzFeed News Signals Shift to Survival Mode

By Martin Peers, Sahil Patel and Paris Martineau · Apr 20, 2023 11:24am PDT · 4 comments

Jonah Peretti. Photo by Getty.

Shuttering of BuzzFeed News Signals Shift to Survival Mode

By Martin Peers, Sahil Patel and Paris Martineau · Apr 20, 2023 11:24am PDT · 4 comments

BuzzFeed, like much of the digital media industry, is moving into survival mode. BuzzFeed said Thursday it would shutter BuzzFeed News, the highest-profile part of its business but one that loses money. The move is part of a broader effort to reduce losses, which also includes laying off 15% of its staff, or 180 people. The cutbacks spotlight... BuzzFeed, like much of the digital media industry, is moving into survival mode. BuzzFeed said...