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

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Creator Economy

Twitter Shuts Down an Audio Feature; Musk to Take CEO Role

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 28, 2022 12:22pm PDT

What features could be on the chopping block now that Elon Musk owns Twitter?Like other tech companies, Twitter rolled out a swath of new creator features since pandemic lockdowns, ranging from live audio Spaces to Super Follows, where accounts can charge followers for bonus tweets. Now Musk, a super Tweeter himself, has indicated he’s ready to... What features could be on the chopping block now that Elon Musk owns Twitter?Like other tech...

Art by Clark Miller

Students Are Using AI Text Generators to Write Papers—Are They Cheating?

By Chris Stokel-Walker · Oct 28, 2022 11:30am PDT · 7 comments

When West—not his real name—enrolled in college last year at the University of Rhode Island, he quickly realized that his professors expected a lot out of him. He had scheduled teaching, he had assignments, he had tests—and he didn’t want to devote an equal amount of time to all of them. “I would like to say I’m pretty smart,” West said. So he... When West—not his real name—enrolled in college last year at the University of Rhode Island, he...

Kenny Man. Photo via 01Fintech. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Former Ant Group Executive Raising $300 Million for Asia Fintech Fund

By Juro Osawa · Oct 28, 2022 10:34am PDT · 2 comments

The former head of international investing at Chinese financial technology giant Ant Group has launched a new private equity firm, 01Fintech, and is raising $300 million to invest mainly in fintech startups in Southeast Asia, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter. The debut of the previously unreported fund, whose backers... The former head of international investing at Chinese financial technology giant Ant Group has...

AI art generated by Clark Miller

‘This Time Is Really, Really Different’: The Early Adopter’s Guide to the Ingenious, Uncanny, Slightly Scary World of Generative AI

By Margaux MacColl · Oct 28, 2022 9:27am PDT · 7 comments

AI art generated by Clark Miller

‘This Time Is Really, Really Different’: The Early Adopter’s Guide to the Ingenious, Uncanny, Slightly Scary World of Generative AI

By Margaux MacColl · Oct 28, 2022 9:27am PDT · 7 comments

Martin Erlic, who runs an olive oil business in Croatia, used AI text-generating startup Jasper to write his dream sci-fi novel. Architect Nuno Fontarra turns to AI image software Midjourney to dream up whimsical buildings that inspire his real-life designs. And in moments of emotional turmoil, Serena, a physicist in Texas, asksthe artificially... Martin Erlic, who runs an olive oil business in Croatia, used AI text-generating startup Jasper...

With Musk Now Running Twitter, Spotlight is on Workforce

By Kaya Yurieff and Becky Peterson · Oct 28, 2022 3:00am PDT

Elon Musk is now in control of Twitter, having completed the $44 billion purchase of Twitter on Thursday and fired the company’s top leadership. For employees, there’s both good and bad news. While Twitter employees with stock can look forward to a cash payout from the takeover, some will likely lose their jobs, with those... Elon Musk is now in control of Twitter, having completed the $44 billion purchase of Twitter on...

Andrew Mason and Sam Altman. Photos by Bloomberg

OpenAI Leads Financing of Andrew Mason’s Descript at $500 Million–Plus Valuation

By Erin Woo · Oct 27, 2022 6:34pm PDT

OpenAI, whose software for generating original text and images is galvanizing interest in artificial intelligence, has agreed to lead an investment of tens of millions of dollars in Descript, an audio and video editing app, at a valuation of around $550 million, according to two people with direct knowledge of the investment. Groupon co-founder... OpenAI, whose software for generating original text and images is galvanizing interest in...

Photo by Bloomberg

Google’s Pain Is Amazon’s Gain

By Jessica E. Lessin · Oct 27, 2022 5:00pm PDT

They say downturns provide opportunities for those ready to seize them. And to see how, look no further than Amazon’s very healthy ads business. In the most recent quarter, when marketers pulled back from Google, Meta and just about everywhere else, Amazon grew its advertising business 25%. It’s now at an annualized run rate of almost $40... They say downturns provide opportunities for those ready to seize them. And to see how, look no...

Photo: Bloomberg

Pinterest CEO Backburners Creator Strategy

By Mahira Dayal · Oct 27, 2022 4:23pm PDT

Photo: Bloomberg

Creator Economy

Pinterest CEO Backburners Creator Strategy

By Mahira Dayal · Oct 27, 2022 4:23pm PDT

New Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has a vision for the company: In the future, every product on Pinterest will be shoppable. A user won’t need to navigate to a separate shopping tab and will instead be able to buy a product wherever they are on the digital scrapbooking app. But creators are no longer the most important part of that plan, he said.“... New Pinterest CEO Bill Ready has a vision for the company: In the future, every product on...

Art by Mike Sullivan

The Information 50

What We Got Right—and Wrong—About Last Year’s The Information 50 List

By Amir Efrati · Oct 27, 2022 12:54pm PDT

A year ago, our second annual list of the most promising startups in tech highlighted 50 companies to watch based on their financial and other metrics. Since then, the downturn in startup funding and valuations amid higher interest rates and slowing economic activity has humbled many of the founders—but not all. Turing, the top-ranked... A year ago, our second annual list of the most promising startups in tech highlighted 50...

Audience members at TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco. Photo: Getty

The VC Slowdown Has Young Investors Sweating

By Kate Clark · Oct 27, 2022 12:09pm PDT · 1 comment

“They’re really anxious.”That was the comment from someone who works at a venture capital firm earlier this week when we talked about how their 20-something colleagues were doing.These rookie VC analysts, associates and principals, who do the grunt work required for general partners and managing directors to ink new deals, are worried the... “They’re really anxious.”That was the comment from someone who works at a venture capital firm...

An earlier version of the Starship and the Super Heavy booster stacked at the South Texas Starbase facility on February 10, 2022. Photo by Getty Images.

‘Make Fire’: Inside Musk’s Struggle to Launch SpaceX’s High-Stakes Mars Rocket

By Becky Peterson · Oct 27, 2022 11:00am PDT · 1 comment

Elon Musk’s ambitions of landing on Mars rest on a 394-foot-high rocket that currently sits in the open air in Boca Chica, Texas. Two weeks ago, Musk’s hopes nearly came crashing down in an incident that caused employees to question whether the world’s most important rocket company was moving too fast. A day after technicians... Elon Musk’s ambitions of landing on Mars rest on a 394-foot-high rocket that currently sits...

Recession-Proofing Your Software Business

By The Information Partnerships · Oct 27, 2022 10:24am PDT

Partner Content

Recession-Proofing Your Software Business

By The Information Partnerships · Oct 27, 2022 10:24am PDT

Is growth at any cost still an effective strategy in a recession-prone economic landscape? That was the topic at hand in a panel moderated by Kevin McLaughlin, reporter for The Information. His guests included Prem Ananthakrishnan, managing director and software lead at Accenture; Anu Bharadwaj, chief operating officer at Atlassian; and Lara... Is growth at any cost still an effective strategy in a recession-prone economic landscape? That...

Adam Dell. Photo by Getty. Art by Mike Sullivan

Ex-Goldman Sachs Partner Adam Dell’s Crypto Startup Stumbles

By Maria Heeter and Aidan Ryan · Oct 27, 2022 4:03am PDT

At the start of this year, Adam Dell, a onetime Goldman Sachs executive who helped lead the Wall Street firm’s push into Main Street banking, grabbed headlines when he launched a crypto investing startup. His timing would prove to be disastrous. Dell’s Domain Money, backed with $33 million in funding from a host of big-name investors... At the start of this year, Adam Dell, a onetime Goldman Sachs executive who helped lead the Wall...

Photo by Bloomberg

On Metaverse Spending, Zuckerberg Doesn’t Care What Critics Say

By Martin Peers · Oct 26, 2022 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Mark Zuckerberg has a message to all his metaverse critics out there: He doesn’t care what you think. Not only is he not cutting back on augmented and virtual reality investments to take account of the economic slump, he plans to spend even more money! In reporting third-quarter earnings Wednesday, Facebook owner Meta Platforms—showing a... Mark Zuckerberg has a message to all his metaverse critics out there: He doesn’t care what you...

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Bloomberg

Creator Economy

Why Instagram Waited to Launch Group Features

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 26, 2022 4:04pm PDT

One word that has been coming up frequently in my conversations with creators is community. This buzzword refers to the fact that influencers are focused on building deeper loyalty with fans. While Instagram, YouTube or TikTok may be the primary way they reach audiences, they are choosing other apps— including Discord, Geneva, Telegram, as well... One word that has been coming up frequently in my conversations with creators is community. This...

Andy Rubin. Photo by Bloomberg

‘Father of Android’ Andy Rubin is Back with Surveillance Startup

By Jon Victor · Oct 26, 2022 1:21pm PDT · 1 comment

Andy Rubin. Photo by Bloomberg

‘Father of Android’ Andy Rubin is Back with Surveillance Startup

By Jon Victor · Oct 26, 2022 1:21pm PDT · 1 comment

Andy Rubin is planning his next act. The former Google executive, who received a $90 million severance package following a misconduct allegation, sparking widespread protests among staff in 2018, has a new startup focused on “surveillance services” for homes, according to public records. The downtown Palo Alto, Calif.-based company,... Andy Rubin is planning his next act. The former Google executive, who received a $90 million...

Conviction General Partner Sarah Guo. Photo by Bloomberg

Is AI Stealing Web3’s Thunder?; The Most Promising Crypto Startups

By Aidan Ryan · Oct 26, 2022 1:00pm PDT

“In Silicon Valley, crypto and the metaverse are out. Generative AI is in,” the New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose proclaimed last week, joining other industry watchers in weighing in on what’s top of mind for those who control the Silicon Valley war chests. But are crypto investments really out of style?It’s a tempting claim to... “In Silicon Valley, crypto and the metaverse are out. Generative AI is in,” the New York Times...

Photo from MrBeast on YouTube

YouTube and TikTok Creators Are Tearing Up Netflix’s Streaming Rulebook

By Andrew A. Rosen · Oct 26, 2022 10:00am PDT · 15 comments

Parqor is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, sign up here. Netflix makes no secret of its long-term view that “streaming entertainment is replacing linear TV.” This has always been an elegant vision—the cable bundle is expensive, it... Parqor is part of The Information’s newsletter network. To receive it in your inbox...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Apple Is Working on a 16-Inch iPad, Further Blurring Line With Laptops

By Wayne Ma · Oct 26, 2022 8:48am PDT · 2 comments

Apple is developing its largest iPad yet, a model with a 16-inch screen that it hopes to release in the fourth quarter of next year, according to a person familiar with the project. The device would further blur the line between the iPad and MacBook, bringing the tablet’s screen size in line with that of Apple’s largest laptop, which... Apple is developing its largest iPad yet, a model with a 16-inch screen that it hopes to release...

Art by Jesús Escudero

Meta Responds to Its Next Threat: Apps That Link Instagram Influencers and Superfans

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 26, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Art by Jesús Escudero

Meta Responds to Its Next Threat: Apps That Link Instagram Influencers and Superfans

By Kaya Yurieff · Oct 26, 2022 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Meta Platforms is already waging a high-profile battle to keep TikTok from draining audiences from its best-known apps, Instagram and Facebook. Now Meta is having to respond to another set of competitors who are more quietly beginning to nip at its heels. Increasingly, Instagram influencers are encouraging their most avid followers to meet up... Meta Platforms is already waging a high-profile battle to keep TikTok from draining audiences...