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

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Getty Images.

Why Investors Shouldn’t Panic About Nvidia’s Commitments

By Martin Peers · Jul 27, 2026 5:01pm PDT

Talk about a nervous market! Shares of Nvidia fell 5% on Monday on news of a $500 billion partnership the AI chip giant struck with South Korean conglomerate SK Group, along with a Wall Street Journal report that Nvidia was separately in talks to help OpenAI finance a $500 billion data center campus in Ohio. Investors should take a chill pill:... Talk about a nervous market! Shares of Nvidia fell 5% on Monday on news of a $500 billion...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Trump Administration Nears AI Framework as Open-Source Questions Loom

By Leo Schwartz · Jul 27, 2026 1:12pm PDT

The Trump administration is close to finalizing its voluntary framework for AI companies to submit their most advanced models to the government before releasing them to the public, according to three people familiar with the matter. The White House’s Office of the National Cyber Director circulated a draft of the framework to OpenAI, Anthropic... The Trump administration is close to finalizing its voluntary framework for AI companies to...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduces the Vera Rubin server racks. Photo by I-Hwa Cheng/Getty Images

AI Infrastructure

Nvidia’s New Rubin Servers Offer Early Relief to Cloud Providers

By Phoebe Liu · Jul 27, 2026 11:14am PDT

Finally, there’s good news for Nvidia customers who have been contending with more and more difficulties getting data centers up and running: Nvidia’s next-generation chips probably won’t be one of them. That’s according to several executives at cloud providers that purchase Nvidia AI servers. They told me that based on their initial tests,... Finally, there’s good news for Nvidia customers who have been contending with more and more...

A model of the hybrid electric cargo aircraft that Beta Technologies hopes to sell to the Pentagon, on display last week at the Farnborough International Airshow. Photo: Carl Court/Getty

Hybrid Electric Flying Taxis May Be in Combat Zones Before Ferrying Civilian Passengers

By Steve LeVine · Jul 27, 2026 9:01am PDT · 1 comment

A model of the hybrid electric cargo aircraft that Beta Technologies hopes to sell to the Pentagon, on display last week at the Farnborough International Airshow. Photo: Carl Court/Getty

Hybrid Electric Flying Taxis May Be in Combat Zones Before Ferrying Civilian Passengers

By Steve LeVine · Jul 27, 2026 9:01am PDT · 1 comment

For years, electric flying taxi startups have sold their aircraft as quiet, safe and sort of cuddly vehicles that in the future will carry passengers at low cost to the airport and elsewhere, soaring enviably over cars stuck in traffic. For years, electric flying taxi startups have sold their aircraft as quiet, safe and sort of...

Credit: Tacta Systems™ Inc.

Robotics Startup Tacta Shows Its Hand (and Glove)

By Rocket Drew · Jul 27, 2026 8:35am PDT

As robotics companies explore new ways to collect the massive volumes of data needed to train the physical AI models that will power humanoid robots, one approach is gaining steam. Some robotics companies are relying on specialized gloves that people can wear while they carry out tasks at work or around the home. The gloves record information... As robotics companies explore new ways to collect the massive volumes of data needed to train the...

Art by Mike Sullivan

China Begins Mass Production of Homegrown DUV Chip Tools

By The Information Staff · Jul 27, 2026 6:01am PDT

A Chinese state-backed company has begun manufacturing one of the key pieces of equipment used in chip manufacturing for the first time, a significant development in Beijing’s drive to reduce its reliance on foreign technology to make chips. The Shanghai-based company is making immersion deep ultraviolet lithography machines, used by chipmakers... A Chinese state-backed company has begun manufacturing one of the key pieces of equipment used in...

What to Expect From Big Tech’s Earnings This Week

What to Expect From Big Tech’s Earnings This Week

By Martin Peers · Jul 26, 2026 3:01pm PDT

Get ready. We’ve got a slew of big tech earnings reports this week—from Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Amazon and Apple—that will pick up from Google’s report last week on the state of AI spending and business. PayPal is also reporting on Tuesday, so we should get some insight into the payment firm’s attitude toward Stripe’s recent takeover offer... Get ready. We’ve got a slew of big tech earnings reports this week—from Meta Platforms,...

Steven Messina, of Skadden Arps, John Greenwood, of Goldman Sachs, Matt A’Hearn of Blue Owl

Wall Street Hunts for Creative AI Financing as ‘Digestion Issues’ Emerge

By The Information Staff · Jul 26, 2026 11:00am PDT

Steven Messina, of Skadden Arps, John Greenwood, of Goldman Sachs, Matt A’Hearn of Blue Owl

Wall Street Hunts for Creative AI Financing as ‘Digestion Issues’ Emerge

By The Information Staff · Jul 26, 2026 11:00am PDT

Dealmakers are busy scouting public and private markets for funding for the AI buildout. And with demands for capital quickly outpacing traditional forms of data center financing, they’re getting increasingly creative. John Greenwood, Goldman Sach’s global head of infrastructure and real asset finance, said he’s “looking for capital in every... Dealmakers are busy scouting public and private markets for funding for the AI buildout. And with...

Sunday Insights

How Google Is Using Wall Street Financing Techniques to Expand Chip Sales

By Dakin Campbell · Jul 26, 2026 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

Until a year or two ago, big tech firms like Google had relatively simple balance sheets, stuffed with cash that covered any debt several times over. Nowadays, thanks to massive AI spending, Google and others are adopting techniques long used on Wall Street to expand their business without taking on all the risk themselves. Google, for example,... Until a year or two ago, big tech firms like Google had relatively simple balance sheets, stuffed...

Art: Clark Miller

Will We Really Want 100 Corgi Cafes?

By Jemima McEvoy · Jul 25, 2026 8:01am PDT

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: Introducing the Summer Fun List—gear, gadgets and toys that all come highly recommended• AI: Where is China ahead of America? In cracking down on AI romances • Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “The Last Twelve Weeks,” “The Nord Stream Conspiracy”and “The Dark Wizard”Just... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: Introducing the Summer Fun List—gear, gadgets...

Art: Clark Miller

Artificial Intelligence

Crackdown on AI Lovers Ignites Heartbreak in China—and Hopes to Get Them Back

By Henry Siu, Juro Osawa and Jing Yang · Jul 25, 2026 7:00am PDT

To combat her loneliness, An Xu, a 15-year-old middle schooler in Shanghai, had recently been relying for emotional support on her text and voice conversations with an AI companion on Doubao, China’s most popular AI chatbot app. AI companions are meant to mimic humanlike conversation, emotions and interactions as realistically as... To combat her loneliness, An Xu, a 15-year-old middle schooler in Shanghai, had recently been...

The Summer Fun List: Gear, Gadgets and Toys That Come Highly Recommended

By Abram Brown · Jul 24, 2026 6:02am PDT · 1 comment

The Summer Fun List: Gear, Gadgets and Toys That Come Highly Recommended

By Abram Brown · Jul 24, 2026 6:02am PDT · 1 comment

Utter kitchen chaos unfolded when Brynn Putnam and I got together a week or so ago and she suggested a round of “Chop, Chop,” a collaborative restaurant simulation game created by her startup, Board. Even under her close supervision, I still nearly burned the grilled cheese—then left the tomato soup unseasoned until the very last minute.... Utter kitchen chaos unfolded when Brynn Putnam and I got together a week or so ago and she...

Nvidia Shares Are Priced For Everything To Go Wrong: That Makes No Sense

By Anita Ramaswamy · Jul 24, 2026 5:29am PDT · 2 comments

Shares of Nvidia don’t trade like those of a company whose revenues are expected to rise 83% this year. Instead, the stock is priced as though everything that could go wrong in the next couple of years will go wrong. That creates an opportunity for investors willing to take a longer view. Most semiconductor investors are chasing the stocks they... Shares of Nvidia don’t trade like those of a company whose revenues are expected to rise 83% this...

Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

Wall Street Sends Google a Message

By Martin Peers · Jul 23, 2026 5:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Maybe, just maybe, big tech firms need to do a better job of explaining their AI investment strategies. Shares of Google parent Alphabet fell 7% on Thursday after the company disclosed a further increase in capital expenditures this year—money it will spend on new AI chips, servers and data centers. The drop all but wiped out the gains the stock... Maybe, just maybe, big tech firms need to do a better job of explaining their AI investment...

Photo by Getty.

The Startups Angling to Go Public After Anthropic

By Valida Pau · Jul 23, 2026 3:39pm PDT

Before we get into today’s column, some breaking news: Stripe is in talks to buy OpenRouter for about $10 billion. The news follows our report Friday that the $1.3 billion-valuation startup, which helps companies choose the best and cheapest AI models, was the target of takeover interest. Databricks was also in early discussions to buy... Before we get into today’s column, some breaking news: Stripe is in talks to buy OpenRouter for...

Art by Clark Miller.

Who Needs OpenRouter Most?

By The Information Staff · Jul 23, 2026 10:12am PDT

Art by Clark Miller.

Who Needs OpenRouter Most?

By The Information Staff · Jul 23, 2026 10:12am PDT

Using a frontier model to summarize a routine email is like using a supercomputer to calculate a tip. As AI budgets come under strain, businesses are flocking to “model routers”—middleware traffic cops designed to cut costs by directing simple requests to cheap open-source models while reserving expensive AI for complex reasoning. ... Using a frontier model to summarize a routine email is like using a supercomputer to calculate a...

Art via Getty Images

Why OpenAI’s Hugging Face AI Hack Spooked Employees

By Aaron Holmes, Rocket Drew and Amir Efrati · Jul 23, 2026 9:31am PDT · 2 comments

After OpenAI revealed on Tuesday that its AI broke out of the company’s systems, accessed the web and hacked model repository Hugging Face during a cybersecurity test, it was easy to view the disclosure as a kind of “we’re so good it’s scary” marketing flex.Some commentators made that observation because OpenAI was specifically testing the AI’s... After OpenAI revealed on Tuesday that its AI broke out of the company’s systems, accessed the web...

Sila Nanotechnologies' silicon anode plant in Moses Lake, Washington. Photo: Courtesy Sila Nanotechnologies.

In a Recovery, Next-Gen Battery Makers See Big Demand in the AI Boom

By Steve LeVine · Jul 23, 2026 9:00am PDT · 1 comment

U.S. developers of next-generation batteries have struggled to raise new funds and land large orders—or any commercial orders—since the electric vehicle mania of the early 2020s. U.S. developers of next-generation batteries have struggled to raise new funds and land large...

Art by Clark Miller; YouTube

Silicon Valley Unites Against Anthropic Over Chinese AI Restrictions

By Rocket Drew and Amir Efrati · Jul 23, 2026 8:30am PDT · 1 comment

The release of a high-profile Chinese AI model last week has triggered debate in the White House and Silicon Valley over whether to restrict such technology in the U.S. As the White House and U.S. agencies including the Commerce Department investigate whether China-based Moonshot stole American IP and accessed restricted Nvidia chips to develop... The release of a high-profile Chinese AI model last week has triggered debate in the White House...

Jaakko Kokko, CEO and founder of AlphaSense. Art by Clark Miller; image via YouTube.

AlphaSense Tops $700 Million in Annual Recurring Revenue, Takes IPO Steps

By Kevin McLaughlin and Valida Pau · Jul 23, 2026 8:00am PDT

Jaakko Kokko, CEO and founder of AlphaSense. Art by Clark Miller; image via YouTube.

AlphaSense Tops $700 Million in Annual Recurring Revenue, Takes IPO Steps

By Kevin McLaughlin and Valida Pau · Jul 23, 2026 8:00am PDT

AlphaSense, which sells AI-powered search and market research tools to banks and other businesses, has been working with advisers on a potential initial public offering in the coming months, according to people with direct knowledge of its plans. The plans follow recent fast growth at the 15-year-old company, which was valued at $7.5 billion... AlphaSense, which sells AI-powered search and market research tools to banks and other...