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

Nvidia’s Big Ambitions to Solve Manufacturing Shows Slow Returns So Far

By Wayne Ma and Juro Osawa · Jan 5, 2026 6:00am PST · 3 comments

In the past two years, Nvidia’s business of selling chips for AI has rocketed into the stratosphere, lifting the company’s revenue to nearly $148 billion in the nine months through October, up from $27.5 billion for the same period in 2023. But CEO Jensen Huang isn’t satisfied. Perpetually worried about threats to his business, Huang has been... In the past two years, Nvidia’s business of selling chips for AI has rocketed into the...

CES 2025. Getty Images.

CES Kicks Off 2026 for Tech Sector

By Martin Peers · Jan 4, 2026 3:00pm PST

There’s no rest for the AI obsessed. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang kicks off the new year with an appearance at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Monday, where he’s scheduled to speak on Monday. Huang appears so often at events like this that it’s hard to imagine he’ll have much new to say, but you never know. After all, there’s a lot... There’s no rest for the AI obsessed. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang kicks off the new year with an...

Sunday Insights

OpenAI’s International Conundrum

By Sri Muppidi · Jan 4, 2026 8:00am PST · 2 comments

If OpenAI has its way, nearly one-third of the planet will be using ChatGPT by the start of the next decade. That’s roughly triple its nearly 900 million weekly users, and sounds like an impressive base to build a big advertising and commerce business. But where ChatGPT attracts new users will arguably be as important as how many it attracts.... If OpenAI has its way, nearly one-third of the planet will be using ChatGPT by the start of the...

Art by Clark Miller (photo: Getty Images)

AI and the Ro Khanna Trap

By Abram Brown · Jan 3, 2026 7:00am PST

Art by Clark Miller (photo: Getty Images)

AI and the Ro Khanna Trap

By Abram Brown · Jan 3, 2026 7:00am PST

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Predictions 2026: Sutskever’s fate, OpenAI’s next acquisition, the next hit robot—and 12 more things we think will happen in 2026• The Arena: Sportswear brands face an inflection point• Plus, Recommendations—our weekly pop culture picks: “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man,” “The Breath of the Gods” and “Wake Up... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Predictions 2026: Sutskever’s fate, OpenAI’s next...

Art by Clark Miller

From Lululemon to Tracksmith, Sportswear Brands Face an Inflection Point

By Sara Germano · Jan 3, 2026 6:00am PST

For Christmas this holiday season, I bought my mom a navy blue 1980 Lake Placid Olympics sweater. It has special significance for her because, as a college student in upstate New York at the time, she got to attend the famous “Miracle on Ice” hockey game between the U.S. and Soviet Union in person. Now, almost half a century later, my mom... For Christmas this holiday season, I bought my mom a navy blue 1980 Lake Placid Olympics sweater....

Art by Clark Miller

What We Got Right (and Wrong) in Our Predictions for 2025

By The Information Staff · Jan 2, 2026 10:34am PST · 3 comments

What’s that smell? It’s the whiff of humble pie being eaten by The Information’s prognosticators. A year ago, we made a series of predictions about tech deals that would get done, executives who would leave their companies and other events that we thought might happen in 2025. Many of those predictions did not come to pass. In our defense, when... What’s that smell? It’s the whiff of humble pie being eaten by The Information’s prognosticators....

Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images, Blue Origin.

Sutskever’s Fate, OpenAI’s Next Deal, A Hit Robot—and 13 Other Predictions for 2026

By The Information Staff · Jan 2, 2026 9:00am PST · 13 comments

No one in Silicon Valley gets wealthy or powerful by dwelling on the past. Rather, the brightest minds within tech often outshine the competition by obsessing about the future. We like to get in on the game too. In keeping with annual tradition, we’re publishing below our best educated guesses on what’ll happen in 2026: what Microsoft buys, what... No one in Silicon Valley gets wealthy or powerful by dwelling on the past. Rather, the brightest...

Art by Clark Miller (photo: Getty Images)

2026 Predictions: Microsoft Will Buy an AI Coding Startup

By Aaron Holmes · Jan 2, 2026 6:00am PST · 1 comment

Art by Clark Miller (photo: Getty Images)

2026 Predictions: Microsoft Will Buy an AI Coding Startup

By Aaron Holmes · Jan 2, 2026 6:00am PST · 1 comment

Two years ago, Microsoft dominated the market for AI coding tools, which automatically generate code for developers. That’s because it got early access to OpenAI’s models through its partnership with the startup, and at the time, Microsoft led the pack in code generation. As a result, Microsoft moved quickly to launch GitHub Copilot as the... Two years ago, Microsoft dominated the market for AI coding tools, which automatically generate...

Art by Clark Miller.

Our 20 Most Popular Stories of 2025

By The Information Staff · Jan 1, 2026 9:00am PST · 2 comments

Happy New Year! It’s the perfect time for a refresh on what’s been top of mind for The Information’s readers—and the early trends and open questions worth keeping tabs on in 2026. In 2025, our most popular stories revealed growing cracks in the artificial intelligence boom and pinpointed challenges facing the most dominant AI companies.... Happy New Year! It’s the perfect time for a refresh on what’s been top of mind for The...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Photo via YouTube/OpenAI

OpenAI Ramps Up Audio AI Efforts Ahead of Device

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jan 1, 2026 7:00am PST · 2 comments

OpenAI is taking steps to improve its audio AI models, in preparation for its eventual release of an AI-powered personal device, said a person with knowledge of the effort. The device is expected to be largely audio-based, said three people with knowledge of it. When people speak to ChatGPT, the chatbot can talk back but the large language model... OpenAI is taking steps to improve its audio AI models, in preparation for its eventual release of...

Art by Clark Miller

2026 Predictions: Tesla Will Acquire xAI

By Theo Wayt · Jan 1, 2026 6:00am PST · 4 comments

As almost everyone in Silicon Valley has found out lately, creating AI is a money drain, and many of the biggest startups eager to do so aren’t profitable. That’s true even for the AI business run by the world’s richest man, and that’s why I expect Elon Musk will take a drastic step next year to keep the money flowing to xAI: by selling to the... As almost everyone in Silicon Valley has found out lately, creating AI is a money drain, and many...

Getty Images

2025’s Best Performing Tech Stocks

By Martin Peers · Dec 31, 2025 2:00pm PST

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2025’s Best Performing Tech Stocks

By Martin Peers · Dec 31, 2025 2:00pm PST

Oh, to have been an investor in Sandisk in 2025. That company, probably best known to consumers for those little memory cards or USB drives, was one of the best performing tech stocks of 2025—gaining 559% since February, when it was spun out of Western Digital to be a standalone company. By comparison, the best performing of the big tech names,... Oh, to have been an investor in Sandisk in 2025. That company, probably best known to consumers...

Art by Clark Miller (photo: Getty Images)

2026 Predictions: Cash-Strapped Oracle Issues Chip-Backed Debt

By Miles Kruppa · Dec 31, 2025 11:24am PST · 4 comments

Oracle has a real problem: It’s committed to building huge chip-filled data centers for OpenAI, but it doesn’t have the cash to do so. So far, the company has been able to defray the upfront costs of constructing the data center’s physical buildings, but it will soon need to fill those structures with Nvidia chips to power... Oracle has a real problem: It’s committed to building huge chip-filled data...

Art by Clark Miller.

Defending the Crown: Nvidia’s Ruthless Strategy to Neutralize Emerging Threats

By The Information Staff · Dec 31, 2025 9:57am PST

Nvidia is consolidating its dominance in the AI hardware market through a dual strategy of retreating from direct cloud competition and aggressively expanding its footprint in AI inference. By restructuring its DGX Cloud division and striking a $20 billion licensing and “acqui-hire” deal with startup Groq, the company is shifting from an... Nvidia is consolidating its dominance in the AI hardware market through a dual strategy of...

Liao Pan/CNS/VCG via Getty Images.

The Information Finance

Get Ready for a New Year and Brace for a Very Different One

By Ken Brown · Dec 31, 2025 8:20am PST

For an eventful year, 2025 is ending the same way it started. A year ago, Nvidia, OpenAI and others made it clear they would do everything necessary to win the race for artificial intelligence.The year ended with the same companies doing the same thing. Nvidia capped off a year of dealmaking—mostly to cement its lead in AI chips by agreeing to... For an eventful year, 2025 is ending the same way it started. A year ago, Nvidia, OpenAI and...

Getty Images.

Uber Considers Deal for Parking App SpotHero

By Valida Pau and Cory Weinberg · Dec 31, 2025 7:58am PST · 1 comment

Getty Images.

Uber Considers Deal for Parking App SpotHero

By Valida Pau and Cory Weinberg · Dec 31, 2025 7:58am PST · 1 comment

Uber has been in talks to acquire parking app SpotHero, a popular service that allows drivers to reserve parking spaces, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. Founded in 2011, SpotHero connects drivers looking to reserve and pay for parking spaces with parking lots, parking garages and valet services. SpotHero raised more than... Uber has been in talks to acquire parking app SpotHero, a popular service that allows drivers to...

Getty Images

How Artificial Intelligence Will Change in 2026

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 31, 2025 7:00am PST

Welcome to the last AI Agenda issue of 2025! Lots went down this year (check out yesterday’s newsletter for a full recap), and we expect things to get even crazier in 2026. Welcome to the last AI Agenda issue of 2025! Lots went down this year (check out yesterday’s ...

Sikander Rashid, Brookfield Asset Management's global head of AI infrastructure. Cyril Marcilhacy/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Brookfield to Start Cloud Business to Lower Cost of AI

By Miles Kruppa · Dec 31, 2025 6:00am PST

Private-equity firm Brookfield is starting its own cloud business, going up against tech giants like Amazon by arguing it can bring down the costs of developing AI. The firm, which has long invested in infrastructure and energy, is becoming the first major investment firm to try to lease chips inside data centers directly to developers, rather... Private-equity firm Brookfield is starting its own cloud business, going up against tech giants...

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Tesla's Pre-Emptive News

By Martin Peers · Dec 30, 2025 5:00pm PST

Talk about stepping on your own news. Tesla put out an unusual statement on Tuesday, detailing the number of cars that 20 Wall Street analysts expect the electric vehicle maker will deliver annually through 2029. Tesla said it “does not endorse” any of the information, mind you, which raises the question why it bothered to publish the summary.... Talk about stepping on your own news. Tesla put out an unusual statement on Tuesday, detailing...

Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images.

Investors Look for Protection in Nvidia-Groq Type Deals

By Valida Pau · Dec 30, 2025 3:01pm PST

Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images.

Investors Look for Protection in Nvidia-Groq Type Deals

By Valida Pau · Dec 30, 2025 3:01pm PST

Welcome back! Nvidia’s Christmas Eve deal for Groq made for a happy holiday for the AI chip startup’s investors and employees, who were paid out at a very festive $20 billion valuation. That hasn’t always been the case for license-and-hire deals, where a buyer takes a startup’s technology and most of its staff, and leaves a stub of the... Welcome back! Nvidia’s Christmas Eve deal for Groq made for a happy holiday for the AI chip...