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

Art by Getty Images

Anthropic ‘Mythos’ Model Signals New Era of AI Cybersecurity Risks

By Aaron Holmes · Apr 2, 2026 11:37am PDT

The cybersecurity field is buzzing about an upcoming Anthropic AI model that could be used by hackers to “exploit [security] vulnerabilities in ways that far outpace the efforts of defenders,” according to a draft blog post the company mistakenly made public.Anthropic has been briefing cybersecurity researchers and is giving them early access to... The cybersecurity field is buzzing about an upcoming Anthropic AI model that could be used by...

Wrtn Technologies co-founder and chief product officer Djay Lee. Photos courtesy of Wrtn Technologies.

An AI Storytelling Startup is On Pace to Generate $100 Million in Annual Sales

By Juro Osawa · Apr 2, 2026 7:00am PDT

Besides ChatGPT, relatively few AI consumer apps have become breakout hits. But one app maker’s experience suggests there are plenty of lucrative consumer niches to be served.Seoul-based Wrtn Technologies says it’s generating more than $8 million in revenue a month from operating AI storytelling apps for hardcore anime and game fans in South... Besides ChatGPT, relatively few AI consumer apps have become breakout hits. But one app maker’s...

For Blackstone, Private Credit Fears Miss the Big Picture

By Anita Ramaswamy · Apr 2, 2026 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Private credit has turned from a growth opportunity to a source of worry for investors that own shares in big asset managers. Anxieties about how the rise of AI could hurt software companies that have borrowed hundreds of billions have escalated the concerns about the sector that started brewing last fall. In recent months, investors in several... Private credit has turned from a growth opportunity to a source of worry for investors that own...

Commonwealth Fusion's magnet-making factory in Massachusetts. Photo: Courtesy Commonwealth

The Electric: Commonwealth Fusion Backs a Rival's Attempt at Cheaper Fusion

By Steve LeVine · Apr 2, 2026 4:30am PDT

Commonwealth Fusion's magnet-making factory in Massachusetts. Photo: Courtesy Commonwealth

The Electric: Commonwealth Fusion Backs a Rival's Attempt at Cheaper Fusion

By Steve LeVine · Apr 2, 2026 4:30am PDT

Commonwealth Fusion Systems has raised almost $3 billion to solve one of the most vexing problems in technology—how to create energy the same way the sun does. Now the Massachusetts startup has agreed to provide one of its main breakthroughs—gigantic advanced magnets that enable fusion reactors—to a smaller rival in a partnership that could... Commonwealth Fusion Systems has raised almost $3 billion to solve one of the most vexing problems...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Nathan Laine/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Mixed OpenAI Investor Signals

By Cory Weinberg · Apr 1, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Four months ago, Sam Altman got testy with one of his own investors, Altimeter Capital’s Brad Gerstner, in a podcast soundbyte heard round the world. “Brad, if you want to sell your shares, I’ll find you a buyer,” Altman said.Indeed, he seems to have found plenty of buyers. Four months ago, Sam Altman got testy with one of his own investors, Altimeter Capital’s Brad...

Art by Clark Miller.

Software Under Siege: Enterprise AI Report Card

By The Information Staff · Apr 1, 2026 12:59pm PDT

Artificial intelligence has loomed large over the software sector, with fears of AI disruption battering the stocks of legacy enterprise software giants. Beyond the investor panic and Silicon Valley hype, what is actually happening inside big companies that spend money on software? An analysis by The Information’s Deep Research suggests an early... Artificial intelligence has loomed large over the software sector, with fears of AI disruption...

OpenRouter CEO Alex Atallah

Startup That Helps Developers Pick AI Models Nears $1.3 Billion Valuation

By Julia Hornstein, Stephanie Palazzolo and Kevin McLaughlin · Apr 1, 2026 8:24am PDT · 1 comment

As more AI apps and agents shift to using multiple AI models, startups that help developers choose the right ones are gaining traction. In the latest example, OpenRouter, which helps AI app developers access hundreds of models from a single application programming interface, is in talks to raise $120 million in new funding led by one of Alphabet... As more AI apps and agents shift to using multiple AI models, startups that help developers...

Getty Images.

Did Prediction Markets Cause the Crypto Crash?

By Guest · Apr 1, 2026 8:00am PDT · 2 comments

Getty Images.

The Information Finance

Did Prediction Markets Cause the Crypto Crash?

By Guest · Apr 1, 2026 8:00am PDT · 2 comments

Please join The Information at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, April 27, for The Information’s “Financing the AI Revolution” forum. Hear from top executives and investors on how the rapid build-out of AI is reshaping tech, finance and capital markets. Learn more here.On Kalshi, the wildly popular prediction market, bettors assigned just a... Please join The Information at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, April 27, for The...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Claude Code Leak Reveals Always-On ‘Kairos’ Agent

By Rocket Drew, Stephanie Palazzolo and Aaron Holmes · Apr 1, 2026 7:00am PDT

Anthropic’s cybersecurity employees have probably spent the past week scolding their colleagues. After accidentally publishing a blog post last week containing details of its next flagship AI model, Claude Mythos, the company on Tuesday said it had accidentally leaked some of the source code powering its popular Claude Code coding agent.In... Anthropic’s cybersecurity employees have probably spent the past week scolding their colleagues....

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Amazon’s AI Chat Ads Yield Data but Few Sales

By Catherine Perloff · Apr 1, 2026 6:02am PDT

The early batch of ads running on OpenAI’s ChatGPT has drawn a lot of attention in recent weeks. But marketers have also been trying out another new form of conversational ads offered by an existing advertising heavyweight: Amazon. Even there, marketers are only starting to get a read on how much traction these ads are getting. For Paladone, an... The early batch of ads running on OpenAI’s ChatGPT has drawn a lot of attention in recent weeks....

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images.

OpenAI’s Fundraising; The (Dismal) IPO Class of 2021

By Martin Peers · Mar 31, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Happy days are here again! Stocks have rallied, thanks to upbeat headlines concerning the Iran war. Don’t get too comfortable—things are likely to change quickly. In fact, the Iranians are threatening to attack U.S. tech facilities in the Middle East. Meanwhile, we got news today on a variety of fronts concerning Microsoft, Nvidia and Anthropic... Happy days are here again! Stocks have rallied, thanks to upbeat headlines concerning the Iran...

Photo By Harry Murphy/Getty Images

Sequoia Capital Names Former Leader Leone as Chairman

By Katie Roof · Mar 31, 2026 4:24pm PDT

Photo By Harry Murphy/Getty Images

Sequoia Capital Names Former Leader Leone as Chairman

By Katie Roof · Mar 31, 2026 4:24pm PDT

Sequoia Capital on Tuesday named Doug Leone, an investor who has been at the firm since 1988, as chairman. After stepping back from making new investments in 2022, Leone will once again participate in new deals, the firm said. Sequoia Capital on Tuesday named Doug Leone, an investor who has been at the firm since 1988, as...

Photo via Getty Images

‘Guardian’ Apps Aim to Stop AI Agents From Going Rogue

By Laura Bratton · Mar 31, 2026 3:28pm PDT

As rogue AI agents cause security problems and product outages even at sophisticated companies such as Meta and Amazon, major firms such as ServiceNow as well as startups are developing new AI to monitor and stop them.The new AI, also known as guardian AI agents, comes in the form of a cloud application and can be laborious to set up. To use a... As rogue AI agents cause security problems and product outages even at sophisticated companies ...

Cyrus McCrimmon/The Denver Post/Getty Images.

How an Unusual Fitness Deal Came Together

By Valida Pau · Mar 31, 2026 3:15pm PDT

Three executives were at a health and fitness industry conference last March, but it was in Las Vegas, so they were drinking old-fashioneds when they hatched a cross-border deal to create a fitness company worth $7.5 billion that spanned subscription and scheduling apps, plus equipment.The three whiskey drinkers were Fritz Lanman, CEO of... Three executives were at a health and fitness industry conference last March, but it was in Las...

Getty Images.

AI Is Weighing on the Software Debt Market

By Laura Bratton · Mar 31, 2026 7:46am PDT · 3 comments

It’s not just software stocks that have been hammered by investor anxieties about the threat AI poses to software. Prices that investors are willing to pay for syndicated bank debt to software firms dropped nearly 7% in March from the previous year, according to Pitchbook, while prices for similar loans in other sectors fell fractionally. That... It’s not just software stocks that have been hammered by investor anxieties about the threat AI...

LTX CEO Zeev Farbman. Photo courtesy of LTX.

How This Startup Helps Users Generate Videos Without Breaking The Bank

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Mar 31, 2026 7:00am PDT

LTX CEO Zeev Farbman. Photo courtesy of LTX.

How This Startup Helps Users Generate Videos Without Breaking The Bank

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Mar 31, 2026 7:00am PDT

Despite OpenAI’s decision to shutter Sora, other AI video developers aren’t giving up. Instead, they’re finding interesting new ways to make money from their video-generating models.Take LTX—a spinoff from Lightricks, the company behind the popular image editing app Facetune—which in January launched open-source AI software for video generation... Despite OpenAI’s decision to shutter Sora, other AI video developers aren’t giving up. Instead,...

Art by Mike Sullivan

SpaceX Makes a $75 Billion Offer Investors Can’t Refuse

By Cory Weinberg · Mar 31, 2026 6:00am PDT · 5 comments

Whether professional investors think SpaceX is the stock of a lifetime or a grossly overvalued Elon Musk conglomerate, they will be under intense pressure to buy into its initial public offering at a $1 trillion–plus valuation. The most important question for many of them will be: Can I really afford to sit this out? Heightening Wall... Whether professional investors think SpaceX is the stock of a lifetime or a grossly overvalued...

Traders on the New York Stock Exchange floor. Michael Nagle/Getty Images.

Nvidia Stock is Cheap—What That Signals

By Martin Peers · Mar 30, 2026 5:00pm PDT · 3 comments

Here’s a startling statistic: The last time Amazon shares traded as cheaply as they are now, as a multiple of earnings, was during the 2008 financial crisis, according to Koyfin data. Indeed, Amazon’s stock is so cheap that it’s trading at a discount to Walmart for the first time ever. Considering that Amazon’s revenue is growing at roughly... Here’s a startling statistic: The last time Amazon shares traded as cheaply as they are now, as a...

Photo by Getty Images

Apple Kicks Vibe Coding App Out of App Store, Escalating Crackdown

By Aaron Tilley · Mar 30, 2026 11:51am PDT

Apple appears to have escalated its crackdown on vibe coding by recently booting one such app out of its App Store for violating its rules. Last Thursday, Apple removed the app, Anything, from the App Store, according to Dhruv Amin, co-founder and CEO of the eponymous startup that makes the app. Apple’s action came a week after The... Apple appears to have escalated its crackdown on vibe coding by recently booting one such app out...

Hunter Hunt, CEO of Hunt Energy. Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/ Getty Images

Big Tech Schools Big Energy on Powering AI

By Ann Davis Vaughan · Mar 30, 2026 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

Hunter Hunt, CEO of Hunt Energy. Photo by Aaron M. Sprecher/ Getty Images

AI Infrastructure

Big Tech Schools Big Energy on Powering AI

By Ann Davis Vaughan · Mar 30, 2026 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

Please join The Information at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, April 27, for The Information’s “Financing the AI Revolution” forum. Hear from top executives and investors on how the rapid build-out of AI is reshaping tech, finance and capital markets. Learn more here.The energy dominance bulls in the Trump administration came to Houston... Please join The Information at the New York Stock Exchange on Monday, April 27, for The...