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

Sam Altman, left, and Sundar Pichai. Photos by Getty Images

ChatGPT Nears 900 Million Weekly Active Users But Gemini is Catching Up

By Sri Muppidi · Dec 9, 2025 7:00am PST · 1 comment

The competition between AI chatbots has been heating up, with Google’s Gemini nipping at OpenAI’s heels. On Monday, I wrote about how Gemini’s share of weekly mobile app downloads increased in late November following the release of Gemini 3, according to data from research firm Sensor Tower, which says it tracks 5 million consumers... The competition between AI chatbots has been heating up, with Google’s Gemini nipping at OpenAI’s...

Dario Amodei. Photo by Chance Yeh/Getty Images

OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Agree to Develop Agent Standards Together

By Aaron Holmes · Dec 9, 2025 6:30am PST · 2 comments

For AI agents to work properly in automating white-collar tasks, the companies developing the agents and the companies running the enterprise apps those agents use will need to agree on technical standards for how these technologies connect to each other.Some leading companies are preparing to do just that. As soon as this week, Anthropic,... For AI agents to work properly in automating white-collar tasks, the companies developing the...

From left: Justin Pearson, Maura Keller, Josh Hawley, Stephen Bannon and Alex Bores. Photos via Getty Images

How the AI Backlash Could Shape the Midterm Elections

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Dec 9, 2025 6:00am PST · 1 comment

Lately, Maura Keller—a Democrat running in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional district in next year’s midterm elections—has been going to community meetings where one topic comes up again and again “almost on a weekly basis”: data centers. It’s not hard to understand why the subject has surged to the fore. Keller has seen the state... Lately, Maura Keller—a Democrat running in Georgia’s 3rd Congressional district in next...

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Ted Sarandos and David Ellison. Getty Images.

Nvidia, Confluent and WBD’s Happy Day

By Martin Peers · Dec 8, 2025 5:00pm PST

Netflix co-CEO Ted Sarandos and Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison. Ted Sarandos and David Ellison. Getty Images.

Nvidia, Confluent and WBD’s Happy Day

By Martin Peers · Dec 8, 2025 5:00pm PST

This could be big news: President Donald Trump said he would allow Nvidia to sell its advanced H200 AI chip to China, in exchange for the U.S. government getting a 25% cut of those sales. That could re-open the Chinese market to Nvidia—if the Chinese government allows its local companies to buy the chips. Chances of that are good. The H200s are... This could be big news: President Donald Trump said he would allow Nvidia to sell its advanced...

Aidan Gomez, CEO of Cohere. Chris J. Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Cohere CEO Says His Gross Profit Margins Are Great; Takeaways From NeurIPS

By Aaron Holmes and Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 8, 2025 7:00am PST

Before we get to today’s column, check out this story about last week’s Neural Information Processing Systems conference, where a number of researchers cast doubt on some of today’s most popular techniques for improving AI. Some researchers, including at OpenAI, have ideas for new techniques that could produce better results.Other researchers... Before we get to today’s column, check out this story about last week’s Neural Information...

Art via Mike Sullivan

At AI’s Biggest Event, Some Researchers Said the Field Needs an Overhaul

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 8, 2025 6:00am PST · 18 comments

A small but growing number of artificial intelligence developers at OpenAI, Google and other companies say they’re skeptical that today’s technical approaches to AI will achieve major breakthroughs in biology, medicine and other fields while also managing to avoid making silly mistakes. That was the buzz last week among numerous researchers at... A small but growing number of artificial intelligence developers at OpenAI, Google and other...

A pre-commercial version of Archer's Midnight. Photo: Courtesy Archer

The Electric: How Archer Aviation Has Ceded the Lead to Air Taxi Rival Joby Aviation

By Steve LeVine · Dec 8, 2025 4:30am PST

Archer Aviation has been on a roll. It has cut electric air taxi deals in Japan and with Florida billionaire investor Stephen Ross. Last month, it received its first revenue from Abu Dhabi as part of plans to begin commercial air taxi flights next year there, too. Archer Aviation has been on a roll. It has cut electric air taxi deals in Japan and with Florida...

Larry Ellison, Hock Tan Take the Stage This Week

Larry Ellison, Hock Tan Take the Stage This Week

By Martin Peers · Dec 7, 2025 3:00pm PST

Larry Ellison, Hock Tan Take the Stage This Week

Larry Ellison, Hock Tan Take the Stage This Week

By Martin Peers · Dec 7, 2025 3:00pm PST

Step aside, young folks of tech. This week we hear from the industry’s, ah, elder statesmen—specifically Larry Ellison at Oracle and Hock Tan from Broadcom, whose combined age is about 150. Oracle and Broadcom are each reporting their latest quarterly earnings this week, when the status of their newish AI businesses will be in the spotlight. In... Step aside, young folks of tech. This week we hear from the industry’s, ah, elder statesmen—...

Sunday Insights

Dealmakers Are Toasting a Solid Year for Tech M&A

By Valida Pau · Dec 7, 2025 8:00am PST · 1 comment

U.S. tech mergers rebounded to their highest levels since 2021 this year, driven by big bets on AI and more tie-ups under a deal-friendly presidential administration. Total tech merger value reached $543 billion, more than the combined value of the past two years, according to data provider LSEG. Goldman Sachs and Qatalyst topped the charts for... U.S. tech mergers rebounded to their highest levels since 2021 this year, driven by big bets on...

Nick Turley. Screenshot via YouTube.

The ChatGPT Product Chief Responding to a ‘Code Red’

By Sri Muppidi, Rocket Drew, Jessica E. Lessin and Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 6, 2025 11:00am PST · 6 comments

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently declared a “code red” to galvanize the AI startup’s staff to make bigger improvements to its flagship product, ChatGPT. The success of that push could hinge on Nick Turley, the little-known executive who runs the OpenAI chatbot. Turley, 30 years old, came to OpenAI three years ago after stints at Dropbox and... OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently declared a “code red” to galvanize the AI startup’s staff to make...

Art by Clark Miller

What Happens At ‘Code Red’ OpenAI

By Abram Brown · Dec 6, 2025 7:00am PST

Welcome, Weekenders! First, an exciting announcement: Amy Dockser Marcus, a Pulitzer Prize–winning former Wall Street Journal reporter, is joining The Information to cover health and science for Weekend. She begins next week. Amy has long chronicled those two fields, penning memorable pieces about fertility, DNA testing and how many of you... Welcome, Weekenders! First, an exciting announcement: Amy Dockser Marcus, a Pulitzer Prize–...

Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images

Can Weight-Loss Drugs Be Fair in Sports? Serena Williams Just Raised the Stakes

By Sara Germano · Dec 6, 2025 6:00am PST

Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images

Can Weight-Loss Drugs Be Fair in Sports? Serena Williams Just Raised the Stakes

By Sara Germano · Dec 6, 2025 6:00am PST

An earthquake shook the sporting universe this week: Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion, has taken the first step toward a potential comeback by reentering the sport’s anti-doping test pool. After news reports surfaced on Tuesday of her registration with the International Tennis Integrity Agency, Williams tried to quell... An earthquake shook the sporting universe this week: Serena Williams, the 23-time Grand Slam...

Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images

New Crypto Bank to be Unveiled by Billionaire Trump Backer Andy Beal

By Michael Roddan · Dec 5, 2025 2:32pm PST · 2 comments

Texas billionaire banker Andy Beal, a big donor to President Donald Trump, is shifting the focus of one of two banks he owns to crypto. The move would ease a bottleneck that has made it difficult for the crypto industry to access the financial system. Beal is renaming Beal Bank, one of the two federally chartered banks he owns, Monet Bank,... Texas billionaire banker Andy Beal, a big donor to President Donald Trump, is shifting the focus...

Miguel J. Rodriguez/AFP/Getty Images.

SpaceX Aims For 2026 IPO After Hitting $800 Billion Valuation

By Katie Roof · Dec 5, 2025 11:33am PST · 9 comments

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has told investors and financial institution representatives that it is aiming for an initial public offering in the second half of next year, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The talks come as SpaceX is in the midst of holding a sale of shares held by investors and employees that would value... Elon Musk’s SpaceX has told investors and financial institution representatives that it is aiming...

Art by Clark Miller

‘Diamonds and Turds’: How Hock Tan Turned Broadcom Into Nvidia’s Nightmare

By Jemima McEvoy, Qianer Liu and Wayne Ma · Dec 5, 2025 9:02am PST · 9 comments

Early last year, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan decided to host what he likes to call a “coffee chat” with the employees of VMware, the software giant that the Broadcom CEO had recently purchased for $84 billion. The companywide meeting was Tan’s effort to introduce himself and answer questions from those employees about life at the semiconductor firm. ... Early last year, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan decided to host what he likes to call a “coffee chat” with...

Greg Peters. Photo by Getty

Netflix’s Warner Purchase is an $82.7 Billion Blunder

By Martin Peers · Dec 5, 2025 7:43am PST · 11 comments

Greg Peters. Photo by Getty

Netflix’s Warner Purchase is an $82.7 Billion Blunder

By Martin Peers · Dec 5, 2025 7:43am PST · 11 comments

Netflix’s $82.7 billion proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, announced Friday morning, will likely prove a stupendous error by a management team that until now has rarely put a foot wrong. Netflix paying a huge price—27.5 times next year’s expected profits, well above prevailing multiples for film and TV companies—for... Netflix’s $82.7 billion proposed acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery, announced Friday morning,...

Photos of Craig Federighi and Greg Joswiak via Getty Images; screenshot of John Ternus via YouTube. Art by Mike Sullivan

Why Silicon Valley is Buzzing About Apple CEO Succession

By Aaron Tilley and Wayne Ma · Dec 5, 2025 6:00am PST · 5 comments

Tim Cook has been CEO of Apple for nearly 15 years, during which time he has achieved the highly improbable: After replacing an iconic founder, Steve Jobs, Cook transformed Apple into one of the top three most valuable companies in the world. Why, then, are some in his orbit already talking about who could replace him as CEO? Senior employees at... Tim Cook has been CEO of Apple for nearly 15 years, during which time he has achieved the highly...

OpenAI's Sam Altman and Anthropic's Dario Amodei. Getty Images.

Amodei’s Advantage Over Altman Comes Into View

By Martin Peers · Dec 4, 2025 5:00pm PST · 3 comments

To a casual observer, OpenAI and Anthropic might have appeared—until recently—to be the Uber and Lyft of the AI world, with Anthropic the distant rival to the dominant OpenAI. That feels to be less the case nowadays. In fact, Anthropic—with its disciplined focus on serving businesses and expectations it will turn a profit several years before... To a casual observer, OpenAI and Anthropic might have appeared—until recently—to be the Uber and...

Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic. Getty Images.

When Will We See a $100 Billion-Valuation Startup Go Public?

By Katie Roof · Dec 4, 2025 3:28pm PST

For years, there has been speculation about when $100 billion-plus private tech companies like Stripe, SpaceX and Databricks could go public. Now AI darlings OpenAI and Anthropic are on IPO watch. Like every company that takes on significant venture capital, both companies have had early conversations with financial institutions about the... For years, there has been speculation about when $100 billion-plus private tech companies like...

Photo by Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Microsoft Wants to Sell Software Subscriptions—to AI Agents; AWS’ AI Fallback Plan

By Aaron Holmes and Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 4, 2025 10:44am PST · 1 comment

Photo by Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Microsoft Wants to Sell Software Subscriptions—to AI Agents; AWS’ AI Fallback Plan

By Aaron Holmes and Kevin McLaughlin · Dec 4, 2025 10:44am PST · 1 comment

When AI software sellers pitch their vision of the future, it can start to feel paradoxical.On one hand, sellers say AI can meaningfully automate large swaths of white collar work, which should in theory help companies save money because they won’t need to pay as many humans. On the other hand, if companies cut jobs while embracing automation,... When AI software sellers pitch their vision of the future, it can start to feel paradoxical.On...