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

Synthesia co-founder and CEO Victor Riparbelli. Getty Images

Why Some AI Startup Acquisitions Are Failing

By Laura Mandaro and Katie Roof · Oct 23, 2025 2:49pm PDT · 1 comment

Over the last few days our reporters have broken news about two merger discussions that fizzled: Adobe, which was interested in buying video startup Synthesia, and SoftBank, which talked with humanoid robotics maker Agility about a takeover. In both cases, the startups ended up pursuing more venture capital funding at higher valuations.These are... Over the last few days our reporters have broken news about two merger discussions that fizzled:...

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky. Getty Images

Airbnb CEO Throws Subtle Shade at OpenAI; Khosla’s Enterprise AI Fix

By Kevin McLaughlin · Oct 23, 2025 11:12am PDT

Welcome back! At its developer conference earlier this month, OpenAI showed a forthcoming feature that lets ChatGPT users access services from Expedia, Uber and Spotify directly in the chatbot. Some consumer apps might view such a feature as a threat because it bypasses their sites, preventing them from showcasing other products.For his... Welcome back! At its developer conference earlier this month, OpenAI showed a forthcoming...

SoftBank CEO, Masayoshi Son. Getty Images

SoftBank Hunts for Humanoid Robot Startups

By Rocket Drew · Oct 23, 2025 11:11am PDT · 2 comments

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son has long predicted a future where robots would outnumber people and take over many jobs from humans. But some of SoftBank’s bets in robotics over the past 10 years, such as robot companion Pepper, have not panned out. Now the company is renewing its robot ambitions—particularly in robots that resemble humans. Late... SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son has long predicted a future where robots would outnumber people and take...

Art by Getty Images; Mike Sullivan

Music App Suno Nearly Quadruples Annual Recurring Revenue to $150 Million

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 23, 2025 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

Art by Getty Images; Mike Sullivan

Music App Suno Nearly Quadruples Annual Recurring Revenue to $150 Million

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 23, 2025 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

You can count the number of breakout consumer AI applications on the fingers of one hand. There’s OpenAI’s ChatGPT and…that’s about it, at least so far. Suno, which helps people create music using conversational prompts, isn’t yet a breakout—but it could be soon. The company is generating around $150 million in annual recurring revenue from... You can count the number of breakout consumer AI applications on the fingers of one hand. There’s...

Art by Clark Miller; Getty Images

Could Apple and Musk’s SpaceX Finally Do a Satellite Deal?

By Aaron Tilley and Wayne Ma · Oct 23, 2025 6:30am PDT · 1 comment

A few years ago, Elon Musk pitched Apple unsuccessfully on the idea of his company, SpaceX, providing satellite connectivity to iPhones. There are tantalizing hints that such a deal could be back on the table. In recent months, in anticipation of a possible future arrangement with Apple, SpaceX has added support in its new satellite designs for... A few years ago, Elon Musk pitched Apple unsuccessfully on the idea of his company, SpaceX,...

Photo by Getty Images

TikTok Empowers Chinese Executives in Management Revamp

By Juro Osawa · Oct 23, 2025 5:52am PDT · 1 comment

TikTok is implementing drastic leadership changes that pull the video app closer to the orbit of its parent ByteDance, just as Washington and Beijing are on the cusp of reaching a deal over the app’s future in the U.S. TikTok’s global content and distribution partnership teams, both led by Western executives, will be moved under Fiona Zhi, a ... TikTok is implementing drastic leadership changes that pull the video app closer to the orbit of...

GM CEO Mary Barra. Photo: Emily Elconin/Bloomberg/Getty

The Electric: GM CEO Takes Some Swipes at Tesla and Chinese Cars

By Steve LeVine · Oct 23, 2025 4:30am PDT

General Motors CEO Mary Barra presided over a big show of tech prowess on Wednesday, promising a pioneering autonomous electric Cadillac that will fully navigate highways while the driver zones out, and a battery that will beat the Chinese. General Motors CEO Mary Barra presided over a big show of tech prowess on Wednesday, promising a...

Getty Images

Musk Dials Back Near Term Robotaxi and Optimus Targets

By Theo Wayt · Oct 22, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Getty Images

Musk Dials Back Near Term Robotaxi and Optimus Targets

By Theo Wayt · Oct 22, 2025 5:00pm PDT

As a car manufacturer, Tesla’s latest financial results released Wednesday were a definite (if expected) improvement on the first half of the year. Instead of auto sales falling 16%, as they did in the second quarter, they rose 6%. And thanks to even stronger growth in battery sales and services, Tesla’s total revenue grew 12% year over year to... As a car manufacturer, Tesla’s latest financial results released Wednesday were a definite (if...

Photo by Getty.

Adobe Discussed $3 Billion Acquisition of AI Video Startup Synthesia

By Katie Roof · Oct 22, 2025 2:10pm PDT

Adobe in recent months held talks with Synthesia, a London-based maker of artificial intelligence software that generates video avatars of people, to buy the startup for about $3 billion, a premium from the startup’s $2.1 billion valuation in a January financing, according to a person with knowledge of the discussions. Synthesia and ... Adobe in recent months held talks with Synthesia, a London-based maker of artificial...

Art by Clark Miller

Why OpenAI Just Declared War on Google’s $100 Billion Search Moat

By The Information Staff · Oct 22, 2025 1:09pm PDT · 1 comment

OpenAI has launched a direct strategic assault on Google’s advertising empire by introducing its new AI browser, ChatGPT Atlas. This is a high-stakes move that positions the AI model as the ultimate user interface for all web activity, aiming to entirely bypass the traditional search page where Google makes its money. This aggressive move forces... OpenAI has launched a direct strategic assault on Google’s advertising empire by introducing its...

Art by Clark Miller

Can AI Deliver What Shoppers Want?

By Li Haslett Chen · Oct 22, 2025 8:34am PDT · 4 comments

Much of the rhetoric around commerce and AI imagines a revolution in how we find and buy things. OpenAI joined the discourse when it announced that you can buy directly through ChatGPT via partnerships with Walmart, Shopify and Etsy—all powered by Stripe. They’re not alone. AI answer engine Perplexity launched one-click checkout with... Much of the rhetoric around commerce and AI imagines a revolution in how we find and buy things....

Photo by Getty

OpenAI’s New Browser War; Google’s College Developer Play

By Erin Woo and Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 22, 2025 7:00am PDT

Photo by Getty

OpenAI’s New Browser War; Google’s College Developer Play

By Erin Woo and Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 22, 2025 7:00am PDT

Before we get to today’s column, we’d be remiss not to mention OpenAI’s release on Tuesday of its new web browser, news of which we first scooped almost a year ago. The new browser, ChatGPT Atlas, is yet another example of OpenAI expanding its reach into consumers’ online lives, just as other tech incumbents such as Google and Apple... Before we get to today’s column, we’d be remiss not to mention OpenAI’s release on Tuesday of its...

Getty Images.

TikTok Shop’s New Ad Policy Risks Alienating Merchants

By Ann Gehan · Oct 22, 2025 6:00am PDT

As TikTok readies itself for the expected sale of its U.S. business to a new venture controlled by American investors, the company is trying to boost its commerce business, TikTok Shop. But the measures it has taken risk alienating merchants who sell on the shopping service. TikTok Shop in recent weeks has begun pushing its sellers to switch to... As TikTok readies itself for the expected sale of its U.S. business to a new venture controlled...

Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. Getty Images.

Netflix’s Success Spotlights Warner’s Failure

By Martin Peers · Oct 21, 2025 5:00pm PDT

OpenAI continued its march to world domination, unveiling its long-anticipated Web browser, ChatGPT Atlas. It offers some snazzy features, including a split-screen view that allows you to ask ChatGPT questions related to the webpage you’re on without switching tabs. Given how difficult it is to change people’s ingrained habits, getting consumers... OpenAI continued its march to world domination, unveiling its long-anticipated Web browser, ...

Photo by Alyssa Ringler

Partner Content

2026: The Year of an IPO Thaw?

By The Information Partnerships · Oct 21, 2025 2:47pm PDT

After four years in a deep freeze, initial public offerings are finally showing signs of life. Tech companies like Klarna, StubHub, and Figure have recently hit the exchange, signaling that the long initial public offering winter may—at last—be coming to an end. But it’s not just IPOs driving renewed optimism. Mergers and acquisitions, special... After four years in a deep freeze, initial public offerings are finally showing signs of life....

Latham & Watkins partners Seth Gottlieb (left) and Alex Kelly (right). Photo courtesy of the subjects.

AI Is Speeding Up M&A Deals, Says Latham

By Valida Pau · Oct 21, 2025 2:03pm PDT

Latham & Watkins partners Seth Gottlieb (left) and Alex Kelly (right). Photo courtesy of the subjects.

AI Is Speeding Up M&A Deals, Says Latham

By Valida Pau · Oct 21, 2025 2:03pm PDT

A flurry of tech mergers and acquisitions catalyzed by the artificial intelligence boom has been big business for lawyers. Latham & Watkins, which has landed on some of the highest-profile deals, says tech is moving fast and companies are keeping pace, sometimes getting transactions done in days. “It’s speed oftentimes because the deal... A flurry of tech mergers and acquisitions catalyzed by the artificial intelligence boom has been...

Andrej Karpathy. Getty Images

A Reality Check on Agents

By Aaron Holmes · Oct 21, 2025 10:30am PDT · 2 comments

Around the start of this year, executives at artificial intelligence providers like OpenAI and Salesforce said 2025 would be “the year of agents,” making it seem like fully autonomous AI would soon take over human jobs. Since then, Salesforce, Microsoft, SAP and many others pitched roughly seven types of agent to automate white collar tasks in... Around the start of this year, executives at artificial intelligence providers like OpenAI and...

Youtube/Dwarkesh Patel.

Is Andrej Karpathy Right About Overhyped AI?

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Oct 21, 2025 7:05am PDT · 2 comments

Andrej Karpathy, one of the founding members of OpenAI, on Friday threw cold water on the idea that artificial general intelligence is around the corner. He also cast doubt on various assumptions about AI made by the industry’s biggest boosters, such as Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Sam Altman.The highly regarded Karpathy called ... Andrej Karpathy, one of the founding members of OpenAI, on Friday threw cold water on the idea...

Getty Images

AI Enigma: Search Traffic Drops to Sites, but Revenue Doesn’t—Yet

By Catherine Perloff · Oct 21, 2025 6:00am PDT

In the past year, Mexican hotel chain Tafer Hotels & Resorts has seen traffic to its website fall 25%. Despite that, Tafer’s revenue is up year over year, according to Max Gomez Montejo, chief digital marketing officer at the hotel chain. Tafer isn’t alone. A growing number of companies say their websites are losing traffic, thanks to how... In the past year, Mexican hotel chain Tafer Hotels & Resorts has seen traffic to its website...

Sakana AI CEO David Ha. AP Images.

OpenAI’s Japanese Rival Sakana in Talks to Raise Capital at $2.5 Billion Valuation

By Stephanie Palazzolo, Juro Osawa and Katie Roof · Oct 20, 2025 8:57pm PDT

Sakana AI CEO David Ha. AP Images.

OpenAI’s Japanese Rival Sakana in Talks to Raise Capital at $2.5 Billion Valuation

By Stephanie Palazzolo, Juro Osawa and Katie Roof · Oct 20, 2025 8:57pm PDT

Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based developer of artificial intelligence, is in talks with U.S. and Japanese investors to raise $100 million at a valuation of $2.5 billion, up 66% from a financing a year ago, according to two people involved in the discussions. The funding talks come months after CEO David Ha said publicly that the company would operate... Sakana AI, a Tokyo-based developer of artificial intelligence, is in talks with U.S. and Japanese...