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

CATL battery factory in Arnstadt, Germany. Photo: Nicolo Lanfranchi/Bloomberg/Getty

The Electric: China’s Moves Are Likely to Make Its Big Battery Makers Even Bigger

By Steve LeVine · Jan 15, 2026 4:30am PST

Days before China this week announced record exports, it moved to temper global anger over its flood of cheap products going overseas: It killed tax subsidies on exports of batteries and solar panels. Days before China this week announced record exports, it moved to temper global anger over its...

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images.

Tech Stocks’ Bleak Day; Cerebras Gets Good News

By Martin Peers · Jan 14, 2026 5:00pm PST

Wow. Wednesday was not a fun day, particularly if you’re a Verizon customer (guilty!), thanks to a widespread cellular phone outage that hit many of its subscribers for much of the day. It also wasn’t fun for tech investors as stocks sold off across the board. What wasn’t uniform, though, was the severity of the selling. Microsoft, Amazon and... Wow. Wednesday was not a fun day, particularly if you’re a Verizon customer (guilty!), thanks to...

Art by Clark Miller

Why Google, Amazon and OpenAI Are on a Collision Course Over AI Commerce

By The Information Staff · Jan 14, 2026 1:07pm PST

AI-powered shopping is becoming a new area of competition among major technology companies, e-commerce platforms and retailers, each pursuing different approaches to how consumers discover and purchase products online. These efforts range from proprietary shopping agents to shared commerce protocols and embedded checkout systems that could... AI-powered shopping is becoming a new area of competition among major technology companies,...

Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Erebor Bank. Getty Images

The Upstart Tech Bank Trying to Shake Up Finance

By Ken Brown · Jan 14, 2026 8:30am PST · 1 comment

Palmer Luckey, co-founder of Erebor Bank. Getty Images

The Information Finance

The Upstart Tech Bank Trying to Shake Up Finance

By Ken Brown · Jan 14, 2026 8:30am PST · 1 comment

The most interesting news in banking is happening in Ohio, but it’s really a Silicon Valley story. Erebor Bank, backed by Silicon Valley powerbrokers such as Palmer Luckey and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale, is gearing up to start operating after getting conditional approval from regulators in Washington last year. In the largely... The most interesting news in banking is happening in Ohio, but it’s really a Silicon Valley...

Subscriber Survey

For Californians Who Want Out, Texas Is the Top Destination

By Shane Burke · Jan 14, 2026 7:45am PST · 2 comments

In California, the highs and lows come together: a steep cost of living, but access to the state’s booming tech industry. Diversity and cultural richness, but also stark inequality and harsh commutes. World-class access to nature, but a real risk of natural disasters. And right now, California’s state taxes are in the spotlight, thanks to a... In California, the highs and lows come together: a steep cost of living, but access to the state’...

Chart by Shane Burke.

‘AI Native’ Startups Double Annualized Revenue to $30 Billion in Seven Months

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jan 14, 2026 7:00am PST · 1 comment

The revenue picture for AI startups is brightening, a bit. In just seven months, annualized revenue at “AI native” companies selling AI models or apps has doubled, from $15 billion to more than $30 billion, according to an analysis of 32 companies from The Information’s Generative AI Database.One problem: OpenAI and Anthropic make... The revenue picture for AI startups is brightening, a bit. In just seven months, annualized...

Outside of a TSMC microchip fabrication plant in Taichung, Taiwan. An Rong Xu for the Washington Post/Getty Images.

TSMC Can’t Make AI Chips Fast Enough

By Qianer Liu · Jan 14, 2026 7:00am PST · 2 comments

Last November, during one of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s five visits to Taiwan last year, he and CC Wei, CEO of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., met with reporters. Wei told the assembled media that Huang had come to ask for more chips, to which Huang, standing next to him, replied: “Yes!” Huang wasn’t the only U.S. tech executive making... Last November, during one of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s five visits to Taiwan last year, he and CC...

From left, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Images via Getty, art from Mike Sullivan

Microsoft’s Spending on Anthropic AI Is on Pace to Hit $500 Million

By Aaron Holmes, Sri Muppidi and Catherine Perloff · Jan 14, 2026 6:00am PST · 2 comments

From left, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Images via Getty, art from Mike Sullivan

Microsoft’s Spending on Anthropic AI Is on Pace to Hit $500 Million

By Aaron Holmes, Sri Muppidi and Catherine Perloff · Jan 14, 2026 6:00am PST · 2 comments

OpenAI is Microsoft’s most important AI provider and its biggest cloud server customer. But as OpenAI does more business with Microsoft’s cloud rivals, Microsoft is doing more business with Anthropic, OpenAI’s archrival. Microsoft has quietly become one of Anthropic’s top customers and was recently on pace to spend nearly $500 million a year for... OpenAI is Microsoft’s most important AI provider and its biggest cloud server customer. But as...

Microsoft's Brad Smith. Paul Devlin/Sportsfile via Getty Images.

Microsoft’s Proactive Data Center Promises

By Martin Peers · Jan 13, 2026 5:00pm PST

Maybe Brad Smith should run for office. The Microsoft vice chair and president put his name to a lengthy, detailed document released on Tuesday that demonstrates the tech giant is trying to get ahead of growing grass-roots complaints about the impact of data centers on local communities. Among other things, Microsoft promised to pay enough for... Maybe Brad Smith should run for office. The Microsoft vice chair and president put his name to a...

Image by Getty

The Rise of the Pre-IPO Round

By Laura Mandaro · Jan 13, 2026 3:10pm PST

A favorite trade of 2020 and 2021—buying into a startup shortly before the company is expected to go public, often through the sale of notes convertible into equity—is bubbling again as more startups inch toward public listings. These convertible notes can act as a strong signal the company is intent on an IPO, well before it files a prospectus.... A favorite trade of 2020 and 2021—buying into a startup shortly before the company is expected to...

Andrew Feldman, CEO of Cerebras. Photo By Ramsey Cardy/Getty Images

Chipmaker Cerebras in Talks to Raise $1 Billion at a $22 Billion Valuation

By Valida Pau and Anissa Gardizy · Jan 13, 2026 2:04pm PST

AI chip startup Cerebras Systems is in talks to raise about $1 billion, valuing the company at $22 billion before the new investment, as the chipmaker prepares to go public this year, according to people with knowledge of the discussions. That’s a big jump from its last private valuation of $8.1 billion in September 2025, when it raised $1.1... AI chip startup Cerebras Systems is in talks to raise about $1 billion, valuing the company at...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Google Flips OpenAI’s Shopping Strategy on Its Head

By Ann Gehan · Jan 13, 2026 1:09pm PST · 1 comment

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Google Flips OpenAI’s Shopping Strategy on Its Head

By Ann Gehan · Jan 13, 2026 1:09pm PST · 1 comment

Google’s latest AI pitch to retailers is simple: Google isn’t planning to take a cut of purchases made through its Gemini AI chatbot and search results. Instead, it plans to make money from its AI shopping push by selling a new type of ads to retailers. That approach is opposite that of OpenAI, which announced checkouts inside ChatGPT in... Google’s latest AI pitch to retailers is simple: Google isn’t planning to take a cut of purchases...

Art via Getty Images

Anthropic and OpenAI’s Coding Tools Produce Websites with Security Flaws

By Aaron Holmes and Kevin McLaughlin · Jan 13, 2026 10:47am PST

Websites created through coding tools from OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, Replit and Devin have security flaws, new research shows. These AI-generated websites can be tricked into leaking sensitive data or mistakenly sending money to hackers, AI security startup Tenzai told The Information.“Our initial goal was to compare these different AI coding... Websites created through coding tools from OpenAI, Anthropic, Cursor, Replit and Devin have...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Photo by Patrick T. Fallon /Getty Images

China Restricts Nvidia Chip Purchases to Special Circumstances

By Qianer Liu · Jan 13, 2026 8:27am PST

The Chinese government this week told some tech companies it would only approve their purchases of Nvidia’s H200 AI chips under special circumstances, such as for university research and development labs, according to two people with direct knowledge of the situation. The latest communication signals Beijing is hardening its position against... The Chinese government this week told some tech companies it would only approve their purchases...

Photo by Matteo Della Torre/Getty Images

How Apple is Using Gemini to Give ChatGPT-Like Answers

By Stephanie Palazzolo, Amir Efrati and Aaron Tilley · Jan 13, 2026 7:00am PST

In another AI win for Google lately, Apple announced on Monday that it will use Google’s Gemini models to power its artificial intelligence features, including an upcoming updated version of its Siri voice assistant.With Gemini powering its answers, Siri will have the ability to answer factual questions, tell stories, provide emotional support... In another AI win for Google lately, Apple announced on Monday that it will use Google’s Gemini...

Sheldon Kimber, CEO of Intersect Power, right, at the Oberon Solar plant in California. Photo by Lauren Justice/ Getty Images

Google Goes Electric to Get Quick Data Center Approval

By Miles Kruppa · Jan 13, 2026 6:00am PST

Sheldon Kimber, CEO of Intersect Power, right, at the Oberon Solar plant in California. Photo by Lauren Justice/ Getty Images

Google Goes Electric to Get Quick Data Center Approval

By Miles Kruppa · Jan 13, 2026 6:00am PST

One month before Google paid $4.8 billion for Intersect Power, the tech giant had a message for federal energy regulators: They should fast-track approvals for data centers that supply some of their own power. Intersect does just that, producing power for data centers to allow them to operate without relying entirely on the grid. Google’s... One month before Google paid $4.8 billion for Intersect Power, the tech giant had a message for...

Dina Powell McCormick. Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan/Getty Images.

Why Google Should Take Note of Meta’s Savvy Hire

By Martin Peers · Jan 12, 2026 5:00pm PST

Google might be running away with the AI market right now—as demonstrated by today’s Apple deal—but Meta Platforms can’t be counted out. Meta’s hiring today of former Trump administration official and longtime Goldman Sachs partner Dina Powell McCormick as president and vice chair was a savvy move by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It strengthens the... Google might be running away with the AI market right now—as demonstrated by today’s Apple deal—...

Fidji Simo, CEO of Apps for OpenAI.

OpenAI Agrees to Buy AI Healthcare App For About $100 Million

By Laura Mandaro · Jan 12, 2026 12:39pm PST · 3 comments

OpenAI has agreed to buy Torch, a one-year-old AI healthcare app, for about $100 million in equity, according to a person with direct knowledge of the acquisition. Torch enables customers to view and analyze their health data from health systems such as Kaiser Permanente, medical scanning firms like Prenuvo, and apps that track physical... OpenAI has agreed to buy Torch, a one-year-old AI healthcare app, for about $100 million in...

The liquid cooling system at an Equinix data center in Virgini

AI Infrastructure

Why There’s Another Wave of Neoclouds; AI Data Center Cooling Heats Up

By Anissa Gardizy · Jan 12, 2026 8:25am PST · 3 comments

There's a new wave of cloud computing startups raising money and touting landmark AI data center deals.Nscale is raising billions of dollars to build data centers for OpenAI. Fluidstack is filling its coffers to support Anthropic’s infrastructure. I expect a handful of other firms, including Moonlite AI, to raise money in the coming weeks,... There's a new wave of cloud computing startups raising money and touting landmark AI data center...

Art via Shutterstock

Is Claude Code the Revolution?

By Amir Efrati and Rocket Drew · Jan 12, 2026 7:00am PST · 1 comment

Art via Shutterstock

Is Claude Code the Revolution?

By Amir Efrati and Rocket Drew · Jan 12, 2026 7:00am PST · 1 comment

Before we get to today’s column, we wanted to point you to Kevin’s Saturday scoop about a longtime Google DeepMind director raising capital for a visual reasoning AI startup and our Friday scoop about DeepSeek’s upcoming V4 model, which insiders say is great at coding. Major U.S.-based AI developers are waiting with bated breath to see... Before we get to today’s column, we wanted to point you to Kevin’s Saturday scoop about a...