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

Mercor co-founders Adarsh Hiremath, Brendan Foody, and Surya Midha. Photo courtesy of ULY

The Valuation Puzzle of Post-Training AI Startups

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Apr 2, 2025 7:00am PDT

We’re starting to see more generative artificial intelligence-related startups announce they’ve crossed $100 million in annualized revenue. According to our Generative AI Database, at least 15 such startups have reached that threshold.The latest is Mercor, which helps OpenAI and other AI developers find contractors to help train new models.... We’re starting to see more generative artificial intelligence-related startups announce they’ve...

The Nvidia booth at a tech show in Hangzhou, China in 2024. Photo via Getty.

Nvidia Faces Dilemma After Chinese Firms Rush to Order $16 Billion in New AI Chips

By Qianer Liu · Apr 2, 2025 6:00am PDT

Chinese companies including ByteDance, Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings have placed at least $16 billion in orders for Nvidia’s H20 server chips for running artificial intelligence in the first three months of the year, ahead of a potential U.S. ban on sales of the chip in China, according to two people with direct knowledge of the... Chinese companies including ByteDance, Alibaba Group and Tencent Holdings have placed at least...

Getty Images

Roblox’s Revenue Grab

By Abram Brown · Apr 1, 2025 5:00pm PDT

You know what kids love? Videogames. And you know what they don’t really love—at least if the small children in my life are any barometer? Advertisements. Yet Roblox, the eponymous company behind one of the most popular videogame platforms for kids, is pinning at least a portion of its hopes for more revenue growth on…advertisements. You know what kids love? Videogames. And you know what they don’t really love—at least if the...

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Photo via Getty

A ‘Biblical’ Test of AI Investor Faith

By Cory Weinberg · Apr 1, 2025 2:50pm PDT · 2 comments

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Photo via Getty

A ‘Biblical’ Test of AI Investor Faith

By Cory Weinberg · Apr 1, 2025 2:50pm PDT · 2 comments

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the awe-inspiring usage of ChatGPT’s new image generation tool a few days ago as “biblical.” His use of religious terminology fits the moment. The money that Altman, Elon Musk and tech giants require to finance chips, data centers and power is a test of faith for Wall Street. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman described the awe-inspiring usage of ChatGPT’s new image generation tool a...

Photo via Getty

Creator Economy

Why Trump Could Punt on TikTok—Again

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 1, 2025 2:00pm PDT

Deal or no deal? President Trump’s Saturday deadline for TikTok to sell its U.S. assets is fast approaching. But Trump has given mixed messages on whether a resolution will be reached by then. On Sunday night, he told reporters on Air Force One that a deal would happen before the deadline. He’s also previously said that he’d be willing to... Deal or no deal? President Trump’s Saturday deadline for TikTok to sell its U.S. assets is fast...

Art by Mike Sullivan

ChatGPT’s New Image Tool Is Big for Businesses

By Jon Victor · Apr 1, 2025 10:11am PDT

OpenAI’s latest image update to ChatGPT isn’t just a boon for Studio Ghibli fans. It’s also a gift to businesses of all sizes looking to generate visuals—from marketing photography, advertisements and more—on the cheap.Take Sola Wood Flowers, a Utah-based e-commerce company that sells replica flowers mostly used in weddings. The business... OpenAI’s latest image update to ChatGPT isn’t just a boon for Studio Ghibli fans. It’s also a...

Greg Brockman. Photo by Getty

ChatGPT Revenue Surges 30%—in Just Three Months

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Amir Efrati · Apr 1, 2025 7:00am PDT · 1 comment

Before today’s main column about the AI attention war between OpenAI and Google, there’s OpenAI news from my colleague Natasha: ChatGPT has hit 20 million paid subscribers, according to a spokesperson. That’s up from 15.5 million at the end of last year, as we previously reported.It turns out a lot of people are willing to pay for a chatbot... Before today’s main column about the AI attention war between OpenAI and Google, there’s OpenAI...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

AI Search Is New Arms Race for Retailers

By Ann Gehan and Catherine Perloff · Apr 1, 2025 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Art by Mike Sullivan.

AI Search Is New Arms Race for Retailers

By Ann Gehan and Catherine Perloff · Apr 1, 2025 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Earlier this year, employees at online diaper seller Coterie noticed customers arriving from an intriguing new source—ChatGPT. Coterie, like most brands, asks its customers how they heard about the company after they make a purchase. The typical answer is word of mouth. But in recent months, some shoppers started crediting their purchase... Earlier this year, employees at online diaper seller Coterie noticed customers arriving from an...

Getty Images

AI's Trump Stress Test?

By Abram Brown · Mar 31, 2025 5:00pm PDT

Phewww. That was a close one. Tech stocks narrowly avoided another large, painful sell-off on Monday as investors continued to look at the uncertainty around President Donald Trump’s trade agenda. The Nasdaq ended the day down 0.1%, but at different points in the day, trading seemed much grimmer, and the index was down more than 2% at... Phewww. That was a close one. Tech stocks narrowly avoided another large, painful...

From second left: co-founders of World Liberty Financial Chase Herro, Zach Witkoff, Zach Folkman and Donald Trump Jr. (on screen). Photo by Getty

Trump’s Stablecoin Push Set to Collide With Banks

By Yueqi Yang · Mar 31, 2025 10:00am PDT · 1 comment

New crypto legislation that could make stablecoins a far bigger part of the financial system is moving rapidly through Congress, putting banks on the defensive even before President Donald Trump jumped into the fray. Trump said he wanted stablecoin rules to be the first crypto legislation of his administration. The banks, caught off guard,... New crypto legislation that could make stablecoins a far bigger part of the financial system is...

Agility Robotics' Digit folds laundry at Web Summit 2024. Photo via Getty

Humanoid Robotics Startup Agility is Raising $400 Million

By Rocket Drew · Mar 31, 2025 9:04am PDT · 1 comment

Agility Robotics, a humanoid robot maker led by former Microsoft executive Peggy Johnson, is raising $400 million at a pre-investment valuation of $1.75 billion, according to a person who has seen the term sheet. The financing demonstrates how advances in artificial intelligence have sparked intensifying interest in the sector from... Agility Robotics, a humanoid robot maker led by former Microsoft executive Peggy Johnson, is...

Photo by Getty

XAI Makes Anthropic Look Cheap

By Amir Efrati · Mar 31, 2025 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

Photo by Getty

XAI Makes Anthropic Look Cheap

By Amir Efrati · Mar 31, 2025 7:00am PDT · 2 comments

The main question after Elon Musk (somewhat predictably) merged xAI with X, which he announced late Friday, is how xAI will build a business the way OpenAI and Anthropic have.Musk says xAI is worth $80 billion. Fine. But Anthropic is privately worth $60 billion and is generating about $120 million a month in revenue. XAI’s revenue is probably a... The main question after Elon Musk (somewhat predictably) merged xAI with X, which he announced...

Art by Clark Miller

Some Musk Government Recruits Quietly Return to His Companies

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Mar 31, 2025 6:00am PDT

When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, employees from SpaceX, Tesla and his other companies followed him there temporarily to help shake up the operations of the social media company. It wouldn’t be surprising, then, to see Musk employees who have decamped to Washington to assist his Department of Government Efficiency eventually go back to... When Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, employees from SpaceX, Tesla and his other companies...

Photo: Getty

The Electric: Why Trump’s Directives Will Likely Hurt EVs

By Steve LeVine · Mar 31, 2025 5:53am PDT

In a pair of sweeping directives involving the auto industry the past two weeks, President Donald Trump did not attack electric vehicles, as he has in the past. But the moves nonetheless seem likely to hobble Western-made EVs. Already priced higher than most buyers are willing to pay, they likely will become far more expensive. In a pair of sweeping directives involving the auto industry the past two weeks, President Donald...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Some Large Cloud Customers Slow Down AI Spending as Prices Drop

By Aaron Holmes · Mar 29, 2025 9:13am PDT · 5 comments

Cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks last year started adding artificial intelligence chatbots to its products to help customers get answers about their network security. The tools originally relied on state-of-the-art models from OpenAI and other firms. But Palo Alto Networks recently found that open-source models from DeepSeek, a Chinese... Cybersecurity firm Palo Alto Networks last year started adding artificial intelligence chatbots...

Art by ChatGPT (and Clark Miller)

OpenAI Goes Ghibli, Tech’s Secret Chats

By Abram Brown · Mar 29, 2025 7:00am PDT · 3 comments

Art by ChatGPT (and Clark Miller)

OpenAI Goes Ghibli, Tech’s Secret Chats

By Abram Brown · Mar 29, 2025 7:00am PDT · 3 comments

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: How the startup behind Cursor became the hottest, vibiest thing in AI• The Top 5: The lobbyists Silicon Valley loves to hire • Plus, our Recommendations: The indentured servants who excel at scams; an Anxious Generation villain; and the existential link between Mel Brooks and Leonard... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• The Big Read: How the startup behind Cursor became the...

Art by Clark Miller

The Lobbyists Silicon Valley Loves to Hire

By Julia Black · Mar 29, 2025 6:00am PDT

In the second Donald Trump era, the separation between tech and politics appears vanishingly small. “Eight years ago, you’d never see a Tim Cook or Elon Musk in Mar-a-Lago. Now, you see them all the time,” said Brian Ballard, founder of Ballard Partners and one of the top lobbyists recommended to us by industry insiders. Federal lobbying... In the second Donald Trump era, the separation between tech and politics appears vanishingly...

Art via Clark Miller

Andreessen, Sequoia Recently Discussed Funding Voice AI Startup Sesame

By Sri Muppidi, Jon Victor and Stephanie Palazzolo · Mar 28, 2025 6:26pm PDT

Sesame, a startup developing artificial intelligence voice assistants and wearable devices, is in talks to raise a new funding round, according to a person familiar with the discussions. Sequoia Capital, Andreessen Horowitz and Northstar.vc, a four-year-old investment firm that has backed messaging app Discord, recently discussed investing in... Sesame, a startup developing artificial intelligence voice assistants and wearable devices, is in...

Photo via Getty

Musk Solves X

By Martin Peers · Mar 28, 2025 3:38pm PDT · 2 comments

We have one less company called X to worry about. Elon Musk took a break from cutting costs in the federal government to reveal late Friday that he had merged his X social media platform into his xAI startup. It was a surprising but not completely unexpected move, one that removes any impediments to the two firms sharing resources—and should... We have one less company called X to worry about. Elon Musk took a break from cutting costs in...

The Signal Scandal and DOGE Drama w/Ben Smith and Nicholas Carlson!

By Jessica E. Lessin · Mar 28, 2025 2:01pm PDT · 1 comment

The Signal Scandal and DOGE Drama w/Ben Smith and Nicholas Carlson!

By Jessica E. Lessin · Mar 28, 2025 2:01pm PDT · 1 comment

On this week’s More or Less: Special guests Ben Smith and Nicholas Carlson help Brit and Jess break down the Signal scandal and fresh DOGE drama. Apple Spotify On this week’s More or Less: Special guests Ben Smith and Nicholas Carlson help Brit and Jess...