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

Lina Khan. Photo by Getty

Microsoft’s AI Software Sales, OpenAI Deal Targeted by FTC Probe

By Aaron Holmes · Dec 3, 2024 11:24am PST

As the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ramps up its sweeping new antitrust investigation into Microsoft, FTC officials have been asking Microsoft's rivals about the impact of its artificial intelligence deals and range of products, according to someone involved in the discussions and a second person briefed on the discussions. Specifically,... As the U.S. Federal Trade Commission ramps up its sweeping new antitrust investigation into...

Art by Clark Miller

The Rush to AI Opens Doors to Cyberattacks

By 87-4424346 Spitler · Dec 3, 2024 10:42am PST · 2 comments

There’s much talk about superintelligent artificial intelligence that controls humans, leading to a grim dystopian future. That’s still largely hypothetical. A more immediate AI risk is playing out under our noses: a cascading, AI-fueled cyberattack. There’s much talk about superintelligent artificial intelligence that controls humans,...

AWS CEO, Matt Garman. Photo via Getty.

How AWS Can Move the Needle in AI; 2025’s AI Books

By Anissa Gardizy · Dec 3, 2024 7:00am PST

Amazon Web Services’ annual conference for customers kicks off this morning with products AWS Chief Matt Garman said would be “needle-moving.” But what happened to the products unveiled by AWS at last year’s re:Invent?A year ago, Garman’s predecessor, Adam Selipsky, tried to make a splash by unveiling an artificial intelligence chatbot and... Amazon Web Services’ annual conference for customers kicks off this morning with products AWS...

Photo by Getty.

Temu and Shein Delivery Providers Face Labor Complaints

By Theo Wayt and Ann Gehan · Dec 3, 2024 6:00am PST

Photo by Getty.

Temu and Shein Delivery Providers Face Labor Complaints

By Theo Wayt and Ann Gehan · Dec 3, 2024 6:00am PST

The growth of Temu and Shein has spurred the rise of little-known delivery startups that help them keep prices ultralow for shoppers. Now those budget delivery services are facing a growing number of legal complaints about their pay practices. With a click of a button, shoppers on these and other sites like AliExpress set in motion a delivery... The growth of Temu and Shein has spurred the rise of little-known delivery startups that help...

Photo via Getty

Judge Rebuffs Musk; Intel Searches for a Savior

By Martin Peers · Dec 2, 2024 5:00pm PST

These are heady days for Elon Musk, whose friendship with Donald Trump has accentuated his already immense power in the tech industry. But there’s one quarter where Musk can’t yet get what he wants: the Delaware courts.Late Monday afternoon, the Delaware judge hearing the long-running fight over Musk’s Tesla pay package reaffirmed her January... These are heady days for Elon Musk, whose friendship with Donald Trump has accentuated his...

The Rise of the Tech Bro

By Jessica E. Lessin · Dec 2, 2024 2:02pm PST

On the latest More or Less: A debate over the "tech bro" and a special guest from Hollywood. Hope you enjoy! Apple Spotify On the latest More or Less: A debate over the "tech bro" and a special...

Brex’s Leadership Reset

By Akash Pasricha · Dec 2, 2024 9:00am PST

Brex’s org chart, as it is today, is practically unrecognizable from a year ago. Six of CEO Pedro Franceschi’s seven direct reports stepped into their roles in the past 12 months. Plus, two co-CEOs ran the corporate card company until June, when co-founder Henrique Dubugras exited. This overhauled slate of top leaders is overseeing... Brex’s org chart, as it is today, is practically unrecognizable from a year ago. Six of CEO...

Mike Sullivan via Midjourney

Where AI Valuations Are Cheap

By Sri Muppidi and Rocket Drew · Dec 2, 2024 7:00am PST

Mike Sullivan via Midjourney

Where AI Valuations Are Cheap

By Sri Muppidi and Rocket Drew · Dec 2, 2024 7:00am PST

Some recent fundraisings, including for video generator Synthesia, have suggested valuations for AI startups are coming down to earth. But at 30 times next year’s revenue, you wouldn’t exactly call these deals cheap. You could, however, use that description for the startups that provide computing resources to AI developers.Take Lambda, a... Some recent fundraisings, including for video generator Synthesia, have suggested valuations for...

Ali Ghodsi. Art by Clark Miller. Screenshots via YouTube.

Databricks’ ‘Truth-Seeking’ CEO Wants to Be Bigger Than Salesforce

By Jon Victor · Dec 2, 2024 6:00am PST · 1 comment

New managers acclimating to life at data analytics software firm Databricks are often shocked when CEO Ali Ghodsi calls up one of their team members out of the blue to question them about a product they’re working on. Or drops into a low-level meeting unannounced. Or phones the data scientists working for a customer. For Ghodsi, it’s... New managers acclimating to life at data analytics software firm Databricks are often shocked...

Byd introduces its electric Shark pickup in Mexico City in May. Photo: Photo: Mariceu Erthal/Bloomberg/Getty

The Electric: How Trump Set the Stage for a Grand EV Bargain With China

By Steve LeVine · Dec 2, 2024 4:30am PST

Last March, President-elect Donald Trump, addressing a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio, dove into a recurring theme: Chinese automakers were planning to build plants in Mexico and export their electric cars into the U.S. tariff free, exploiting a loophole in the U.S.-Mexico-Canada free trade treaty. Trump said that if elected, he would stop them... Last March, President-elect Donald Trump, addressing a campaign rally in Dayton, Ohio, dove into...

Art by Clark Miller

The Value of Self-Exile

By Abram Brown · Nov 30, 2024 7:00am PST

Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: The Information’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide • E-commerce: A bet on Big Brother billboards • The Top 5: What to wear to Silicon Valley’s holiday parties • Plus, we feast!: A lover scorned and scorched; a buddy film seasoned with punchlines and pathos; the TikToker who cheeses for... Welcome, Weekenders! In this newsletter:• Shopping: The Information’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide...

What to Wear to Silicon Valley’s Holiday Parties

By Esther Achara · Nov 30, 2024 5:00am PST

What to Wear to Silicon Valley’s Holiday Parties

By Esther Achara · Nov 30, 2024 5:00am PST

As every Silicon Valley titan surely knows, assembling a holiday party wardrobe that works across occasions—perhaps time zones, too—requires considerable strategic thinking: Underperformance isn’t an option, and neither is cutting deeply against the cultural grain. Thankfully, stylist Victoria Cárdenas Hitchcock has a... As every Silicon Valley titan surely knows, assembling a holiday party wardrobe that works across...

Teenagers in Melbourne, Australia, on their phones. Photo by Getty.

What Australia’s Social Media Kids Ban Means for Tech

By Martin Peers · Nov 29, 2024 2:00pm PST

While U.S. tech executives were tucking into their turkey on Thursday or guzzling Koia shakes, Australian lawmakers were approving a law that bans children under 16 from having a social media account. Whoa! Australia is a relatively small country whose revenue contribution to Meta Platforms, Snap or TikTok is likely minuscule. But investors have... While U.S. tech executives were tucking into their turkey on Thursday or guzzling Koia shakes,...

Art by Clark Miller.

‘Everyone’s Desperate’: Consumer Startups Bet on Mobile Big Brother Billboards

By Ann Gehan · Nov 29, 2024 10:00am PST · 2 comments

When Huel, a London-based startup that sells protein bars and powdered meals, was plotting an expansion push into America earlier this year, the company’s executives knew they needed to make a splash. Huel’s $200 million in annual revenue came from online sales mostly in Europe—in the U.S., it hoped to win over customers in... When Huel, a London-based startup that sells protein bars and powdered meals, was plotting an...

Anthropic's Dario and Daniela Amodei. Photo via Getty.

Pro Weekly: Megadeals Dominate AI Funding

By Akash Pasricha · Nov 29, 2024 8:30am PST

Anthropic’s sibling co-founders, Dario and Daniela Amodei, had much to celebrate over Thanksgiving dinner this year. One week ago, Amazon said it would be stuffing their company with yet another $4 billion investment. It’s the second time Amazon has done so—it announced its first Anthropic investment of that size into the company back in... Anthropic’s sibling co-founders, Dario and Daniela Amodei, had much to celebrate over...

Photo via AP.

ByteDance’s Global AI Ambition Runs Into Obstacles

By Juro Osawa and Qianer Liu · Nov 29, 2024 6:00am PST

Photo via AP.

ByteDance’s Global AI Ambition Runs Into Obstacles

By Juro Osawa and Qianer Liu · Nov 29, 2024 6:00am PST

TikTok owner ByteDance, whose artificial intelligence chatbot is a major hit in China, wants to compete worldwide in generative AI. But those plans could be complicated by the geopolitical and regulatory storms surrounding TikTok, as well as the technical challenges it has encountered. Inside ByteDance’s AI research and development... TikTok owner ByteDance, whose artificial intelligence chatbot is a major hit in China, wants to...

Art by Clark Miller

The Information’s 2024 Holiday Gift Guide

By The Information Staff · Nov 28, 2024 5:00am PST · 3 comments

Ho, ho—oh, hello there! And welcome back to a spirited new tradition at The Information: our annual holiday gift guide. This is a list of our favorite things, and none of these selections came to our attention through a publicist’s pitch. Rather, a few simple guiding principles guided us as we assembled this roll. We genuinely love... Ho, ho—oh, hello there! And welcome back to a spirited new tradition at The Information:...

Amazon Senior Vice President Rohit Prasad. Image via Getty.

Amazon Develops Video AI Model, Hedging Its Reliance on Anthropic

By Kevin McLaughlin and Anissa Gardizy · Nov 27, 2024 5:50pm PST

Amazon has developed new generative artificial intelligence that can process images and video in addition to text, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter and two people who spoke with Amazon about its plans. The model could help customers search video archives for certain scenes, say a winning basketball shot, using simple... Amazon has developed new generative artificial intelligence that can process images and video in...

FTC Chair Lina Khan. Photo via Getty.

Microsoft’s Antitrust Luck Runs Out

By Martin Peers · Nov 27, 2024 3:20pm PST

You have to hand it to Lina Khan. The Federal Trade Commission chair, appointed by outgoing President Joe Biden, is working until the bitter end (which is likely two months away). Bloomberg reported Wednesday afternoon that Khan had signed off on an antitrust investigation of Microsoft. That’s a big deal.Microsoft is the only one of the five big... You have to hand it to Lina Khan. The Federal Trade Commission chair, appointed by outgoing...

Photo via Getty

TikTok’s Dirt Cheap Pricing Is a Ghost of Christmas Past

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 27, 2024 2:23pm PST

Photo via Getty

Creator Economy

TikTok’s Dirt Cheap Pricing Is a Ghost of Christmas Past

By Kaya Yurieff · Nov 27, 2024 2:23pm PST

We’re in the second year of an intense holiday shopping drive on TikTok. Sadly for all you bargain hunters, the dirt cheap prices that teased TikTok users a year ago are no more. But the app is still heavily promoting discounts as it’s rolled out other improvements and features, like livestreaming. As I browsed the Shop tab on TikTok this... We’re in the second year of an intense holiday shopping drive on TikTok. Sadly for all you...