AI Agenda by Stephanie Palazzolo — The Information

Four times/week (subscribers only)

AI Agenda

By Stephanie Palazzolo

Stay ahead of the technological breakthroughs, startups and leaders in AI with a 14-day free trial of the AI Agenda. After your trial, unlock 25% off on a subscription to The Information for full access to the newsletter, plus all of our original reporting on AI.

By providing your email, you agree to The Information’s Privacy Policy

Recent Editions

Art by Getty Images

Why Some Researchers at OpenAI, Thinking Machines and Amazon Want to Change How LLMs Are Trained

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jan 22, 2026 7:00am PST

It seems like every AI researcher these days has lots of ideas around how to combat major shortcomings in the field, such as the “split-brain problem” (in which a model can incorrectly answer a question just because of the way the question is phrased), by developing new models that do “continual learning,” for instance.AI researchers also tell... It seems like every AI researcher these days has lots of ideas around how to combat major...

Screenshots of Runway videos via YouTube.

AI Videos Nearly Indistinguishable From Real Videos, Runway Finds

By Rocket Drew · Jan 21, 2026 7:00am PST

Runway today is releasing its latest AI model, Gen-4.5, that can generate videos from an image. The model, from the startup that specializes in image and video-generating models, is impressive but is likely to underscore growing concerns about AI-generated deepfakes.To measure the model’s performance, Runway asked over 1,000 people to... Runway today is releasing its latest AI model, Gen-4.5, that can generate videos from an image....

Art by Mike Sullivan/Gemini

Why AI Startups' Fixation on 'Cracked' Engineers is Short-Sighted

By Rocket Drew · Jan 20, 2026 7:37am PST

Before we get to today’s column, OpenAI’s Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar pulled back the curtain this weekend on how the ChatGPT maker’s consumption of computational resources and annualized revenue have grown at approximately the same pace over time. That isn’t super surprising, given that most companies would expect their revenue to grow... Before we get to today’s column, OpenAI’s Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar pulled back the...

Photo via Shutterstock

Thinking Machines’ Personnel Shake-Up; ServiceNow Is Still Hiring Young Engineers, in Part Thanks to AI

By Rocket Drew · Jan 15, 2026 7:00am PST · 1 comment

Photo via Shutterstock

Thinking Machines’ Personnel Shake-Up; ServiceNow Is Still Hiring Young Engineers, in Part Thanks to AI

By Rocket Drew · Jan 15, 2026 7:00am PST · 1 comment

We had more drama in AI land on Wednesday night, as several people exited Thinking Machines Lab, the high-profile startup cofounded by former OpenAI Chief Technology Officer Mira Murati, for OpenAI. Details remain murky but here’s what we know for sure. On Wednesday night, Murati said in a post on X that the company had “parted ways” with ... We had more drama in AI land on Wednesday night, as several people exited Thinking Machines Lab,...

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...

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...

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...

Google’s Chatbot Health Move Can’t Be Far Behind OpenAI’s

Google’s Chatbot Health Move Can’t Be Far Behind OpenAI’s

By Amir Efrati · Jan 8, 2026 7:00am PST · 1 comment

Google’s Chatbot Health Move Can’t Be Far Behind OpenAI’s

Google’s Chatbot Health Move Can’t Be Far Behind OpenAI’s

By Amir Efrati · Jan 8, 2026 7:00am PST · 1 comment

OpenAI’s official foray into health, unveiled in this post on Wednesday, has been a long time coming, as we explained last summer. In short, OpenAI is creating a special section of ChatGPT for customers to ask health-related questions and dump data from their personal health apps and wearable devices to get personalized advice. The features... OpenAI’s official foray into health, unveiled in this post on Wednesday, has been a long time...

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia. Photo by Bridget Bennett/Getty Images

Nvidia CEO Says Groq Didn’t Have a ‘Nook and Cranny to Fit Into’

By Amir Efrati · Jan 7, 2026 8:00am PST

Before we get to today‘s column, you should check out our scoop this morning that the Chinese government has asked local companies to hold off ordering Nvidia’s H200 chips. It‘s the latest move in the geopolitical chess match that governs Nvidia’s China business. Meanwhile, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has finally given investors a partial... Before we get to today‘s column, you should check out our scoop this morning that the Chinese...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang presents at CES. Bridget Bennett/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Nvidia’s Clever Approach to Its New Self-Driving Car Model

By Rocket Drew · Jan 6, 2026 7:30am PST

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took the stage at CES on Monday to deliver a volley of announcements—Nvidia published 10 press releases during his keynote! Many of those announcements focused on Nvidia’s work on physical AI, such as autonomous robots and cars, so it was fitting that a pair of Huang’s favorite remote controlled Disney droids accompanied... Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang took the stage at CES on Monday to deliver a volley of announcements—...

Bay ISMOYO/AFP via Getty Images.

Indonesia’s Sovereign AI Play

By Juro Osawa · Jan 5, 2026 7:00am PST

One of the major trends in the AI industry in the past year was the growth of sovereign AI, the movement by various countries to develop their own domestic AI capabilities to reduce their technological dependence on the U.S. and China. While an increasing number of nations and regions are building their own large language models and AI data... One of the major trends in the AI industry in the past year was the growth of sovereign AI, the...

Getty Images

How Artificial Intelligence Will Change in 2026

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 31, 2025 7:00am PST

Getty Images

How Artificial Intelligence Will Change in 2026

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 31, 2025 7:00am PST

Welcome to the last AI Agenda issue of 2025! Lots went down this year (check out yesterday’s newsletter for a full recap), and we expect things to get even crazier in 2026. Welcome to the last AI Agenda issue of 2025! Lots went down this year (check out yesterday’s ...

Art by Clark Miller.

The Top AI Themes of 2025 and What We’re Watching For Next Year

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 30, 2025 7:00am PST · 1 comment

Meta Platform’s announcement on Monday that it has acquired Chinese agent startup Manus represents a big win for Manus’ backers, including Benchmark, ZhenFund and HongShan, who last invested in Manus in an April funding round that valued it at $500 million. Meta is paying more than $2 billion, my colleague Juro Osawa has reported (as have other... Meta Platform’s announcement on Monday that it has acquired Chinese agent startup Manus...

Groq CEO Jonathan Ross. Getty Images.

Why Groq’s IP Matters to Nvidia; AI Experts’ Favorite Books of the Year

By Rocket Drew, Stephanie Palazzolo and Miles Kruppa · Dec 29, 2025 7:00am PST · 1 comment

Before we get to today’s column, we need to explain something about last week’s big news: Nvidia’s agreement to pay an astounding $20 billion to license technology from AI chip startup Groq and hire its leaders. The reasons for Nvidia’s interest in Groq are getting a little clearer. Groq’s chips have the potential to help AI developers when... Before we get to today’s column, we need to explain something about last week’s big news: Nvidia’...

The Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Chen Yongnuo/CNS/VCG via Getty Images.

Two IPO-Bound AI Model Developers Reveal Their Losses

By Juro Osawa · Dec 24, 2025 7:00am PST

Two Chinese AI startups are vying to be the first publicly traded AI model providers in the global stock market, ahead of expected future initial public offerings from OpenAI and Anthropic. The Chinese firms’ IPO filings offer a window into the hardship facing smaller AI firms that don’t have older cash-cow businesses.Shanghai-based MiniMax... Two Chinese AI startups are vying to be the first publicly traded AI model providers in the...

Art by Clark Miller. Screenshots via YouTube.

A $4 Billion Enterprise Software Firm Acquires AI Coding Startup Codegen

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 23, 2025 7:00am PST

Art by Clark Miller. Screenshots via YouTube.

A $4 Billion Enterprise Software Firm Acquires AI Coding Startup Codegen

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 23, 2025 7:00am PST

This year has been a big one for AI coding startup acquisitions. Who can forget the dramatic Google-Windsurf-Cognition saga from this summer? And this month alone, Anthropic acquired developer tool startup Bun and Cursor bought code review startup Graphite.Another coding deal is sneaking in before the end of the year. ClickUp, a $4... This year has been a big one for AI coding startup acquisitions. Who can forget the dramatic ...

Clay CEO Kareem Amin. Photo courtesy of Clay.

Why Some App Developers View ChatGPT as an Opportunity, Not a Threat

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 22, 2025 7:00am PST

When OpenAI in October announced “apps in ChatGPT,” allowing people to use external apps like Zillow or Spotify in ChatGPT—essentially bringing the apps’ core functions into the chatbot—some developers wondered if this would be a blow to consumer apps that would further separate them from their customers. That’s a fear DoorDash, for instance,... When OpenAI in October announced “apps in ChatGPT,” allowing people to use external apps like ...

Art by Mike Sullivan

OpenAI’s ChatGPT Problem

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 18, 2025 7:00am PST

OpenAI has a problem and, unfortunately for it, that problem is also how it makes most of its money: ChatGPT.In this story that Sri, Amir and I published this morning, we revealed that over the past year OpenAI staffers had noticed that improvements to the company’s models weren’t necessarily lifting ChatGPT usage. Their quandary is that... OpenAI has a problem and, unfortunately for it, that problem is also how it makes most of its...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Why Turing Is Buying Up Failed Startups’ Codebases

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Dec 17, 2025 7:00am PST

Last night The Information broke the news that Amazon was in talks to invest at least $10 billion in OpenAI at a valuation of more than $500 billion. As part of the deal under discussion, OpenAI would agree to use Amazon’s Trainium chips, we reported. It's the latest in a string of deals OpenAI has done to raise the money it needs to pay for its... Last night The Information broke the news that Amazon was in talks to invest at least $10 billion...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Why Alien Hunters Want Jensen Huang to Fund Their AI Telescope

By Rocket Drew · Dec 16, 2025 7:00am PST

Art by Mike Sullivan

Why Alien Hunters Want Jensen Huang to Fund Their AI Telescope

By Rocket Drew · Dec 16, 2025 7:00am PST

While alien hunting is often associated with tinfoil hats and flying saucers, the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence Institute has established itself as a leading scientific organization since it was founded 41 years ago. As it scans the cosmos for alien life, it has published research in peer-reviewed astronomy journals and collaborated... While alien hunting is often associated with tinfoil hats and flying saucers, the Search for...