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Pinterest Went on Acquisition Hunt To Fulfill Ad Dreams

By Catherine Perloff · Apr 16, 2025 12:42pm PDT · 1 comment

Pinterest in January considered spending hundreds of millions on an acquisition to supercharge its ad sales, said a person familiar with its plans, underlining its ambition to compete more effectively with bigger firms like Meta Platforms. The company, which hasn’t bought a business of any size before, contemplated buying one of five ad tech... Pinterest in January considered spending hundreds of millions on an acquisition to supercharge...

Art by Clark Miller; Musk image via Getty.

How Elon Musk Stopped Loving Cars and Left Tesla in the Lurch

By Steve LeVine · Apr 15, 2025 6:00am PDT · 17 comments

Early last year, Elon Musk decided that Tesla wouldn’t be an electric vehicle company anymore. It would keep making cars, but not the new, mass-market model that investors, many Tesla fans and his senior advisers were asking for. Instead, he would bet the company on artificial intelligence products like the Robotaxi and humanoid robots. He... Early last year, Elon Musk decided that Tesla wouldn’t be an electric vehicle company anymore. It...

Art by Clark Miller.

Grüns Lands Valuation Around $500 Million as Supplement Startups Boom

By Ann Gehan · Apr 14, 2025 3:43pm PDT

Investors are on a health kick and looking for new ways to tap into fast-growing brands in the nutrition sector. That includes pouring money into startups selling supplements, particularly those that offer new ways for people to load up on vitamins, protein and other ingredients. The latest example is two-year-old gummy supplement startup... Investors are on a health kick and looking for new ways to tap into fast-growing brands in the...

Art by Clark Miller

OpenAI’s Latest Breakthrough: AI That Comes Up With New Ideas

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Amir Efrati · Apr 14, 2025 7:30am PDT · 4 comments

Art by Clark Miller

OpenAI’s Latest Breakthrough: AI That Comes Up With New Ideas

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Amir Efrati · Apr 14, 2025 7:30am PDT · 4 comments

Even as artificial intelligence has made strides in summarizing research papers or solving mathematical problems, professionals in many fields still believed humans would be in charge of coming up with ideas for new discoveries. Now AI is getting good at such brainstorming, too. OpenAI is preparing to launch new AI models as soon as this week... Even as artificial intelligence has made strides in summarizing research papers or solving...

Photos via Getty/Shutterstock

ByteDance Is Developing AI Smart Glasses

By Juro Osawa · Apr 11, 2025 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, is planning to sell its own version of artificial intelligence–powered smart glasses, according to two people with direct knowledge of the effort. It’s the latest sign that tech giants globally see gadgets as the next new market for AI services. Meta Platforms has had success with its Ray-Ban smart glasses,... ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, is planning to sell its own version of artificial...

As Advertisers Rethink Spending, Meta and Google Look Better Positioned

As Advertisers Rethink Spending, Meta and Google Look Better Positioned

By Catherine Perloff · Apr 10, 2025 1:05pm PDT · 1 comment

Advertisers are rethinking their spending plans, a sign that economic uncertainty sparked by President Donald Trump’s tariff program is having an impact on business investment. But the impact won’t be felt evenly. Big tech companies that sell advertising—Google, Meta Platforms and Amazon—are likely to hold up better than other... Advertisers are rethinking their spending plans, a sign that economic uncertainty sparked by...

ByteDance's Singapore office. Photo via Getty

ByteDance’s 2024 Revenue Shows Importance of TikTok

By Jing Yang and Qianer Liu · Apr 10, 2025 7:37am PDT

ByteDance’s revenue from international operations, which are primarily TikTok, rose 63% to $39 billion in 2024, said a person with knowledge of the company’s financials. The international revenue accounted for a quarter of ByteDance’s total last year, the highest it has ever been, as growth in the company’s Chinese operations slowed. The results... ByteDance’s revenue from international operations, which are primarily TikTok, rose 63% to $39...

John Giannandrea, left, and Craig Federighi. Photos via Getty

How Apple Fumbled Siri’s AI Makeover

By Wayne Ma · Apr 10, 2025 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

John Giannandrea, left, and Craig Federighi. Photos via Getty

How Apple Fumbled Siri’s AI Makeover

By Wayne Ma · Apr 10, 2025 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

Last June, at Apple’s annual developers conference, the company offered a dazzling demonstration of how artificial intelligence could supercharge Siri, the iPhone’s virtual assistant. But behind the scenes and in the months that followed, the Siri team couldn’t make up its mind about the basic technology needed to make it all work. One option... Last June, at Apple’s annual developers conference, the company offered a dazzling demonstration...

The Port of Oakland this weekend. Photo via Getty

Tariffs Threaten Silicon Valley’s AI Gold Rush

By Natasha Mascarenhas, Jon Victor, Sri Muppidi and Rocket Drew · Apr 7, 2025 6:13pm PDT · 1 comment

A stock market rout triggered by President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese and European goods is threatening to end the artificial intelligence–powered gold rush that has buoyed Silicon Valley for more than two years. Eric Bahn, a co-founder of early-stage venture firm Hustle Fund, is advising startups the firm has backed to be more... A stock market rout triggered by President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Chinese and European goods...

Sam Altman, Left, and Larry Ellison. Photos via Getty, art by Clark Miller

Pressure Rises on Oracle to Finish OpenAI Data Center

By Anissa Gardizy · Apr 7, 2025 6:00am PDT

Oracle is building a data center in Abilene, Texas, the size of 17 football fields for OpenAI. Currently, it’s empty and incomplete. If it stays that way much longer, OpenAI can walk away from the deal, which could cost Oracle billions of dollars, according to two people working with the company on the project. While it’s unlikely OpenAI would... Oracle is building a data center in Abilene, Texas, the size of 17 football fields for OpenAI....

Sam Altman, left and Jony Ive. Photos via Getty

OpenAI Has Discussed Buying Jony Ive and Sam Altman’s AI Device Startup

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Jessica E. Lessin · Apr 6, 2025 3:02pm PDT · 3 comments

OpenAI in recent weeks discussed acquiring a startup its CEO Sam Altman has been working on with ex-Apple designer Jony Ive’s studio to develop an artificial intelligence-powered personal device, according to two people with direct knowledge of the deal talks. They are also discussing partnership options beyond a full acquisition, one of the... OpenAI in recent weeks discussed acquiring a startup its CEO Sam Altman has been working on with...

David Sacks. Photo via Getty

David Sacks’ Craft Ventures Lays Off Staff, Co-Founder Steps Back

By Natasha Mascarenhas and Erin Woo · Apr 5, 2025 4:27pm PDT

David Sacks. Photo via Getty

David Sacks’ Craft Ventures Lays Off Staff, Co-Founder Steps Back

By Natasha Mascarenhas and Erin Woo · Apr 5, 2025 4:27pm PDT

Craft Ventures, the eight-year-old venture firm co-founded by White House adviser David Sacks, last week laid off half a dozen employees who were largely involved in recruiting professionals for startups it backs, a spokesperson confirmed. It made the changes as the firm’s investors have shifted their focus to later-stage investments from very... Craft Ventures, the eight-year-old venture firm co-founded by White House adviser David Sacks,...

Glean CEO Arvind Jain. Photo by Erin Beach.

Enterprise Search App Glean in Funding Talks After Passing $100 Million Revenue Pace

By Sri Muppidi · Apr 4, 2025 5:34pm PDT

Glean, a developer of search chatbots for businesses, is in talks with investors to potentially raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new financing, including money to buy out employee shares in a tender offer, according to two people familiar with the discussions. The six-year-old startup’s potential valuation in the deal couldn’t be... Glean, a developer of search chatbots for businesses, is in talks with investors to potentially...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Meta Nears Release of New AI Model After Performance Hiccups

By Kalley Huang · Apr 4, 2025 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

Last spring, Meta Platforms was on a tear. It had just released Llama 3, a new generation of its large language model, to much praise from developers and independent reviewers. Almost a year later, though, that model’s successor, Llama 4, is running behind schedule. Meta has pushed back the release date of Llama 4 at least twice and could do so... Last spring, Meta Platforms was on a tear. It had just released Llama 3, a new generation of its...

Photos via Getty

Intel, TSMC Recently Discussed Agreement to Form Chipmaking Joint Venture

By Qianer Liu · Apr 3, 2025 11:48am PDT · 3 comments

Intel’s financial crisis may be over—with support from its biggest rival. Executives from Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. recently discussed a preliminary agreement to form a joint venture to operate Intel’s chipmaking facilities, with TSMC taking a 20% stake in the new company, according to two people involved in some of... Intel’s financial crisis may be over—with support from its biggest rival. Executives from...

Google campus photo by Getty. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Google in Advanced Talks to Rent Nvidia AI Servers From CoreWeave

By Aaron Holmes, Stephanie Palazzolo and Anissa Gardizy · Apr 2, 2025 12:32pm PDT · 1 comment

Google campus photo by Getty. Art by Mike Sullivan.

Google in Advanced Talks to Rent Nvidia AI Servers From CoreWeave

By Aaron Holmes, Stephanie Palazzolo and Anissa Gardizy · Apr 2, 2025 12:32pm PDT · 1 comment

Google is in advanced talks to rent state-of-the-art Nvidia Blackwell chips for running artificial intelligence from CoreWeave, an upstart cloud provider, according to two people briefed about the situation. The potential deal shows how major Nvidia customers like Google are struggling to get enough of its chips to meet rising demand from... Google is in advanced talks to rent state-of-the-art Nvidia Blackwell chips for running...

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Trump to Outline TikTok Deal Proposal, With ByteDance Retaining Stake

By Kaya Yurieff · Apr 2, 2025 12:12pm PDT · 1 comment

President Donald Trump plans to announce later on Wednesday his plan for a new company called TikTok America, part of his efforts to broker a deal to keep TikTok alive in the U.S., according to a person close to the discussions. It’s unclear whether the Trump administration has approval for the proposed structure from the Chinese... President Donald Trump plans to announce later on Wednesday his plan for a new company called...

Paul Kotas, senior vice president of Amazon Ads, in 2024. Photo via Getty

Why Amazon’s Biggest Ad Business Could Be Maxing Out

By Catherine Perloff and Theo Wayt · Apr 2, 2025 11:43am PDT · 1 comment

Over the last several years, advertisements have seemingly begun creeping into nearly every crevice on Amazon. They populate carousels of products promising to show shoppers what other “customers frequently viewed” on search results. They also appear on pages where shoppers can find deals on Amazon. And they pop up on the checkout page when a... Over the last several years, advertisements have seemingly begun creeping into nearly every...

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...

Art by Clark Miller

Some Musk Government Recruits Quietly Return to His Companies

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

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...