The Information

Rippling's Parker Conrad. Photo via Getty Images

Why Startups like Rippling Are Choosing New Products Over IPOs

By Cory Weinberg · Sep 23, 2024 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

Parker Conrad is excited. Eager to demonstrate a corporate travel booking tool his company, Rippling, is about to introduce, Conrad opens his laptop and shows off a page that has the kind of flight and hotel selection layout familiar to anyone who has used Google Flights. “Let me show you some stuff,” he said. His company, which... Parker Conrad is excited. Eager to demonstrate a corporate travel booking tool his company,...

Photo by David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty.

WhatsApp Dominates Meta AI Use

By Kalley Huang · Sep 20, 2024 7:00am PDT

A year after Meta Platforms introduced its artificial intelligence assistant, a picture is emerging of how people are using it—and how that differs from usage of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the leading conversational AI. Most people who use Meta AI daily do so through WhatsApp, according to a person who has seen recent internal data; the... A year after Meta Platforms introduced its artificial intelligence assistant, a picture is...

Art by Shane Burke

AI Chip Startups, Seeking an Edge on Nvidia, Sell to Mideast

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Sep 19, 2024 6:00am PDT

Startups that design artificial intelligence chips are eyeing the Middle East as a lucrative market where they can gain an advantage on market leader Nvidia. SambaNova Systems, Cerebras and Groq—three of the dozens of startups developing AI chips—in the past year have announced deals to supply semiconductors and computer systems for... Startups that design artificial intelligence chips are eyeing the Middle East as a lucrative...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, left, and Octo.AI CEO Luis Ceze. Photo by Getty; screenshot via YouTube.

Nvidia Recently Discussed Acquiring Software Startup OctoAI for $165 Million

By Anissa Gardizy, Aaron Holmes and Stephanie Palazzolo · Sep 17, 2024 11:37am PDT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, left, and Octo.AI CEO Luis Ceze. Photo by Getty; screenshot via YouTube.

Nvidia Recently Discussed Acquiring Software Startup OctoAI for $165 Million

By Anissa Gardizy, Aaron Holmes and Stephanie Palazzolo · Sep 17, 2024 11:37am PDT

Nvidia has been in advanced talks to buy OctoAI, a Seattle-based startup that sells software to make artificial intelligence models run more efficiently, according to a message sent to shareholders. The purchase would add to a string of small AI startup acquisitions by the AI chip heavyweight, which is trying to strengthen its software and... Nvidia has been in advanced talks to buy OctoAI, a Seattle-based startup that sells software to...

Art by Clark Miller

Why AI Developers Are Skipping Google’s Gemini

By Erin Woo · Sep 16, 2024 3:11pm PDT · 12 comments

One of Google's efforts to catch up to OpenAI in the artificial intelligence race is struggling. Google’s conversational AI, Gemini, is too difficult for app developers and businesses to use compared to rivals’ technology, according to interviews with developers and several Google employees that help companies use the AI. One of Google's efforts to catch up to OpenAI in the artificial intelligence race is...

Photo by Getty

ByteDance Steps Up AI Chip Efforts

By Wayne Ma and Qianer Liu · Sep 16, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is accelerating efforts to make its own artificial intelligence chips as it looks for an edge over its rivals in China’s AI chatbot market. ByteDance is aiming for mass production of two semiconductors it has designed by 2026, in collaboration with chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.,... TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, is accelerating efforts to make its own artificial...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Tiger Global Plans to Join OpenAI’s Funding Round

By Kate Clark · Sep 13, 2024 7:13am PDT

A clearer picture is emerging of OpenAI’s massive financing, which values the ChatGPT developer at $150 billion. Venture capital firm Tiger Global Management plans to participate in the multi-billion dollar round, according to people familiar with the matter. Tiger would join Thrive Capital, Microsoft, Nvidia, Apple and the Abu Dhabi AI... A clearer picture is emerging of OpenAI’s massive financing, which values the ChatGPT...

OpenAI's Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap. Photo by STR via Getty

OpenAI COO Says ChatGPT Passed 11 Million Paying Subscribers

By Amir Efrati · Sep 12, 2024 2:44pm PDT

OpenAI's Chief Operating Officer, Brad Lightcap. Photo by STR via Getty

OpenAI COO Says ChatGPT Passed 11 Million Paying Subscribers

By Amir Efrati · Sep 12, 2024 2:44pm PDT

OpenAI’s ChatGPT has more than 10 million paying subscribers and another 1 million subscribers that are part of higher-priced plans for business teams, COO Brad Lightcap recently told staff in a message, according to a person who viewed the message. Those numbers, which the company hasn’t publicly disclosed, imply that the artificial... OpenAI’s ChatGPT has more than 10 million paying subscribers and another 1 million...

OpenAI CEO, Sam Altman, speaking at the World Governments Summit in Dubai earlier this year. Photo by Ryan Lim/AFP via Getty.

OpenAI in Talks with UAE Investment Fund for $7 Billion Fundraising

By Kate Clark and Cory Weinberg · Sep 12, 2024 11:35am PDT · 4 comments

OpenAI has told investors it may try to raise as much as $7 billion in a massive fundraising round that would value it at $150 billion. It is in talks with MGX, the $100 billion United Arab Emirates-backed investment fund, according to people familiar with the matter, as well as tech and VC investors such as Microsoft and Thrive Capital. A... OpenAI has told investors it may try to raise as much as $7 billion in a massive fundraising...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Stripe’s Challenges With Wells Fargo, Goldman Highlight Payments Risks

By Michael Roddan · Sep 10, 2024 10:39am PDT · 2 comments

Last year, staff inside Stripe got some alarming news: The payment giant’s relationship with a key bank partner was about to change—for the worse. Wells Fargo executives had told Stripe co-founder and CEO Patrick Collison they wanted to end a partnership powering Stripe’s payments, according to three former Stripe employees... Last year, staff inside Stripe got some alarming news: The payment giant’s relationship...

Art by Clark Miller

Inside TikTok, It’s Business as Usual-ish as Ban Looms

By Kaya Yurieff and Juro Osawa · Sep 10, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Next Monday, attorneys for TikTok will attempt to convince a U.S. appeals court to slam the brakes on a government law that would shut the short video app down in January. Inside TikTok, executives have expressed confidence they will be able to pull that off, according to two people who have recently spoken to TikTok leaders. That legal... Next Monday, attorneys for TikTok will attempt to convince a U.S. appeals court to slam the...

A Huawei store in Chengdu, China. Photo via Shutterstock.

Apple’s China Rival Huawei Faces Production Snag With New Phone

By Qianer Liu · Sep 5, 2024 6:06am PDT · 1 comment

A Huawei store in Chengdu, China. Photo via Shutterstock.

Apple’s China Rival Huawei Faces Production Snag With New Phone

By Qianer Liu · Sep 5, 2024 6:06am PDT · 1 comment

Huawei Technologies, whose phones are a major competitor to Apple’s iPhones in China, has scheduled a big product announcement for next Tuesday, the day after Apple is expected to unveil its next iPhone. That would be an ideal time for Huawei to unveil its much-anticipated next flagship phone, the Mate 70. But Huawei and the company that... Huawei Technologies, whose phones are a major competitor to Apple’s iPhones in China, has...

ByteDance's Singapore offices. Photo via Shutterstock.

ByteDance Increases Share Price in Latest Employee Buyback

By Kaya Yurieff · Sep 3, 2024 12:22pm PDT · 1 comment

ByteDance has increased its share price in its latest employee buyback, an increase that's in line with secondary market trades that have lifted its valuation close to $230 billion. The TikTok parent set the price for an upcoming employee share buyback at about $181 a share, while it will offer former employees about $154 a share, according... ByteDance has increased its share price in its latest employee buyback, an increase that's in...

Introducing the AI Data Center Database

By Anissa Gardizy · Sep 3, 2024 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

The biggest developers of artificial intelligence closely guard their state-of-the-art technology, but they’re arguably even more secretive about the specialized data centers needed to develop it. The Information is lifting the veil on existing and planned AI data centers, sometimes known as supercomputers or AI chip clusters, in a... The biggest developers of artificial intelligence closely guard their state-of-the-art...

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy. Art by Mike Sullivan

Why Amazon Decided to Cozy Up to Meta and TikTok

By Theo Wayt · Aug 30, 2024 6:00am PDT · 4 comments

Over the past two years, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has sat down with some of the most high-profile CEOs in the social media business to discuss a range of topics including Amazon Web Services, which many of the social media companies use. Also on the agenda: letting Amazon sell its goods within TikTok, Instagram and other apps through a new... Over the past two years, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy has sat down with some of the most high-profile...

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Getty

Meta’s AI Assistant Wins Millions of Users in Challenge to ChatGPT

By Kalley Huang · Aug 29, 2024 12:55pm PDT · 5 comments

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Photo by Getty

Meta’s AI Assistant Wins Millions of Users in Challenge to ChatGPT

By Kalley Huang · Aug 29, 2024 12:55pm PDT · 5 comments

Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants his company’s artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI, to be the world’s “most used AI assistant” by the end of this year, eclipsing OpenAI’s ChatGPT. He seems to be making progress. In early August, less than a year after its debut, Meta AI had at least 400 million... Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg wants his company’s artificial intelligence assistant,...

A Meta employee wearing the Meta Quest Pro VR Headset. Photo by Getty

Meta Considers Mixed Reality Glasses Code-Named ‘Puffin’

By Sylvia Varnham O'Regan · Aug 28, 2024 10:44am PDT · 2 comments

Meta Platforms is planning a new mixed reality device that resembles a bulky pair of glasses, according to two Meta employees. The project, internally code-named Puffin, suggests the company is looking to design an alternative to its large, heavy headsets, which so far have had limited consumer appeal. Mixed reality is a combination of augmented... Meta Platforms is planning a new mixed reality device that resembles a bulky pair of glasses,...

Daniel Gross. Art by Clark Miller. Screenshot of Gross via YouTube.

The Superintelligence of AI Investor Daniel Gross

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Aug 28, 2024 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Over the past decade, investor Daniel Gross has written checks for over 150 startups, including Cruise, Coinbase and Rippling. If there’s one deal that could define his legacy, though, you’ll find it a short walk away from his investment office in Palo Alto, Calif., at the headquarters of Safe Superintelligence Inc. The artificial... Over the past decade, investor Daniel Gross has written checks for over 150 startups, including...

Art by Mike Sullivan/ Midjourney

OpenAI Races to Launch ‘Strawberry’ Reasoning AI to Boost Chatbot Business

By Erin Woo, Stephanie Palazzolo and Amir Efrati · Aug 27, 2024 6:00am PDT · 4 comments

As OpenAI looks to raise more capital, its researchers are trying to launch a new artificial intelligence product they believe can reason through tough problems much better than its existing AI. Researchers have aimed to launch the new AI, code-named Strawberry (previously called Q*, pronounced Q Star), as part of a chatbot—possibly within... As OpenAI looks to raise more capital, its researchers are trying to launch a new artificial...

Coatue founder, Philippe Laffont, at The Information Private Capital Conference in April. Photo by Nicole Pereira.

Coatue Considers Selling Part of ByteDance Stake as IPO Remains Uncertain

By Jing Yang, Erin Woo and Juro Osawa · Aug 23, 2024 9:53am PDT · 1 comment

Coatue founder, Philippe Laffont, at The Information Private Capital Conference in April. Photo by Nicole Pereira.

Coatue Considers Selling Part of ByteDance Stake as IPO Remains Uncertain

By Jing Yang, Erin Woo and Juro Osawa · Aug 23, 2024 9:53am PDT · 1 comment

New York investment firm Coatue Management, an early and substantial backer of ByteDance that has a seat on the TikTok parent’s board, is discussing selling part of its stake, according to three people with knowledge of the talks. The firm has talked to brokers in the secondary market for private stocks to gauge the interest of potential... New York investment firm Coatue Management, an early and substantial backer of ByteDance that has...