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

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Recent Editions

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OpenAI Wrongfoots Disney

By Martin Peers and Ann Gehan · Mar 24, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Walt Disney Co. must be so glad it committed to investing $1 billion in OpenAI and becoming a customer of the ChatGPT creator. The theme park and entertainment firm agreed to both steps as part of a deal struck last December in which it licensed its characters for use on OpenAI’s Sora video-generation tool. On Tuesday, OpenAI decided to shut... Walt Disney Co. must be so glad it committed to investing $1 billion in OpenAI and becoming a...

Zhang Weiguo/VCG/Getty Images.

Google’s Gemini Steals a March on OpenAI

By Martin Peers · Mar 23, 2026 5:00pm PDT

When invading a hostile territory or testing a new AI service, it’s best to move quietly and steal a march on your opponents. Google appears to have learned that lesson. It’s now possible, if you’ve got its latest Pixel or Samsung phones, to ask the Gemini app to order an Uber or a meal on DoorDash. I tried it today and it worked flawlessly, if... When invading a hostile territory or testing a new AI service, it’s best to move quietly and...

Joan Cros/Getty Images.

Stock Comp and Software’s Illusory Profits

By Martin Peers · Mar 22, 2026 3:00pm PDT · 1 comment

Memo to software executives: Now is the time to radically reduce the amount of stock you give employees. That would win you some favor with investors, who’ve generally gone off your sector thanks to worries about the threat posed by AI. Even if those concerns are overblown, cutting costs in the face of a major disruption is a smart idea.It’s no... Memo to software executives: Now is the time to radically reduce the amount of stock you give...

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Uber’s Self-Driving Car Quest

By Martin Peers · Mar 19, 2026 5:00pm PDT

David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Uber’s Self-Driving Car Quest

By Martin Peers · Mar 19, 2026 5:00pm PDT

For all the attention Nvidia gets for its relentless pace of new business partnerships, it can’t hold a candle to Uber. The ride-hailing giant seems to be on a quest to go into business with anyone who’s ever thought about developing a self-driving car. On Thursday, it announced a robotaxi deal with Rivian, the electric truck maker that is... For all the attention Nvidia gets for its relentless pace of new business partnerships, it can’t...

Apple CEO Tim Cook. Ludovic Marin/AFP/Getty Images.

Apple’s App Store Rules Are Stuck In Past

By Aaron Tilley · Mar 18, 2026 5:00pm PDT

It may be time for Apple to update the rules for its App Store. As we reported in this story today, app developers making apps that allow vibe coding—AI tools that let people without coding experience create apps easily—have run into delays getting their apps approved. Slowing down that process isn’t a good look for Apple, which has faced plenty... It may be time for Apple to update the rules for its App Store. As we reported in this story...

Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications at OpenAI. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images Message Shane Burke

OpenAI, Musk and Focus

By Martin Peers · Mar 17, 2026 5:00pm PDT

OpenAI has decided the “everything everywhere all at once” strategy isn’t ideal, after all. As we and others reported on Monday night, senior OpenAI executive Fidji Simo told staffers last week that the company needed to “refocus on business customers and cut down on side quests that were becoming a distraction.” (Is that the understatement of... OpenAI has decided the “everything everywhere all at once” strategy isn’t ideal, after all. As we...

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. David Paul Morris/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

What Meta’s Nebius Deal Signals

By Martin Peers · Mar 16, 2026 5:00pm PDT · 3 comments

If you’ve got a ticket on the AI gravy train, times are good. That could be because you’re a supplier to Nvidia—and therefore enjoying booming business, as Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang pointed out in his speech on Monday at the company’s GTC convention. Or it could be because you’re a small data center operator picking up business from a big tech... If you’ve got a ticket on the AI gravy train, times are good. That could be because you’re a...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images.

What to Expect From GTC: Nvidia’s Groq Chip

By Qianer Liu and Anissa Gardizy · Mar 15, 2026 3:00pm PDT

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images.

What to Expect From GTC: Nvidia’s Groq Chip

By Qianer Liu and Anissa Gardizy · Mar 15, 2026 3:00pm PDT

It’s party time in San Jose, Calif.! Nvidia on Monday kicks off its annual GTC developer conference in the city, the biggest event on the chip giant’s calendar—which, given the number of public events featuring its CEO, Jensen Huang, is saying something. Huang is scheduled to deliver his keynote tomorrow morning, and it is sure to be a... It’s party time in San Jose, Calif.! Nvidia on Monday kicks off its annual GTC developer...

Shantanu Narayen, Adobe chairman and CEO. Stefani Reynolds/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Adobe CEO’s Departure and Enterprise Software Stress

By Martin Peers · Mar 12, 2026 5:00pm PDT · 2 comments

The Saaspocalypse may have claimed another scalp! Adobe said Thursday its longtime CEO and chair, Shantanu Narayen, had decided to give up the job as soon as his replacement can be found. Less than two months ago, Adobe had given Narayen an annual grant of stock, to vest based on the company's stock performance 2028, suggesting the board wasn’t... The Saaspocalypse may have claimed another scalp! Adobe said Thursday its longtime CEO and chair,...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Patrick T. Fallon/Getty Images.

Nvidia Sprays the Cash; FCC Chair’s SpaceX Defense

By Martin Peers · Mar 11, 2026 5:00pm PDT

If you’re in need of a billion or two in cash, why not hit up Jensen Huang? The Nvidia CEO has plenty of money to spare, particularly if you’re in business with him in some way. Nvidia’s announcement on Wednesday that it was putting $2 billion into Nebius, a European AI data center developer, was the fourth investment in a business partner... If you’re in need of a billion or two in cash, why not hit up Jensen Huang? The Nvidia CEO has...

Oracle co-CEO Clay Magouyrk. Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Oracle’s Upbeat Quarter Calms Investors

By Martin Peers · Mar 10, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Oracle managed to calm some frayed nerves on Wall Street on Tuesday. The cloud and software firm, which has become a focal point for investors’ anxiety about AI-related spending, reported slightly better than projected revenue for its February quarter. More importantly, for the second time in two quarters, it raised its revenue projection for... Oracle managed to calm some frayed nerves on Wall Street on Tuesday. The cloud and software firm,...

Airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7. Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images.

Iran, IPOs and the Stockmarket

By Martin Peers · Mar 9, 2026 5:00pm PDT

Airstrikes on an oil depot in Tehran on March 7. Sasan/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images.

Iran, IPOs and the Stockmarket

By Martin Peers · Mar 9, 2026 5:00pm PDT

It’s a good thing SpaceX is thinking of June for its upcoming IPO. There has to be a decent chance the current Iran war has ended by then, restoring some stability to the market. Then again, these hostilities could easily spread. Not only is the IPO market not necessarily safe, but there’s a cloud of uncertainty now hanging over the economy and... It’s a good thing SpaceX is thinking of June for its upcoming IPO. There has to be a decent...

Photo by Prakash Singh/Getty Images

Sundar Pichai’s Near-Billionaire Status; Oracle in Spotlight

By Martin Peers · Mar 8, 2026 4:00pm PDT

Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is close to achieving billionaire status, thanks to his generous stock compensation—and he’s only likely to get richer. Alphabet revealed in a securities filing late Friday that it had awarded him several new grants of stock, to vest over the next three years, which could potentially be worth nearly $700 million. We... Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai is close to achieving billionaire status, thanks to his generous stock...

Spencer Platt/Getty Images.

OpenAI’s Shopping Glitch

By Martin Peers · Mar 5, 2026 5:00pm PST

This wasn’t a fun day on Wall Street—the S&P 500 fell 0.5%—but one group of stocks bucked the downward trend. That would be those of several travel-booking and food-delivery firms, such as DoorDash, Booking Holdings and Expedia, which climbed between 3% and 13%. One likely reason is OpenAI’s astounding retreat from offering shopping directly... This wasn’t a fun day on Wall Street—the S&P 500 fell 0.5%—but one group of stocks bucked the...

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei and Matthew Rhys, who could play Amodei in a movie. Photos via Getty and Shutterstock.

Anthropic CEO’s Candid Comments Imperil Chances of a Compromise

By Martin Peers · Mar 4, 2026 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

Who hates Sam Altman more—Elon Musk or Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei? If you guessed Elon Musk, our scoop today about the no-holds-barred memo Amodei sent to his staff on Friday about the Pentagon brouhaha might change your mind. Apart from calling OpenAI’s messaging over the Pentagon issue “mendacious,” Amodei explained the Pentagon’s targeting of... Who hates Sam Altman more—Elon Musk or Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei? If you guessed Elon Musk, our...

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images.

Pinterest’s Elliott-Funded Share Buyback Is a Sign of the Times

By Martin Peers · Mar 3, 2026 5:00pm PST

Pinterest CEO Bill Ready. Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images.

Pinterest’s Elliott-Funded Share Buyback Is a Sign of the Times

By Martin Peers · Mar 3, 2026 5:00pm PST

Let’s take a moment to reflect on the benefits of share buybacks. That might sound like a wonky concept, but it’s important. Buybacks shrink the number of shares outstanding, raising the value of the stock that remains. Lately, as AI worries have battered tech stocks, several companies have unveiled expanded buybacks. The latest example is... Let’s take a moment to reflect on the benefits of share buybacks. That might sound like a wonky...

What Anthropic Stands to Gain From Pentagon Stance

What Anthropic Stands to Gain From Pentagon Stance

By Martin Peers · Mar 2, 2026 5:05pm PST

Could fighting with the Pentagon be the best thing that ever happened to Anthropic? On Friday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s designation of Anthropic as a “supply chain risk” looked like it could pose an existential threat to the AI firm. Not only could it lose customers, but, depending on how broadly the designation is interpreted, it could... Could fighting with the Pentagon be the best thing that ever happened to Anthropic? On Friday,...

Getty Images

What OpenAI Saw That Anthropic Didn’t

By Martin Peers · Mar 1, 2026 3:00pm PST

Before we get to the scheduled events for this coming week—Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, starring SpaceX, as well as Apple’s master class in hyping product releases—we should acknowledge just how much of a turn the AI debate has taken from humdrum concerns about spending. Friday night’s decision by the Trump administration to declare war... Before we get to the scheduled events for this coming week—Mobile World Congress in Barcelona,...

Block CEO Jack Dorsey. Getty Images.

Jack Dorsey Proves AI Job Cut Fears Are True; Ellisons Win Warner

By Martin Peers · Feb 26, 2026 5:00pm PST · 1 comment

Jack Dorsey has been many things in his career, including social media pioneer and crypto advocate. Now he’s the grim reaper of AI. Dorsey on Thursday revealed he will lay off 40% of the employees, or about 4,000 people, at his fintech firm, Block. The reason? AI. “The core thesis is simple,” he explained in a shareholder letter. “Intelligence... Jack Dorsey has been many things in his career, including social media pioneer and crypto...

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Bridget Bennett/Getty Images.

Nvidia and Salesforce Show Different Sides of AI

By Martin Peers · Feb 25, 2026 5:00pm PST

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. Bridget Bennett/Getty Images.

Nvidia and Salesforce Show Different Sides of AI

By Martin Peers · Feb 25, 2026 5:00pm PST

It was a tale of two AI cities when Nvidia and Salesforce on Wednesday reported the January-quarter earnings that ended their 2026 fiscal years. Nvidia kept its place at the top of the class, reporting better than projected 73% revenue growth. Net income rose 94% to $42.9 billion. For the full fiscal year, Nvidia had revenue of $216 billion and... It was a tale of two AI cities when Nvidia and Salesforce on Wednesday reported the...