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Art by Clark Miller.
The 1:1
ai

An AI Researcher Tries to Build Good AI While Burning Down the Bad

By Margaux MacColl · March 25, 2023 7:05 AM PDT
In the hours after Margaret Mitchell was fired by Google over email in February 2021, she ran to the bathroom and threw up. “I was just so terrified that I was never going to get a job in tech again, that my name had been scarlet lettered,” she told me over an hourlong Zoom this week, calling from her home outside Seattle. That was... In the hours after Margaret Mitchell was fired by Google over email in February 2021, she ran to...
Art by Clark Miller.
Market Research
e-commerce culture

The Skin-Tech Devices Helping Execs Beautify in a Hurry

By Aja Mangum · March 25, 2023 7:00 AM PDT · 3 comments
I’m always 29 at heart,” said Liyia Wu, CEO of ShopShops, a livestream shopping app for fashion, beauty and lifestyle products. But now that she’s actually over 40, Wu is searching for her fountain of youth. She’s one of the many time-starved executives navigating the crowded beauty tech marketplace, which did an... I’m always 29 at heart,” said Liyia Wu, CEO of ShopShops, a livestream shopping app...
How (and Where) VCs Take Their Coffee
The Weekend
culture ai

How (and Where) VCs Take Their Coffee

By Jon Steinberg · March 25, 2023 7:00 AM PDT
Hi, welcome to your Weekend!We all have our spot: The one cafe within a 5-minute walk (or a 10-minute drive, if you work in L.A.), where you can grab a quick meeting, sidle up to an acquaintance or eavesdrop on a stranger. It’s the kind of place where you feel like you’re being productive, even when you’re really procrastinating. My... Hi, welcome to your Weekend!We all have our spot: The one cafe within a 5-minute walk (or a...
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Photo by Getty
TikTok CEO Keeps His Cool, But Scores Few Points
By Kaya Yurieff · March 23, 2023 4:00 PM PDT
TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew testified on Capitol Hill on Thursday. Photo by Getty
Creator Economy
asia policy

TikTok CEO Keeps His Cool, But Scores Few Points

By Kaya Yurieff · March 23, 2023 4:00 PM PDT
Well, that was something. For roughly five hours on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded to a grilling by representatives from both major political parties who bombarded him with questions and accusations related to national security, TikTok’s data practices, and its Chinese parent company ByteDance’s alleged relationship with the Chinese... Well, that was something. For roughly five hours on Thursday, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew responded...
Art by Mike Sullivan
Exclusive
startups google

Amazon Faces Moment of Truth on Alexa as ChatGPT Steals Its Thunder

By Theo Wayt · March 22, 2023 6:05 AM PDT
At the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, Amazon announced one of its biggest partnerships yet to help make its Alexa voice assistant ubiquitous: a deal with Toyota to integrate Alexa into the auto giant’s cars. “Our vision for Alexa is that she should be everywhere a customer might need her—at home, in the office, on... At the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show, Amazon announced one of its biggest partnerships yet to...
Art by Shane Burke / Dall-E 2.
Opinion
culture

Twitter Used to Make Us Smarter

By Jillian York · March 21, 2023 9:00 AM PDT · 6 comments
A handful of months into Twitter’s new management and it’s clear an era has ended. For the site’s power users, which include academics, journalists and lawmakers, the sudden changes in the social network’s policies, practices and culture have destroyed years of careful network building. What that will cost us in the... A handful of months into Twitter’s new management and it’s clear an era has...
Most popular stories on Culture
Screengrab of Jeremy Achin via YouTube. Art by Mike Sullivan
Exclusive
startups enterprise

DataRobot, a $6 Billion AI Startup, Fired Executives After Complaints About Sexist Culture

By Kevin McLaughlin · Feb. 24, 2022 6:00 AM PST
When the board of directors at artificial intelligence software startup DataRobot pushed out its CEO last March, they did so partly because the executive, Jeremy Achin, feuded with his sales teams and resisted the idea of taking the company public. But board members also hoped a change would foster a more welcoming environment for women,... When the board of directors at artificial intelligence software startup DataRobot pushed out its...
Art by Mike Sullivan.
Parentverse
culture

Dear Parentverse: I Forbid My Middle-Schooler From Using Social Media. How Do I Get Her School to Back Me Up?

By Emily Dreyfuss · Feb. 26, 2022 7:00 AM PST · 6 comments
This isParentverse, The Information Weekend’s advice column for tech-savvy parents.Email us your questions [email protected], if you don’t mind sharing them with your fellow subscribers, post them in the comments below. Dear Parentverse: My 11-year-old daughter has a flip phone for emergencies, but I haven’t let her use a... This isParentverse, The Information Weekend’s advice column for tech-savvy parents.Email us your...
The supplement stacks of 11 founders and investors. Photos courtesy of subjects.
The Big Read
culture

The Supplement Stacks: All the Pills, Powders and Potions Filling Tech’s Kitchen Counters

By Annie Goldsmith and Margaux MacColl · Feb. 3, 2023 9:00 AM PST · 7 comments
When Courtney Reum wakes up in his Los Angeles home, it’s time to freeze, shake and dangle upside down. The co-founder of venture firm M13 takes a dip in his cold plunge—shocking his system awake—before stepping onto his Bulletproof vibration plate, which shakes him, getting his blood flowing. His morning routine crescendos... When Courtney Reum wakes up in his Los Angeles home, it’s time to freeze, shake and dangle...