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Google CEO Sundar Pichai speaking at Stanford University in April. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images.

Google Struggles to Lessen Reliance on Apple Safari

By Jon Victor · Jul 5, 2024 6:00am PDT · 7 comments

Sometime in the next few months, a judge is expected to rule on the U.S. Department of Justice’s antitrust lawsuit against Google over its dominance of internet search. One of the biggest risks Google faces is the possibility that the judge will end the agreement making Google the default search engine on Apple’s Safari app for... Sometime in the next few months, a judge is expected to rule on the U.S. Department of...

Masayoshi Son, chairman and CEO of SoftBank. Photo by Toru Hanai/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

SoftBank’s $10 Billion-Plus Plan to Get Into the AI Race Centers on Power and Chips

By Juro Osawa and Kate Clark · Jul 4, 2024 6:00am PDT · 3 comments

The next phase of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son’s plan to make the company a leader in artificial intelligence is coming into focus. And it is complicated—and potentially costly. SoftBank has recently talked with banks about borrowing money to fund investment of up to $10 billion in energy-related projects, where AI is driving an... The next phase of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son’s plan to make the company a leader in...

Cristóbal Valenzuela, CEO of Runway, at The Information's Private Capital Conference in April. Photo by Nicole Pereira.

Runway, an AI Video Startup, in Talks With General Atlantic for $4 Billion–Valuation Fundraise

By Stephanie Palazzolo · Jul 2, 2024 11:48am PDT

Runway, already the best funded among a cluster of startups developing artificial intelligence software to generate videos for Hollywood and more amateur filmmakers, is trying to strengthen that lead with a new round of financing. The firm is in talks with investors to raise $450 million at about a $4 billion valuation, according to a person... Runway, already the best funded among a cluster of startups developing artificial intelligence...

From left: Court Coursey, Eric Schmidt and Derek Rundell. Photos by Getty.

Eric Schmidt’s Split With Advisor Reveals Complex Deals With Ex-Girlfriends

By Michael Roddan and Cory Weinberg · Jul 2, 2024 6:00am PDT · 9 comments

From left: Court Coursey, Eric Schmidt and Derek Rundell. Photos by Getty.

Eric Schmidt’s Split With Advisor Reveals Complex Deals With Ex-Girlfriends

By Michael Roddan and Cory Weinberg · Jul 2, 2024 6:00am PDT · 9 comments

As résumés go, Derek Rundell’s is a doozy. The self-described serial entrepreneur briefly worked as a consultant for Michael Jackson, the late pop star, and he wrote, directed and acted in “Zombie Sitter,” a low-budget movie about a preteen navigating a post-apocalyptic world following a meteor shower that has... As résumés go, Derek Rundell’s is a doozy. The self-described serial...

Noam Shazeer. Photo by Getty.

Character, a Chatbot Pioneer, Mulls Deals With Rivals Google and Meta

By Kalley Huang · Jul 1, 2024 6:00am PDT

A year ago, Character.AI had the wind at its back. Founded by two artificial intelligence pioneers from Google, the startup had launched AI chatbots that offered what its far larger rivals hadn’t yet provided: something fun. Millions of people had signed up for its website and apps, intrigued by the chance to text with facsimiles of anime... A year ago, Character.AI had the wind at its back. Founded by two artificial intelligence...

Photo by Kena Betancur/VIEWpress via Getty.

Amazon’s Bargain Store Would Use Same Trade ‘Loophole’ as Temu, Shein

By Jing Yang and Theo Wayt · Jun 28, 2024 11:41am PDT · 3 comments

Amazon is planning to use the same controversial trade rule as Temu and Shein to import items sold on its upcoming discount section without paying duties, according to a person close to the Amazon team working on the project. While the expected move will help Amazon offer prices that are more competitive with its ascendant rivals,... Amazon is planning to use the same controversial trade rule as Temu and Shein to import items ...

Art by Clark Miller. Maezawa via Getty Images

Behind the Demise of a Quirky Billionaire’s SpaceX Moon Mission

By Becky Peterson · Jun 28, 2024 6:00am PDT

Yusaku Maezawa had just a few requests for SpaceX. In 2018, the Japanese e-commerce billionaire had agreed to pay SpaceX to fly himself and a crew of eight artists around the moon for a first-of-its-kind project called dearMoon. As part of the deal, Maezawa asked SpaceX to customize the interior of the crew capsule of Starship, the 400-foot-tall... Yusaku Maezawa had just a few requests for SpaceX. In 2018, the Japanese e-commerce billionaire...

An iPhone 13 Pro Max Battery Li-ion. Photo by Shutterstock

Apple Explores Novel Method for Making iPhone Batteries More Replaceable

By Qianer Liu and Wayne Ma · Jun 27, 2024 9:00am PDT

An iPhone 13 Pro Max Battery Li-ion. Photo by Shutterstock

Apple Explores Novel Method for Making iPhone Batteries More Replaceable

By Qianer Liu and Wayne Ma · Jun 27, 2024 9:00am PDT

Under pressure from regulators in Europe and elsewhere, Apple in recent years has taken small steps toward making the iPhone easier for consumers to repair. But self-repair remains a cumbersome step for consumers—particularly when it comes to battery replacement. Under a law passed by the European Union last year, phone makers have to... Under pressure from regulators in Europe and elsewhere, Apple in recent years has taken small...

Kuaishou's booth at last year's Shanghai Auto Show. Photo by Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images.

China’s AI Sector Faces Fallout From U.S. Chip Curbs

By Qianer Liu and Juro Osawa · Jun 27, 2024 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

U.S. rules curbing the export of artificial intelligence chips to China are beginning to squeeze the country’s AI industry. And companies ranging from behemoths like Alibaba to rising startups like Moonshot AI are all grappling with the impact. After Chinese online video giant Kuaishou unveiled a test version of Kling, its text-to-video AI... U.S. rules curbing the export of artificial intelligence chips to China are beginning to squeeze...

Sam Altman, left and Satya Nadella. Photos via Getty, art by Mike Sullivan

In a Surprise, OpenAI Is Selling More of Its AI Models Than Microsoft Is

By Aaron Holmes · Jun 27, 2024 6:00am PDT · 4 comments

When Microsoft formed an alliance in 2019 with OpenAI to resell the startup’s artificial intelligence, it brought the reputation, connections and sales muscle to the table that seemed key for winning deals with large customers. Turns out OpenAI itself has gotten pretty good at cutting those deals. The revenue that the startup—best... When Microsoft formed an alliance in 2019 with OpenAI to resell the startup’s artificial...

Animoca Brands animations. Photos via Animoca Brands.

Animoca Brands Looks to Crypto-Friendly Markets for Potential 2025 Listing

By Yueqi Yang · Jun 26, 2024 6:00am PDT

Animoca Brands, a crypto gaming and metaverse conglomerate valued at $6 billion in 2022, is considering a public listing in Hong Kong or the Middle East as early as next year, co-founder and executive chair Yat Siu said. That would mark a return to public markets for the company, more than four years after it delisted from the Australian... Animoca Brands, a crypto gaming and metaverse conglomerate valued at $6 billion in 2022, is...

Xu Zhijun, the rotating chairman of Huawei, introduces the original Ascend 910 chip in 2019 in Shenzhen, China. Photo by Zhang Yang/Huanqiu.com/VCG via Getty Images.

A New U.S. Crackdown Is Crippling China’s Best Hope to Rival Nvidia

By Qianer Liu and Amir Efrati · Jun 25, 2024 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

Xu Zhijun, the rotating chairman of Huawei, introduces the original Ascend 910 chip in 2019 in Shenzhen, China. Photo by Zhang Yang/Huanqiu.com/VCG via Getty Images.

A New U.S. Crackdown Is Crippling China’s Best Hope to Rival Nvidia

By Qianer Liu and Amir Efrati · Jun 25, 2024 8:00am PDT · 1 comment

The Biden administration has suddenly imperiled China’s ability to produce alternatives to Nvidia’s artificial intelligence chips. Officials at the U.S. Commerce Department in recent months have pressured American chip equipment makers and their suppliers to stop selling to Huawei Technologies, China’s top chip designer, and to... The Biden administration has suddenly imperiled China’s ability to produce alternatives to...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Why a $14 Billion Startup Is Now Hiring PhD’s to Train AI From Their Living Rooms

By Cory Weinberg · Jun 25, 2024 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

Matt Mattingly sold the bed-and-breakfast inn he owned in southern Maine several years ago and was trying to “figure out what I want to be when I grow up.” This year, after looking for a remote job that would put his communications Ph.D. to use, he responded to an online ad looking for people to train artificial intelligence models... Matt Mattingly sold the bed-and-breakfast inn he owned in southern Maine several years ago and...

Photo by Kyle Grillot/Bloomberg via Getty Images.

Anduril Nears $12.5 Billion-Valuation Round Led by Founders Fund, Sands Capital

By Natasha Mascarenhas · Jun 24, 2024 6:04pm PDT

Anduril has lined up backers for one of the biggest venture deals this year. The defense startup is close to finalizing a $1.5 billion investment co-led by Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, according to two people involved in the deal. Sands Capital, known for investments just before public offerings, is co-leading the deal as a new... Anduril has lined up backers for one of the biggest venture deals this year. The defense startup...

Art by Mike Sullivan.

Google Develops Challenger to Meta’s Chatbots and Character.AI

By Julia Hornstein and Jon Victor · Jun 24, 2024 2:54pm PDT · 1 comment

Google wants chatbots that people can hang with—not just pelt with questions. The search engine giant has been developing a product for creating and conversing with customizable chatbots, which could be modeled on celebrities or made by users, two people with direct knowledge of the project said. The bots would be similar to the online... Google wants chatbots that people can hang with—not just pelt with questions. The search...

Art by Mike Sullivan

Apple Aims to Cut Headcount on Some iPhone Assembly Lines by Up to 50%

By Wayne Ma · Jun 24, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

Art by Mike Sullivan

Apple Aims to Cut Headcount on Some iPhone Assembly Lines by Up to 50%

By Wayne Ma · Jun 24, 2024 6:00am PDT · 1 comment

It was the kind of incident Apple executives never want to repeat. In November 2022, at a factory in Zhengzhou, China—the largest plant in the world for making iPhones—police officers in white hazmat suits beat factory workers, who had begun protesting over strict Covid-19 lockdowns and disputes over pay. Video of the episode, which... It was the kind of incident Apple executives never want to repeat. In November 2022, at a factory...

Incoming Stability AI CEO, Prem Akkaraju. Photo via Stability AI.

Stability AI Gets New CEO and a Bailout From Investor Group Led By Sean Parker

By Stephanie Palazzolo and Natasha Mascarenhas · Jun 21, 2024 11:39am PDT · 2 comments

Stability AI, a startup that rode the boom in generative artificial intelligence to a $1 billion valuation before experiencing financial trouble and employee defections, has a new CEO. Prem Akkaraju, former CEO of visual effects company Weta Digital, will step into the role, according to a person involved in the decision. The 51-year-old... Stability AI, a startup that rode the boom in generative artificial intelligence to a $1 billion...

Cerebras’ third-generation wafer-scale engine (WSE-3). Photo via Cerebras.

Cerebras, an Nvidia Challenger, Files for IPO Confidentially

By Natasha Mascarenhas and Stephanie Palazzolo · Jun 20, 2024 4:08pm PDT

Cerebras, a developer of artificial intelligence chips that’s trying to wrestle business from Nvidia, has filed confidentially with securities regulators for an initial public offering, according to a person involved in the decision. The startup has also notified Delaware, the state in which it is incorporated, that it is creating... Cerebras, a developer of artificial intelligence chips that’s trying to wrestle business...

Mubadala's Ibrahim Ajami. Photos via Flickr and Getty Images. Art by Shane Burke.

A Middle East Dealmaker Fights for Credibility in Silicon Valley

By Kate Clark · Jun 20, 2024 6:00am PDT · 2 comments

In March, a group of VIPs piled into Qasr Al Sarab, a luxury resort two hours’ drive from Abu Dhabi, for an invite-only event co-hosted by Mubadala Investment Co., a $300 billion sovereign wealth fund based in the United Arab Emirates. It was the same hotel where, two years earlier, cast members of “Dune: Part Two” had gotten... In March, a group of VIPs piled into Qasr Al Sarab, a luxury resort two hours’ drive from...

Screenshots from Ohai's character roleplay interface.

China’s Top AI Startups Enter U.S., Defying Political Tensions

By Juro Osawa and Qianer Liu · Jun 19, 2024 6:00am PDT

Screenshots from Ohai's character roleplay interface.

China’s Top AI Startups Enter U.S., Defying Political Tensions

By Juro Osawa and Qianer Liu · Jun 19, 2024 6:00am PDT

Chinese tech companies are facing more scrutiny in the U.S. than ever before. Yet some of China’s artificial intelligence startups are making a rush to grab U.S. customers. The reason: it’s too hard to make any money in China. One example is Beijing-based Moonshot AI, one of China’s most valuable AI startups. Its employees have... Chinese tech companies are facing more scrutiny in the U.S. than ever before. Yet some of...