Tech News Briefing

Alphabet chief scientist Demis Hassabis has been discussing the formation of an independent AI safety entity with AI lab peers and government officials. WSJ reporter Amrith Ramkumar takes us inside those conversations, and what the move means for Google. Plus, meet the datamaxxers who are feeding AI chatbots their every health move. WSJ reporter Natalie Kaufman discusses the trend. Belle Lin, a re...

Plus: surveillance-tech company Flock Safety announces safeguards to curb potential abuse by law enforcement. And China’s future economy may need far fewer workers. Julie Chang hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: the AI boom boosted Cisco’s quarterly profits. And Lenovo is on track to hit its annual revenue goal ahead of schedule. Danny Lewis hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Foxconn to ramp up global AI server production. And Tencent Holdings’ AI spending ends its earnings growth streak. Julie Chang hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: European vibe-coding startup Lovable notches $13 billion valuation. And rust-powered battery maker Form Energy raises $750 million to boost manufacturing. Danny Lewis hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Rocket Lab’s Neutron vehicle may not be ready to launch this year. And longtime OpenAI executive Brad Lightcap steps down. Julie Chang hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Anthropic is meeting with potential investors ahead of its planned IPO. And Intel is increasing its stock offering to raise $20 billion. Danny Lewis hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

If you can’t score a restaurant reservation, you’re not alone. A flurry of dealmaking among reservation apps and credit cards, as well as a booming industry of middlemen, has made it impossible to snag a table. WSJ reporter Heather Haddon explains why. Plus, electric vehicle owners aren’t staying loyal to their battery-powered cars. WSJ’s Ellie Davis joins us to discuss why EV drivers are changing...

Plus: fintech startup Revolut secures French banking license to expand European operations. And Apple may keep price hikes minimal for its coming iPhone 18 Pro despite production cost increases. Julie Chang hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Boeing is selling its flying-taxi venture to Archer Aviation. And the Iran war has been a boon for Chinese EV companies. Danny Lewis hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Generative AI tools are rapidly evolving, filling social-media platforms with so-called AI slop—from Iranian-produced Lego videos to digitally manipulated campaign imagery in the U.S. In this second installment of Tech News Briefing’s three-part series, "AI and the Blurring of Reality," WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen explores how this technology is turbocharging deepfakes and shaping po...

Plus: Lyft’s bike-sharing business gains momentum. And the data center boom prevented hiring in July from slowing further. Julie Chang hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: SK Hynix plans to invest about $38 billion to expand chip production. And video game company Take Two reports loss despite higher revenue. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

ICE is on a mission to track down people it considers a threat to its agents and operations. It’s turning to social media to find them, concerning free-speech advocates in the process. WSJ reporter Shane Shifflett joins to explain how the federal agency is weaponizing social media. Plus, would you outsource your dating life to AI? WSJ’s Molly Reinmann has been reporting on the varying success of t...

Plus: Redwire taps SpaceX’s Starfall ship for pharma mission. And Datadog warns of lower usage by major AI customer. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Meta discloses one of its AI models went rogue. And SoftBank uses its OpenAI stake to fund a $10 billion loan. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Uber issues weak guidance amid robotaxi investments. And Shopify says AI-search is fueling e-commerce growth. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: a U.K. government-backed research institute finds AI models went rogue during routine tests. And new White House AI guidelines exempt U.S. open models from government review. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

 Plus: the World Bank says developing economies have more to gain and less to lose from AI. And New Jersey sues Amazon for allegedly suppressing delivery wages. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: Wells Fargo plans to roll out tokenized deposit service for corporate clients. And Anduril considers shipyard investment to build drone boats. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX’s on Tuesday will report its first quarterly earnings as a public company. In the wake of the company’s post-IPO stock drop and Tesla’s negative quarterly cashflow, what can investors expect? WSJ reporter Becky Peterson sets the scene. Plus, WSJ’s Sharon Terlep on the anti-tech automotive movement, and the extreme measures some are taking to avoid features like driving-assistanc...

Plus: nuclear energy startup Valar Atomics closes a $1 billion fundraising round. And Alibaba’s new AI model impresses analysts. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Plus: AstraZeneca and Bristol Myers Squibb shares swing on reports of a potential tie up. And Nissan reports its first quarterly profit in two years. Imani Moise hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

As more AI-generated images and sounds fill our screens, our sense of reality is being distorted. In a special three-part series of Tech News Briefing, WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen sits down with researchers, content creators and an AI character to ask how AI is changing our perceptions. This is episode one of TNB’s “AI and the Blurring of Reality.” Sign up for the WSJ's free Technolo...

Plus: OpenAI surpasses one billion active users after cutting prices. And Sony Group raises guidance after profit jumps more than expected. Julie Chang hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.