TechCheck

As power-hungry tech companies work to fuel AI data centers, the race for nuclear energy is on. Amazon led a $500 million investment into X-Energy, which develops small modular reactors. We spoke with CEO Clay Sell on what’s behind the nuclear craze. Plus, AI startup Sierra just raised a new $175 million in capital, quadrupling its valuation from January to $4.5 billion. We sit down with co-founde...

Alphabet -owned Waymo just announcing a new $5.6B funding round led by its parent company with participation from investors including Fidelity, a16z, Silver Lake and Tiger Global. The robotaxi service has seen daily rides grow ten-fold in the past year, to more than 100,000 weekly paid trips.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and us...

As AI becomes more mainstream, the debate on how to regulate it is starting to take center stage. Recently OpenAI hired Chris Lehane as its head of global affairs with the goal of having a say in how these policies and regulations are formed. He sat down with Deirdre Bosa for a wide ranging interview about the company’s goals and why we need to think big and act fast. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsW...

Apple CEO Tim Cook is in China for the second time this year, meeting with officials and pledging increased investment as the iPhone-maker faces growing competition and pressure in the world’s largest smartphone market. Local rival Huawei front ran the latest iPhone announcement and is again ahead of the release of Apple Intelligence by releasing upgrades to its Harmony OS system.  Hosted by Simpl...

Would you give AI permission to take over your computer? The startup Anthropic hopes so, unveiling a new "Computer Use" tool that would let its Claude chatbot analyze your computer screen and even act on your behalf, getting control over the cursor, keyboard, browser, calendar and more. It’s the latest move in an escalating battle between megacaps and startups over AI-powered agents, which can hel...

Google shares fell on news of an AI reorganization, announcing it’s moving the Gemini Apps team under DeepMind and shifting a search and ads executive to a Chief Technologist role. But investors might be missing the bigger picture – instead of viewing it as an example that Google is increasingly willing to sacrifice some of its search advantages for an edge in AI.    Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi...

Shares of Uber and Expedia were on the move today’s session after reports that Uber had explored a takeover bid for Expedia. Plus, Google’s realistic AI-generated podcast tool as gone viral, and the company is now unveiling new features to make the product even more customizable. Google Labs Vice president Josh Woodward joined us for a closer look at the technology.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWi...

The mad dash to develop and deploy AI chips is intensifying, with Amazon now inking a new deal with the startup Databricks in which it’ll use Amazon’s custom chips to train its AI model.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A big step this weekend for SpaceX's bid to develop reusable rockets, successfully catching a descending rocket booster on the launch pad with mechanical "chopstick" arms. But officials in California are putting up some hurdles to even more expansion for the startup. Plus, as Florida residents recover from Hurricane Milton, one platform they’re turning to for news and updates is Nextdoor. The soci...

After Tesla’s Robotaxi day, the focus has been on Uber with shares up 8%. But the biggest winner is with the widest lead is actually Alphabet’s Waymo, already delivering 100k+ driverless rides a week. We spoke to riders in San Francisco and skeptics in New York City on their robotaxi hopes and fears.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collectio...

A new report from OpenAI on cyber operations and dangerous actors' use of AI could be a signal that companies are feeling the pressure to take AI-generated misinformation seriously. The 54-page report analyzes more than 20 covert influence operations that used its models to launch deceptive campaigns on social media and other platforms.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.co...

Google’s regulatory headaches continue. A judge, yesterday, ordered the Alphabet-subsidiary to open up its Google Play app store as part of the Epic Games antitrust suit, and today it could face potential remedies in the DOJ's search monopoly trial. Plus, shares of the video game platform Roblox are falling today after the short-seller Hindenburg Research announced a short position, claiming that...

The presidential election is continuing to sow divisions in Silicon Valley. Two giants of the tech industry are now coming out on opposite sides, after Ben Horowitz, co-founder of the VC firm Andreessen Horowitz back-pedaled on his support for Trump while Elon Musk hits the campaign trail.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use o...

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Google recently released a new AI-generated podcast-making tool called NotebookLM – and it’s gone viral on X and in the tech world. We tested it out using CNBC and Wall Street’s favorite study tool: an analyst note. Powered by Google’s most advanced AI model, Gemini 1.5 Pro, could this be the next killer app for generative AI? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for infor...

Nvidia and Accenture announced a partnership today, aiming to set the blueprint for how to begin integrating AI into the workplace and drive productivity gains. But it's not the first time Nvidia has signed a deal like this - and investors are still looking for those gains.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data...

A controversial AI safety bill died on California governor Gavin Newsom’s desk over the weekend  -- a sweeping bill would have been one of the first moves toward real oversight of the nation’s dynamic new technology. But is it already too late for regulation to catch up? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for...

Google has filed a complaint in the EU against its rival Microsoft, accusing it of unfairly locking clients into using its cloud product. But the suit could be just the latest in recently renewed scrutiny against Microsoft after enjoying a more under-the-radar status relative to its big tech counterparts for the last two decades.  Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for i...

In a new threat to Google’s ad dominance, AI search startup Perplexity is in talks with major brands on a new advertising model for sponsored questions. We spoke with the CEO of AI search optimization startup Profound on why it represents a new pillar in marketing: AI visibility. Plus, Sam Altman could be on his way to becoming the biggest power player in Silicon Valley, with new reporting giving...

Shares of Facebook parent company Meta are still hitting fresh all-time highs today. But one potential headwind could be a slowdown in growth at one of its biggest customers, Temu. The Chinese e-commerce app has seen new customer activations stall, according to new data, which could also put Alphabet under pressure.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information ab...

23andMe could get delisted from the Nasdaq after all 7 members of its board resigned this week. CEO Anne Wojcicki is a big name in Silicon Valley but has struggled to find a sustainable business model and shares are 99% off its peak valuation post-SPAC merger. Wojcicki is now hoping to pivot and take the company private by buying back all outstanding shares in what could be seen as a “founders mod...

The AI boom is putting a big strain on America’s energy grid, as big tech companies scramble for more energy capacity by buying up nuclear-powered data centers or investing in renewable energy sources. White House officials convened the leaders of top AI companies to discuss how to move forward, including Nvidia’s CEO Jensen Huang who spoke exclusively to CNBC on the opportunity ahead for public a...

The race to perfect the robotaxi is on. Tesla is prepping for its October 10 self-driving event as Waymo raises industry standards with a brand new safety dashboard, making the case that its vehicles are actually safety than human drivers.   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Funding for AI startups is still white hot. The search startup Glean just announced a new funding round that would double its valuation in just six months, raising $260 million at a $4.6 billion valuation. Plus, shares of Oracle are hitting all-time highs today after posting an earnings beat along with a slew of data center announcements and cloud computing partnerships. Keeping the edge though, c...

Apple’s biggest competition in China, Huawei, is trying to upstage the company with a smartphone event showdown. Its triple-folding phone is unveiling tonight, just a few hours after Apple’s iPhone reveal, and has already racked up more than 3 million pre-orders. Plus, the trial for the Department of Justice’s new case against Google around its advertising technology kicked off today, with potenti...