Tech Brew Ride Home

In this conversation, Bradley Tusk discusses his unique career at the intersection of politics and technology. He shares insights from his early experiences in New York City politics, his time working with Senator Schumer, and his role as Deputy Governor of Illinois. Tusk reflects on the Bloomberg campaign during the financial crisis and how he merged political strategies with business through Tus...

China continues to show signs that it might not need American AI chips much longer. A weird story about that big recent Tesla trial ruling. Look, AI being too much of a sycophant is clearly becoming a big problem. And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Alibaba Creates AI Chip to Help China Fill Nvidia Void (WSJ) Tesla said it didn’t have key data in a fatal crash. Then a hacker...

Nvidia’s earnings are ok, but maybe showing signs of normalizing. Copilot for your TV. A blockchain for your cloud. I catch you up on that whole Nano Banana image AI craze sweeping the internet. And a summary of the Pixel phone reviews. Links: Nvidia beats on top and bottom lines as company expects breakneck AI spend to continue (CNBC) Microsoft expands Xbox Cloud Gaming to Game Pass Core and Stan...

A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against OpenAI. The continuing saga of what the heck is going on over at Meta AI? Is “vibe hacking” the big new threat we need to be worried about? Anthropic had to settle because it was afraid it would be sued out of existence. And when the iPhone event is gonna happen. Links: OpenAI Plans to Update ChatGPT After Parents Sue Over Teen’s Suicide (Bloomberg)...

Elon Musk is taking his beef with Sam Altman AND Tim Apple to court. The Trump administration could sanction EU officials over the Digital Services Act. Spotify has added DMs. And Ben Thompson’s deep analysis of the whole Intel situation. Links: Elon Musk's xAI sues Apple and OpenAI over AI competition, App Store rankings (Reuters) Exclusive: Trump administration weighs sanctions on officials impl...

The government has indeed taken a stake in Intel. Apple might turn to Google to save Siri. Meta turns to Midjourney. Perplexity wants to cut publishers in on the action. And how DHL is using AI to shore up a workforce that is aging out. Links: Trump, Intel Agree to 10% U.S. Stake as President Promises More Deals (NYTimes) Apple Explores Using Google Gemini AI to Power Revamped Siri (Bloomberg) Met...

We talked recently about how Nvidia wasn’t home free in China just yet, and low and behold, they’re stopping H20 chip production over Chinese concerns. Did Elon Musk talk to Mark Zuckerberg about buying OpenAI together? And of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Nvidia Orders Halt to H20 Production After China Directive Against Purchases (The Information) Meta Signs $10 Billion-Plus...

What is going on at Meta AI story number 77. A deeper look at that new chip that Google unveiled with the Pixel phones yesterday and what that could suggest for Google’s hardware strategy. And an interesting startup that is making AI smartglasses happen now. Links: Meta Freezes AI Hiring After Blockbuster Spending Spree (WSJ) Suddenly, Silicon Valley Is Lowering AI Expectations (NYMag) Google did...

All the headlines from the Made By Google event where we saw the new Pixel 10 lineup and the 4th gen Pixel Watch. We have a release date for those new Xbox handhelds. More seeming chaos at Meta’s AI headquarters. And a report back from the first ever AI film festival. Links: The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold is the first fully dust-resistant foldable (The Verge) Pixel 10 Pro and Pro XL are all about up...

Masa Son is investing $2B into Intel, and the Uncle Sam might join in as well. Small AI models continue to have a moment. Chamath is reentering the arena with a new SPAC. The Texas AG is investigating AI chatbots. And does GPT-5 prove that we’ve hit an AI ceiling, even if only temporarily? Links: ⁠Intel is getting a $2 billion investment from SoftBank⁠ (CNBC) ⁠Nvidia releases a new small, open mod...

Meta is readying smartglasses with a display, but also, a look at their theoretical and prototype roadmap for the future of headware hardware generally. Is all the money in the world not actually going to get Zuck what he wants in AI? And is the acquihire in all but name trend of recent months breaking Silicon Valley’s fundamental business model? Links: Apple’s Vision Pro Is Suffering From a Lack...

Will the US government take a stake in Intel? Why was Meta letting spicy conversation happen with their AI bots? What does it mean if Foxconn’s AI business is now bigger than its gadget assembly business? And of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: Trump Administration Said to Discuss Taking Stake in Intel (Bloomberg) Meta’s AI rules have let bots hold ‘sensual’ chats with kids, offer...

New York is suing Zelle. Another IPO pop has me raising my eyebrows. Maybe Perplexity really was serious, at least about getting a browser. Does Apple want to make basically that Pixar lamp? And AI has so broken the hiring process that some companies are resorting again to in-person interviews. Links: New York sues Zelle, says security lapses led to $1 billion consumer fraud losses (Reuters) Crypt...

Perplexity offers to acquire Chrome, but how serious are they? Fine, says OpenAI, have your GPT-4o back. Are AI companions the next breakout AI business beyond coding help? And is GM getting back in the self-driving car business for real this time? Links: Perplexity Makes Longshot $34.5 Billion Offer for Chrome (WSJ) OpenAI brings GPT-4o back as a default for all paying ChatGPT users, Altman promi...

Elon says he might take legal action against Apple, but it’s probably his beef with Sam Altman rearing its head once again. A long piece looking at how Jenson won in China, though also, HAS he won WITH China… yet? And is the race to the bottom in AI pricing happening already? Links: Musk says xAI to take legal action against Apple over App Store rankings (Reuters) Tech giants Apple and Google lose...

Nvidia and AMD are paying the US government 15% of revenue to sell AI chips to China. Remember how with GPT-5, they took away the old models? Well, the old models are back. Some critical analysis of the whole GPT-5 moment. And you know what is finally never coming back? AOL dialup internet. Links: Nvidia and AMD to pay 15% of China chip sale revenues to US government (FT) Trump Bid for Cut of Chip...

I spoke with the great Paul Kedrosky to discuss the significant impact of AI capital expenditure (CapEx) on the economy, exploring how it contributes to GDP growth and the implications of this spending. Qw delve into the rapid growth of AI-related investments, the short lifespan of data centers, and the potential risks associated with this economic phenomenon. 00:00 The Impact of AI Capital Expend...

Tracking the fallout and implications from GPT-5’s rollout yesterday. Why is Google’s AI chatbot filled with self-loathing and recrimination? Are President Trump’s comments just the latest worry for the CEO of Intel? Are those AI coding companies actually making any money? And, of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Links: GPT-5: Key characteristics, pricing and model card (Simon Willison)...

All the news around the big unveiling of GPT-5. President Trump calls on the CEO of Intel to “resign immediately.” Also, the threat of 100% tariffs on chips and semiconductors. But Apple gets a pass because they’re committing to building more in the US. Links: GPT-5 is being released to all ChatGPT users (The Verge) OpenAI Unveils GPT-5, Its Latest and Most Powerful Model, After Two-Year Wait (WSJ...

Disney is making big streaming moves with the new ESPN app and a revamp to Hulu. Then, it’s all basically AI announces. OpenAI’s new open-weight models. Grok’s new spiciness is already generating nudity. A new AI model to identify malicious software autonomously. And Nvidia wants you to know: no back-doors! Links: ESPN flagship streaming service to launch Aug. 21 (CNBC) Hulu App to Be Phased Out a...

TSMC has fired employees for allegedly attempting to pilfer information on their 2nm tech. Figma could have raised more money in its IPO but chose not to. Creating entire video game worlds with just a text prompt. And exactly how big Patreon has grown in the creator economy. 00:32 TSMC Spygate 02:50 Cloudflare V. Perplexity 04:52 Figma Followup 07:35 Music AI 09:53 New Google Models 14:58 Patreon...

Robotaxies are coming to Europe. Apple wants Answers. Literally. The AI researcher who turned down a billion and a half dollars. How the vibe seems to have definitively shifted in Silicon Valley. And will rollable laptop screens become mainstream? 00:33 Robotaxis In Europe 02:12 Apple Wants Answers 03:57 Lina Khan 05:54 Billion Dollar Turn-Down 07:54 AI Trading Bots 10:25 The Silicon Valley Boom I...

Well, it looks like Tech IPO’s might be back on the menu because Figma’s first day pop was like the good old days. Anthropic seems to be getting traction, OpenAI raises again. Earnings from Apple and Amazon, and of course, the Weekend Longreads Suggestions. Chapters: 00:33 Figma IPO 04:57 Anthropic And Open AI Numbers 08:45 New Deep Think Model 11:08 Tech Earnings Omnibus 14:35 Longreads Links: Fi...

Microsoft and Meta earnings suggest AI is paying off so far, at least for the big guys. Has OpenAI’s revenues tripled so far in 2025? Devs are using AI more than ever, but that doesn’t mean they trust it. And at the end of the show, as promised, the huge podcast announcement. Links: Microsoft officially tops $4 trillion in market cap, joining Nvidia in exclusive club (CNBC) Investors Cheer an A.I....

Age verification for web users is sweeping the globe. ChatGPT debuts a study mode for students. What, exactly is Zuckerberg trying to achieve by hiring everyone in AI? Maybe Cohere is the real dark horse in the AI model race. And what if the real money in AI video is in training robots? Links: YouTube rolls out age-estimation tech to identify US teens and apply additional protections (TechCrunch)...