WSJ Tech News Briefing

Plus: Etsy is using AI to personalize experiences for their shoppers. And Tesla delays the launch of its long-awaited Roadster. Anthony Bansie hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The always-on, agreeable nature of chatbots makes them hard-working colleagues—but also, it turns out, friends for adolescents. WSJ’s family and tech columnist, Julie Jargon , joins us to explore how some children are forming emotional attachments to their new artificial friends to the detriment of their real lives. Plus, reporter Micah Maidenberg explains why the space industry has been left want...

Plus: Nearly 19% of working-age people now use AI, per a Microsoft study. And Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook expects continuing inflation pressure from the AI buildout. 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: Nvidia releases software it says can prevent AI agents from going rogue. And Meta Platforms is starting a new business line focused on selling AI tools to enterprise customers. Anthony Bansie hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

You’ve heard about how AI tools could help meet demand for mental-health treatment, as well as some of the risks involved. Several U.S. states have passed laws limiting what these chatbots are able to do, leading to some changes in the industry. Meanwhile, federal regulators are taking a look at the AI therapy space. Today, we’re bringing Tech News Briefing listeners the third and final bonus epis...

Plus: EIG Global Energy Partners plans to raise $225 million for its first geothermal energy fund. And Momenta is poised to gain market share as China continues to adopt advanced driver-assistance systems, a Citi analyst says. 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: Novo Nordisk to pay up to $1.3 billion for Nanexa’s drug delivery technology. And climate-tech venture investors are shifting their focus from climate change and decarbonization to AI and data centers. 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.

Data centers are rapidly expanding across the U.S. as tech companies race to build out the infrastructure needed to power the AI boom. But who is actually working inside of these buildings, and what are they doing? WSJ’s Owen Tucker-Smith joins us to discuss the unique—but vital—jobs that keep our internet operational. Isabelle Bousquette, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal Leadership Institut...

Plus: New York state sues Polymarket. And BlackRock investment portfolios debut on the blockchain as digital tokens. 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: Meta unveils new AI-powered hardware. And Amazon announces a new robotics manufacturing facility in Indiana. 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: Two Anthropic leaders back Pilgrim, a startup developing hardware to detect airborne viruses. And Chinese automaker Geely unveils new EV tech that can charge vehicles in under five minutes. 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: AI biotech firm Enveda doubles valuation to $2 billion. And Finnish drone maker Sensofusion seeks $344 million in Helsinki IPO. 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: Trump rejects international regulation of AI in his U.N. speech. Binance invests $100 million in Circle, expanding their stablecoin partnership. 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: British Columbia is suing OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman for alleged safety violations in the Tumbler Ridge mass school shooting. And Andreessen Horowitz is funding an alternative to college. Anthony Bansie hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Polymarket has struggled with compliance failures, legal challenges, and software blunders, according to current and former employees. WSJ’s Katherine Long shares her exclusive reporting on the prediction markets platform. Plus, WSJ’s Bob Tita explains how landfills operators are starting to experiment with remotely controlled and autonomous bulldozers. Isabelle Bousquette, a reporter for the Wall...

Plus: OpenAI urges Washington to lead global effort to create AI-safety standards. And Accenture shares climb on AI safety partnership with Anthropic. 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: Coinbase Global will allow users to request shares of upcoming initial public offerings. And CNN, MS NOW and Politico are suing the Trump administration after their journalists were barred from the White House. Anthony Bansie hosts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The promise for AI mental-health tools is clear: bringing support to people who need it, when they need it. But these chatbots can come with risks. How do they respond when someone is in crisis, or thinking about harming themselves? Today, we’re bringing Tech News Briefing listeners Part 2 of our What’s News special series “The AI Therapist.” Host Alex Ossola digs into the guardrails that companie...

Plus: Disney hires Character. AI CEO as entertainment company’s first chief technology officer. And AI startup Manus seeks to raise $500 million and weighs Hong Kong IPO. 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: Hackers used Anthropic’s Claude tools to hack OpenAI. And Coinbase is seeking approval to list perpetual futures. 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.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman once referred to combining ads and AI as “uniquely unsettling.” But now, the tech giant is rapidly building an advertising business. The Journal’s advertising editor Suzanne Vranica dives into OpenAI’s ad rush. Plus, AI voice-cloning tools have gotten so good that they can now replicate accents . WSJ contributor Heidi Mitchell explains why your accent might suddenly be a secu...

Plus: Two senators ask FTC to probe Amazon and Walmart on how chatbots handle “Made in the USA” data. And Costco expands same-day delivery with Uber and DoorDash partnerships. 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: Mastercard and Alchemy are partnering on AI shopping tools. And Nokia partners with Microsoft to offer agentic support for telecommunications 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.

Plus: The House Ways and Means Committee advances bipartisan crypto bill. And ByteDance’s revenue grows but AI spending pressures profits. 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.

Novo Nordisk teams up with Anthropic to speed up drug discovery. And Mistral aims to grow AI consumer base through Mozilla partnership. 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.