Author: Jason

  • OpenAI’s viral Studio Ghibli moment highlights AI copyright concerns

    It’s only been a day since ChatGPT’s new AI image generator went live, and social media feeds are already flooded with AI-generated memes in the style of Studio Ghibli, the cult-favorite Japanese animation studio behind blockbuster films such as “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Spirited Away”. In the last 24 hours, we’ve seen AI-generated images representing… Read more

  • Nvidia is reportedly in talks to acquire Lepton AI

    Nvidia is looking to get into the server rental market. The semiconductor giant is reportedly nearing a deal to acquire Lepton AI, a company that rents out servers that are powered by Nvidia’s AI chips, according to The Information. The deal is reportedly worth several hundred million dollars, according to The Information, which cited unnamed… Read more

  • ChatGPT’s new AI image feature is delayed for free users

    OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced on Wednesday that the rollout of ChatGPT’s viral new AI image features to free users would be delayed, citing significantly higher demand than the company expected. “Images in ChatGPT are wayyyy more popular than we expected (and we had pretty high expectations),” Altman said in a post on X on… Read more

  • UnitedHealth removes mentions of DEI from its website

    The health insurance giant is the latest to remove references to diversity, equity and inclusion policies amid mounting pressure from the Trump administration. Read more

  • Island lands $250M in funding at a $4.8B valuation

    Enterprise browser startup Island just raised a sizable funding round — one that bumps up its valuation significantly, and less than one year after its last fundraise. Dallas-based Island raised $250 million in a Series E round led by Coatue that valued the company at $4.85 billion, the startup announced today. This brings the company’s… Read more

  • The Lumon Terminal Pro computer pops up on Apple’s website

    The Lumon Terminal Pro — the computer used in Apple TV’s hit series “Severance” — has appeared on Apple’s retail website. When shopping Apple.com, you’ll see the new device, adorned with a red “New” label, when you click to view the available Mac computers Apple has for sale from the top-level navigation. But sorry, “Severance”… Read more

  • 19 founders and VCs working with Elon Musk’s DOGE

    Silicon Valley used to take a backseat to Washington, D.C. But now, the people disrupting technology have taken the wheel at the highest echelons of government. And that’s thanks, in large part, to the Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE. Much reporting on DOGE has focused on its staffers’ ties to Musk, the billionaire bestie of… Read more

  • OpenAI adopts rival Anthropic’s standard for connecting AI models to data

    OpenAI is embracing rival Anthropic’s standard for connecting AI assistants to the systems where data resides. In a post on X on Wednesday, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said that OpenAI will add support for Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol, or MCP, across its products, including the desktop app for ChatGPT. MCP is an open-source standard that… Read more

  • SpaceX reportedly has a secret backdoor for Chinese investment

    Elon Musk’s rocket company SpaceX has allowed Chinese investors to buy stakes as long as the funds are routed through the Cayman Islands or other offshore hubs, according to reporting from ProPublica.  SpaceX is a defense contractor for the Pentagon, one that handles sensitive work like building a classified spy satellite network. Investment from China… Read more

  • Leaked data exposes a Chinese AI censorship machine

    One academic who reviewed the dataset said it was “clear evidence” that China, or its affiliates, wants to use AI to improve repression. Read more