Tech Brew Ride Home

Sebastian Malaby, British journalist and author of The Infinity Machine, traces Demis Hassabis from prodigy to scientist-founder. They get into DeepMind’s bold early funding story, why games like Atari and Go became AI proving grounds, the Google vs. Facebook battle, the scramble after ChatGPT, and the high-stakes race toward AGI.

SpaceX quietly lines up a blockbuster IPO that could kick off a huge year for tech listings. Oracle and the broader industry face more job cuts as AI spending reshapes priorities. Microsoft starts building more of its own AI models, while Alibaba leans harder into proprietary AI. There’s also a wild look at a billion-dollar company run by just two people.

OpenAI lands a massive funding round while investors start eyeing a rival. A leaked Claude codebase puts Anthropic’s AI agent plans and secret tooling in the spotlight. In China, a robotaxi shutdown strands riders and clogs roads. And Gmail users may finally get a shot at ditching that cringe old username.

Tensions rise as Iran threatens US tech firms and cyber risks expand across the Middle East. Meta rolls out pricier smart glasses with more customization. A leak reveals the inner workings of Claude Code. Starlink satellites are mysteriously breaking apart in orbit. Plus, Whoop quietly flexes its growing power in wearables.

AI demand spikes, tighter usage caps, and whispers of pricier frontier models set the tone. There’s also a wild look at making GPT and Claude challenge each other. Then things get even stranger with startups chasing data centers in space. And finally, a sci-fi movie victory gives Amazon a major box office moment.

An AI model leak sparks talk of a major capability leap and insider IPO buzz. Apple may let Siri route requests to rival assistants in iOS 27. OpenAI’s ad pilot is already hitting serious revenue milestones. Sony is raising PS5 prices and the gaming industry feels the ripple effects. Musk is reportedly planning a retail-friendly approach for a SpaceX IPO.

A landmark court ruling finds major platforms liable in a social media addiction suit and explores whether tech faces a ‘Big Tobacco’ moment. Wikipedia moves to ban AI-written articles. GitHub will train models on user interactions unless users opt out. Google unveils TurboQuant, a new approach to shrink AI memory needs. Nintendo announces higher US pricing for physical Switch 2 games.

OpenAI shutters its Sora video push as it pivots focus to enterprise and coding. Meta faces a $375M civil verdict and regulatory hurdles as China probes a big acquisition and restricts founders. The Supreme Court limits ISP liability in piracy cases. Big raises land for vertical AI players like Granola and Harvey, signaling renewed investor appetite.

A new US ban targets foreign-made home routers over security worries. AI can now take control of your computer and automate tasks remotely. Big shakeups hit gaming with mass layoffs and major production cuts. Prediction markets are tightening rules to curb insider trading and conflicts of interest.

Mark Zuckerberg building a personal AI agent to speed executive work. Inside looks at Meta’s internal agent tools reshaping team workflows. OpenAI recruiting ad leadership as ad strategies evolve. Samsung adding AirDrop-style sharing with Galaxy S26. A jury finds Elon Musk misled investors. Reports on heavy AI usage and rapid agent-driven experiments.