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Artificial Intelligence

Open Source AI: A Race Between the US and China

Databricks co-founder Andy Konwinski warns that the U.S. is losing its edge in AI research to China, posing a threat to democracy and U.S. AI labs. He highlights that Chinese AI innovation benefits from government support and open-source practices, fostering broader development.

Konwinski contrasts this with the U.S., where he observes a decline in open scientific exchange, with major AI labs prioritizing proprietary innovations and attracting top talent with high salaries. He advocates for open-source AI to foster innovation and ensure the U.S. remains a leader in the field, emphasizing the importance of freely exchanged ideas.

Artificial Intelligence

OpenAI's Financial Scrutiny Intensifies: Revenue vs. Inference Costs Revealed

Leaked documents reveal insights into OpenAI's financials, particularly its revenue and compute costs. Microsoft received $493.8 million in revenue share payments from OpenAI in 2024, jumping to $865.8 million in the first three quarters of 2025. OpenAI shares 20% of its revenue with Microsoft, but Microsoft also shares revenue with OpenAI from Bing and Azure OpenAI Service. Based on a 20% revenue-share, OpenAI's revenue was at least $2.5 billion in 2024 and $4.33 billion in the first three quarters of 2025. OpenAI may have spent roughly $3.8 billion on inference in 2024, increasing to roughly $8.65 billion in the first nine months of 2025. These numbers suggest OpenAI could be spending more on inference costs than it earns in revenue.

Business and Entertainment

YouTube TV and Disney Resolve Dispute, Restoring Channels

YouTube TV and Disney have reached an agreement, ending a two-week blackout of Disney-owned channels. The deal restores networks like ABC, ESPN, and FX to YouTube TV subscribers.

The agreement also includes making ESPN's new direct-to-consumer service available on YouTube TV at no extra cost. YouTube will have the option to sell select Disney networks and the Disney+/Hulu bundle as part of different packages.

To compensate for the disruption, YouTube TV offered subscribers a $20 credit. This resolution follows a previous renegotiation in 2022 that also involved a brief blackout.

Technology

Data Centers Surge: A Race Between AI Demand and Renewable Energy Solutions

According to the International Energy Agency, global spending on data centers will reach $580 billion this year, surpassing investments in new oil supplies. This shift highlights the growing demand for data centers driven by generative AI and raises concerns about their potential impact on climate change. The surge in data center construction is expected to strain electrical grids, but opportunities exist for renewable energy sources like solar to power these projects. Companies like OpenAI, Meta, and Anthropic are committing significant investments to build data centers. Redwood Materials is exploring the use of recycled EV batteries to create microgrids for AI data centers, potentially alleviating grid pressure. The government's role in supporting these investments through tax credits and infrastructure development is also under consideration. The construction of data centers at this scale may transform landscapes and raise questions about the balance between ambitious plans and actual construction.

Technology

Amazon's Satellite Internet Program Rebrands to 'Leo,' Shifts Focus to Commercial Contracts

Amazon's satellite internet program, previously known as Project Kuiper, has been rebranded as 'Leo,' signaling a shift in focus from serving unserved communities to securing larger commercial contracts. The name change reflects the network's location in low-Earth orbit (LEO).

While Project Kuiper initially emphasized affordability and aimed to provide fast, affordable broadband to underserved communities, recent changes in messaging and partnerships with companies like Airbus and JetBlue suggest a move towards competing with services like SpaceX's Starlink.

The new Leo website highlights the network's capabilities for home and commercial internet service, including seamless video calls and 4K video streaming, with less emphasis on serving rural and remote locations. Despite the rebranding, Amazon claims the mission remains the same.

Business & Technology

Apple Prepares for Potential Post-Tim Cook Era

Apple is reportedly preparing for the possibility of Tim Cook stepping down as CEO, potentially as early as next year. The board and senior executives are considering succession plans after Cook's tenure, which began in 2011 following Steve Jobs' resignation.

John Ternus, Apple’s senior vice president of hardware engineering, is considered a leading candidate to succeed Cook. During Cook's leadership, Apple's market capitalization grew significantly, reaching $4 trillion.

Finance

BNPL Expansion: A Looming Debt Crisis?

Nigel Morris, co-founder of Capital One, warns of a potential economic issue due to the rapid expansion of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services. He notes the increasing use of BNPL for essential purchases like groceries as a sign of financial strain on consumers.

BNPL usage has exploded to 91.5 million users in the U.S., with a significant portion using it for groceries. Default rates are rising, with 42% of BNPL users making late payments in 2025. The lack of reporting to credit bureaus creates 'phantom debt,' obscuring the overall debt picture.

Morris draws parallels to the 2008 mortgage crisis, highlighting concerns like rising unemployment, the end of student loan forbearance, and regulatory rollbacks. He emphasizes that the systemic risk of BNPL lies in its spillover effects on other consumer credit products, as borrowers prioritize BNPL payments over larger debts.

The expansion of BNPL into business-to-business (B2B) lending is also a concern, potentially leading to increased debt accumulation for small businesses. The packaging and selling of BNPL debt, similar to subprime mortgages, raises further alarms. While the AI bubble gets much attention, the BNPL situation is largely overlooked despite its potential to affect vulnerable Americans. Morris urges vigilance to ensure consumer debt does not become unsustainable.

Transportation

Autonomous Vehicle Advancements and Industry Investments

Waymo is expanding its robotaxi service to include freeways in the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, and Los Angeles, aiming to reduce ride times by up to 50% and improve airport access.

Einride, an electric and autonomous truck startup, plans to go public via a SPAC merger, valuing the company at $1.8 billion.

Other funding news includes Forterra raising $238 million for autonomous defense tech, Gopuff securing $250 million, Harbinger raising $160 million for electric trucks, Teradar raising $150 million for solid-state sensors and Vay getting investment from Grab.

Ford is expanding its BlueCruise hands-free driving technology in Europe, and Joby Aviation conducted the first flight of its turbine-electric autonomous VTOL aircraft.

Lyft is partnering with Curb to integrate taxi services into its platform.

Tesla may introduce Apple CarPlay and is dealing with an expanded recall of its Powerwall 2 product.

Toyota is starting production at a new battery plant in North Carolina, with plans for further US investments.

Uber is piloting in-app video recording for drivers in India and introducing Uber Ski for premium customers.

Via reported a $36.9 million loss in its third quarter.

Artificial Intelligence

Luminal Secures $5.3M to Revolutionize GPU Compute with Optimized Code Framework

Luminal, founded by ex-Intel engineer Joe Fioti, addresses software bottlenecks in GPU utilization.

The company secured $5.3 million in seed funding led by Felicis Ventures, with participation from Paul Graham, Guillermo Rauch, and Ben Porterfield.

Luminal focuses on optimizing the compiler between written code and GPU hardware, aiming to improve compute efficiency.

The company's approach competes with Nvidia's CUDA system and emerging inference-optimization startups.

Luminal aims to provide economically valuable, all-purpose optimization solutions, despite competition from major labs optimizing for specific models.