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Artificial Intelligence

Meta Wins AI Talent War: Poaches OpenAI Researchers Amidst Recruiting Blitz

Meta has successfully poached three OpenAI researchers, Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai, despite Sam Altman's attempts to retain talent. These researchers, who established OpenAI’s Zurich office, have joined Meta’s superintelligence team.
Mark Zuckerberg has been employing aggressive recruiting tactics, including offering substantial compensation packages (reported to be $100+ million) and personally engaging with researchers through WhatsApp and dinners. While Meta secured Scale AI’s CEO Alexandr Wang with a $14 billion investment, efforts to attract OpenAI co-founders Ilya Sutskever and John Schulman have been unsuccessful.

Business & Mentorship

Unlocking Mentorship: Brad Feld's 'Give First' Philosophy for Meaningful Connections

Brad Feld, a veteran entrepreneur and VC, shares his 'Give First' philosophy, emphasizing the importance of contributing without expecting immediate returns. This approach, detailed in his book, fosters meaningful connections and opportunities over time.

Feld highlights the significance of mentorship, advocating for vulnerability and setting boundaries to avoid burnout. He stresses that the best mentors guide rather than control, providing data and hypotheses instead of assertions.

According to Feld, anyone can be a mentor, as the most effective relationships are peer-based, with both parties learning from each other. He also notes that in the current environment, extreme pronouncements have low predictive power, making it crucial to focus on timeless principles.

Feld reflects on stepping back from the traditional venture model, emphasizing the importance of living a meaningful life and focusing on what truly matters.

Technology & Labor

AI Productivity Gains: Sanders Advocates for a 4-Day Workweek

Senator Bernie Sanders proposes that the productivity gains from AI should translate into a reduced workweek for employees, suggesting a 32-hour workweek. He argues that workers should benefit from technology by having more time for family, friends, and personal pursuits, rather than facing job displacement. Sanders cites examples of companies in the UK and elsewhere that have successfully implemented four-day workweeks, maintaining or even increasing revenue. He emphasizes that leveraging technology to benefit workers is not a radical idea and should be a priority.

Finance

Kalshi Secures $185M Funding Amidst Polymarket's Regulatory Challenges

Kalshi has raised $185 million in a funding round led by Paradigm, valuing the company at $2 billion. This news arrives as Polymarket, Kalshi's main competitor, is reportedly seeking $200 million at a $1 billion pre-money valuation, led by Founders Fund. Kalshi is regulated by the CFTC, allowing U.S. residents to use the site freely, while Polymarket faces regulatory hurdles and is banned in the U.S. since 2022. Elon Musk's X has partnered with Polymarket, making it X’s “official” prediction market.

Artificial Intelligence

Creative Commons Launches CC Signals to Foster Open AI Data Sharing

Creative Commons has introduced CC signals, a project aimed at establishing a framework for data sharing in the AI era. This initiative allows dataset holders to specify how their content can be reused for training AI models, balancing internet openness with the growing demand for data.

CC signals seek to provide legal and technical solutions for data sharing between data controllers and AI trainers. This comes as companies adjust their policies regarding AI training on user data. The project aims to prevent data hoarding and paywalls by creating an ethically weighted system, similar to existing CC licenses.

Currently in early development, with designs available on the CC website and GitHub, CC signals plans for an alpha launch in November 2025 and is actively seeking public feedback through town halls.

AI and Cybersecurity

Rubrik Enhances AI Capabilities with Predibase Acquisition

Rubrik has announced its acquisition of Predibase, a startup specializing in open-source AI model customization. This acquisition aims to boost enterprise AI agent adoption by integrating Predibase's capabilities with Rubrik's secure data platforms. The deal's value is estimated between $100 million and $500 million.

Predibase, founded in 2021, has raised over $28 million from investors, and its technology will enable Rubrik users to accelerate AI agent building through platforms like Amazon Bedrock, Azure OpenAI, and Google Agentspace. This move is part of a broader trend where companies are acquiring firms to strengthen their AI technology stacks.

Rubrik, founded in 2014, went public in April 2024 after raising more than $1.6 billion in venture capital. The acquisition of Predibase underscores Rubrik's commitment to simplifying access to secured, governed data for AI applications.

Startups and Funding

Better Auth: Ethiopian Developer Secures $5M for Open-Source Authentication Tool

Bereket Engida, a self-taught programmer from Ethiopia, has developed Better Auth, an open-source authentication framework. The startup recently secured $5 million in seed funding from Peak XV, Y Combinator, and others. Better Auth simplifies user authentication management for developers, offering features like open-source libraries and support for common permissions use cases. The tool has gained traction among developers, especially in AI startups, for its ability to integrate with proprietary APIs and manage tokens securely.

Business & Technology

Intel Gears Down Automotive Division Amid Restructuring

Intel is discontinuing its automotive architecture business and implementing layoffs as part of a broader restructuring effort. The decision, communicated internally on Tuesday, involves winding down the automotive business within the client computing group.

The move comes after Intel made substantial investments in automotive technology, including the acquisition of Mobileye in 2017 for $15.3 billion and Moovit in 2020 for $900 million. Despite showcasing its software-defined vehicle technology at CES 2025 and the Shanghai Auto Show, the division faced a shaky future due to falling sales and a dim outlook.

Earlier this month, Intel announced plans to lay off 15% to 20% of workers in its Intel Foundry division. The company is refocusing on its core client and data center portfolio to strengthen its product offerings.