Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

The Information @theinformation.com · 3h

Reed Jobs and his team worked on investments and philanthropic grants at Emerson Collective before he spun out his own firm, Yosemite. Full story here: https://thein.fo/4mQZ3ax

Can Reed Jobs Be More Than the Son of Steve?

Last month, Reed Jobs was on Capitol Hill meeting with lawmakers and representatives from America’s top hospitals, universities and medical organizations. He came to deliver an impassioned plea: Save ...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 4h

Videogames are proving to be a valuable source of training data for AI world models, which simulate real-world physics and environments. Read: https://thein.fo/3IIid4H

Why OpenAI Offered to Pay $500 Million For A Startup With Videogame Data

Before we get to today’s column, in a sign of how insatiable OpenAI’s appetite for computing power is, the ChatGPT-maker and Nvidia rival Advanced Micro Devices announced a partnership Monday morning ...

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The Information @theinformation.com · 4h

AI Agenda: The new "apps in ChatGPT" feature allows users to access services like Spotify and Zillow directly within the chatbot, a much smoother experience than the prior plugins, which tended to output text-only responses. Learn more: https://thein.fo/4pUueEV

OpenAI’s Walled-Garden Moment

OpenAI on Monday unveiled its biggest-yet effort to bring all of the web’s consumer activities directly into ChatGPT, as it aims to turn the chatbot into a so-called superapp that people can use to co...

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The Information @theinformation.com · 5h

XPeng has licensed its technology to Volkswagen for two new VW-branded electric SUVs in China, with plans to provide its tech for VW's combustion cars in the country as well. This deal validates XPeng as a key tech partner for Western brands. More details: https://thein.fo/4pWMg9g

The Chinese Billionaire Whose Robots and Cars Should Worry Detroit—and Silicon Valley

For years, Chinese billionaire He Xiaopeng has been pegged as an Elon Musk wannabe, and his electric vehicle company, XPeng, as a mere Tesla copycat. And until recently the company seemed laggardly, r...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 6h

A new stablecoin law has shaken up the $300 billion market, allowing new competitors like Stripe and Anchorage Digital to challenge the dominance of Tether and Circle. Full story here: https://thein.fo/3Wg3dyd

New Stablecoin Law Is Spurring Competition and Threatening Profits

In just over two months, the new stablecoin law has upended crypto markets, giving a group of new competitors a chance to wrest control from the industry’s two dominant companies, Tether and Circle. T...

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The Information @theinformation.com · 6h

Watch Now: The Information’s TITV

Is AI profitable?; Agentic employee startup Ema; Silicon Valley’s longevity boom; Frothy market reflections; and MeritFirst’s new hiring process.

Tune in on https://thein.fo/46MY45x or on The Information App.

TITV: Tech News Live Every M–F @ 10a PT / 1p ET

Watch TITV. Today’s breaking tech & finance news featuring exclusive reporting and expert voices from industry insiders. Watch live weekdays at 10a PT / 1p ET, or see our previous recordings.

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 6h

Andreessen Horowitz is leading a $23 million funding round for Relace, a startup developing specialized tools for AI coding agents, CEO Preston Zhou tells The Information. Read: https://thein.fo/4neLB0J

Andreessen Backs a Startup Developing Tools That Coding Agents Use

Countless startups sell tools to software engineers, such as version control systems to track who’s making changes to a codebase, and sandboxes where code can be safely run and tested without affectin...

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The Information @theinformation.com · 7h

Media created with AI is human creativity amplified by transformative technology, deserving of the same legal protections granted to photography and film, writes Runway co-founder Cristóbal Valenzuela. Full story here: https://thein.fo/46X72Nk

AI Creates Art. So We Need to Rethink How Copyright Protects Artists

The history of art is the history of technology. And generally, each time technology has advanced and helped a new medium flourish, the legal system has evolved to support the artists pushing the boun...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 7h

Thomas Tull’s U.S. Innovative Technology Fund is the new lead investor in the latest funding round for Stoke Space, a top contender among new space startups. Learn more: https://thein.fo/4nFIDmE

Space Startup Stoke Nears $2 Billion Valuation in New Financing

Stoke Space, a startup building reusable rockets that are smaller than SpaceX’s, is raising hundreds of millions of dollars in a funding round that would value it at nearly $2 billion, roughly double ...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 8h

With its new Agent Builder, OpenAI is entering closer competition with automation firms like Zapier and cloud providers such as Microsoft and Google, which offer similar agent configuration tools. Full story here: https://thein.fo/4ocKkbm

OpenAI Makes it Easier to Build Agents—and Harder to Switch Models

Over the past year, companies have been tinkering with generative artificial intelligence to create customized agents that automate complex tasks, but they’ve gotten mixed results. Now, OpenAI is push...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 8h

Tesla staff repeatedly talked Elon Musk out of overambitious production goals for the Optimus robot this year, which originally aimed for thousands of units in 2025 before being slashed. Read: https://thein.fo/3IJ2Qcd

As Elon Musk Preps Tesla’s Optimus for Prime Time, Big Hurdles Remain

When Elon Musk takes the stage at Tesla’s annual meeting next month, one of the centerpieces of his plan to impress shareholders will be a dancing troupe of Optimus bots, the humanoid machines that he...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 9h

AI Agenda Exclusive: Andreessen Backs a Startup Developing Tools That Coding Agents Use

Andreessen Horowitz led a $23 million financing of a startup developing tools that AI coding agents, as opposed to human coders, can use.

Read more from @stephpalazzolo.bsky.social 👇
https://thein.fo/4o8mduf

Andreessen Backs a Startup Developing Tools That Coding Agents Use

Countless startups sell tools to software engineers, such as version control systems to track who’s making changes to a codebase, and sandboxes where code can be safely run and tested without affectin...

thein.fo

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The Information @theinformation.com · 9h

Oracle generated around $900 million from Nvidia chip server rentals in the three months that ended in August, recording a gross profit of $125 million, equating to a 14% margin. Read: https://thein.fo/3IYACdy

Internal Oracle Data Show Financial Challenge of Renting Out Nvidia Chips

Oracle became the best-performing megacap stock of 2025 after its executives said last month that the once-sleepy database firm will generate an astonishing $381 billion in revenue from renting out sp...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 10h

New Stablecoin Law Is Spurring Competition and Threatening Profits

The stablecoin law is just two months old, and already it is spurring new competition and threatening profits.

Read more from Yueqi Yang 👇
https://thein.fo/46U1IdF

New Stablecoin Law Is Spurring Competition and Threatening Profits

In just over two months, the new stablecoin law has upended crypto markets, giving a group of new competitors a chance to wrest control from the industry’s two dominant companies, Tether and Circle. T...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 11h

Founders Fund's concentrated AI strategy aligns with Peter Thiel's view that winners in AI must achieve enormous scale quickly. This justifies its recent ~$1 billion investment in OpenAI. Read: https://thein.fo/4nYHaHO

Founders Fund Shifts From Caution to Concentrated Bets on AI

Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund is doubling down on its biggest artificial intelligence bets, embracing a concentrated strategy as rivals spread their bets across a wide swath of startups. Among them are ...

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The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

Space startup Stoke Space is in talks to raise hundreds of millions of dollars in new funding, which would value the company at nearly $2 billion, roughly doubling its last private round. Full story here: https://thein.fo/4nFIDmE

Space Startup Stoke Nears $2 Billion Valuation in New Financing

Stoke Space, a startup building reusable rockets that are smaller than SpaceX’s, is raising hundreds of millions of dollars in a funding round that would value it at nearly $2 billion, roughly double ...

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The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

Cybersecurity startup Snyk’s growth has slowed, with revenue rising 12% in the second quarter. One private equity firm proposed a price below $3 billion, which Snyk rejected. More on Snyk's options: https://thein.fo/46SkWR6

Cybersecurity Startup Snyk Considers Buyout Interest as IPO Plans Stall

Snyk, a startup that sells security tools for developers, seemed like a shoe-in for a lucrative initial public offering a few years ago. Sales were doubling or tripling every year, reaching into the h...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

Current guidance from the U.S. Copyright Office threatens to "unwind over 100 years of legal precedent" by requiring extreme control over AI outputs, argues Runway CEO Cristóbal Valenzuela. Read his opinion: https://thein.fo/46X72Nk

AI Creates Art. So We Need to Rethink How Copyright Protects Artists

The history of art is the history of technology. And generally, each time technology has advanced and helped a new medium flourish, the legal system has evolved to support the artists pushing the boun...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

OpenAI has introduced Agent Builder, a new suite of no-code tools designed to simplify the creation of customized AI agents for tasks like IT support or drafting sales emails. Learn more: https://thein.fo/4ocKkbm

OpenAI Makes it Easier to Build Agents—and Harder to Switch Models

Over the past year, companies have been tinkering with generative artificial intelligence to create customized agents that automate complex tasks, but they’ve gotten mixed results. Now, OpenAI is push...

thein.fo

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The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

The secretive TBD Lab, one of four groups within Meta’s new AI organization, has generated buzz among some researchers but has also turned others away due to a relentless work environment and a five-day-a-week in-office requirement. Learn more: https://thein.fo/4n5Cb7H

A Meta Change on Publishing Research Causes a Stir in Its AI Group

In recent weeks, Meta Platforms made a change to its Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research lab that rubbed members of the group the wrong way: FAIR, as the group is known, would have to undergo...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

The $500 million offer for the videogame data startup Medal would have represented 14% of OpenAI’s revenue last year. Read more: https://thein.fo/3IIid4H

Why OpenAI Offered to Pay $500 Million For A Startup With Videogame Data

Before we get to today’s column, in a sign of how insatiable OpenAI’s appetite for computing power is, the ChatGPT-maker and Nvidia rival Advanced Micro Devices announced a partnership Monday morning ...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

Exclusive: Stoke Space, a startup attempting to launch reusable rockets, is in talks to raise more money at a valuation near $2 billion.

Read more from @CoryWeinberg and @katie_roof 👇
https://thein.fo/4nFIDmE

Space Startup Stoke Nears $2 Billion Valuation in New Financing

Stoke Space, a startup building reusable rockets that are smaller than SpaceX’s, is raising hundreds of millions of dollars in a funding round that would value it at nearly $2 billion, roughly double ...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

Unanswered questions about the TikTok deal, including corporate governance and the precise mechanics of data security, mean the company will likely remain under intense regulatory scrutiny. Read our full report: https://thein.fo/4mPuUsv

Beyond the Ban: The Complex Questions Raised by TikTok’s New Deal

Following the President’s recent executive order, a path has been created for TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. However, the proposed deal is proving to be a highly complex and controversial ar...

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The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

Applied AI: OpenAI Makes it Easier to Build Agents—and Harder to Switch Models

Read more from @aaronpholmes.bsky.social 👇
https://thein.fo/4ocKkbm

OpenAI Makes it Easier to Build Agents—and Harder to Switch Models

Over the past year, companies have been tinkering with generative artificial intelligence to create customized agents that automate complex tasks, but they’ve gotten mixed results. Now, OpenAI is push...

thein.fo

The Information @theinformation.com · 1d

OpenAI is aiming to turn ChatGPT into a "superapp" where users can control other applications, similar to its previous attempt with "ChatGPT plugins," as we report. Full story here: https://thein.fo/4pUueEV

OpenAI’s Walled-Garden Moment

OpenAI on Monday unveiled its biggest-yet effort to bring all of the web’s consumer activities directly into ChatGPT, as it aims to turn the chatbot into a so-called superapp that people can use to co...

thein.fo

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