Did the AI Catastrophe Just Happen? - Week in Tech
How much can we actually trust AI to stay inside the lines? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) on the OpenAI models that went rogue — and why this isn't necessarily a sign of the end times… just sloppy security. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) on the company that wants to help anyone make software to power robots. Do we even have to talk about what that means for the future of human labor? Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on Phoebe Gates' AI shopping startup Phia. Is it too early to call it nepo slop?
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Are You Ready For A ‘Hot Surveillance Summer’? - Week in Tech
Who’s afraid of China’s open-source AI models? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) breaks down the secret battle between Silicon Valley and Chinese AI labs, why Anthropic was surveilling China-based users, and whether "adversarial distillation" is a national security threat or just a term American companies invented to protect their bottom line.
Then: ‘hot surveillance summer’ is here. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on the changing public perception of smart glasses, why the Kylie Jenner partnership was so successful, and where this trend may lead.
Also, Apple is suing OpenAI for allegedly stealing trade secrets.
Additional Reading:
Inside the secret AI war between Silicon Valley and China | The Washington Post
Hot Surveillance Summer, AKA Why Smart Glasses Feel Different This Time | User Mag
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Why Animal Rights Advocates Are Investigating AI Consciousness - Week in Tech
Do chatbots have feelings? Anthropic, Google, and Meta are hiring computer scientists, neuroscientists, and philosophers to find out. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) explains why the search for AI consciousness has gone from fringe theory to Silicon Valley mainstream, and why the answer matters more than you think. Then, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) traveled cross-country to attend an anti-big tech festival in New York City called the Summer of Ludd. She tells us about cleansing her laptop, talking to the event’s puppet spokesperson, and learning what these young organizers hope the future holds. Finally, Reed Albergotti (Semaphor) on what happens when your AI coding agent goes rogue while you're on vacation in the Alps — and the heroic lengths required to reach an actual human at OpenAI.
Additional Reading:
AI Makes Mistakes, Too | Semafor
They built the world's most powerful AI. They're facing a mystery they can't explain. | The Washington Post
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The Pope vs. AI? It’s Complicated - Week in Tech
The Pope called for AI to be "disarmed" — then gave Anthropic a seat on the dais. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) unpacks what the Vatican's landmark intervention means for Silicon Valley. Then, get off Nextdoor, Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) says hyperlocal publications are in vogue and a respite from algorithmic feeds. And finally, an update on last weekend’s Enhanced Games in Las Vegas. Journalist Chris Gayomali, host of the podcast SuperHuman, persevered through the 95-degree heat and d-list Gen Z influencers to witness one world record that almost didn’t happen.
Additional Reading:
Can AI be a ‘child of God’? Inside Anthropic’s meeting with Christian leaders. | The Washington Post
Pope Leo Warns of Risks From A.I. in 42,300-Word Encyclical | The New York Times
Your Friendly Neighborhood Newsletter | The New Yorker
SuperHuman Podcast | Vegas
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Jensen Crashes Trump's China Trip, Elon's Baby Mama Takes the Stand - Week in Tech
This week has it all: geopolitical FOMO, major AI deals, more courtroom drama, and a hacker group that just won't quit. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down why AI tokens are the new oil, and why Anthropic is buying compute straight from SpaceX. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) takes us inside the Elon Musk-OpenAI trial, where Shivon Zilis, aka the “Elon Whisperer” and the mother of four of Musk's children, finally took the stand. And Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dexter Thomas gives insight into how the hacking of education tech platform Canvas could still affect college students, even after Canvas’s parent company says a deal was reached to delete the stolen data.
Additional Reading:
Nvidia CEO joins Trump in China despite ‘awkward’ politics | Semafor
Anthropic-SpaceX compute deal shows how tokens are taking over the economy | Semafor
Shivon Zilis was Elon Musk’s ‘bridge’ to OpenAI. Now she’s entangled in his lawsuit. | The Washington Post
Instructure Pays Ransom to Canvas Hackers | Inside Higher Education
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One Nation United Against Data Centers - Week in Tech
This week: AI regulation, dark money and data center backlash. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) helps decipher how the Trump Administration actually feels about AI oversight and it seems like a reversal of the hands-off approach they’ve taken so far. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) exposes a dark money influencer campaign — one she was personally recruited for — that's paying creators to push pro-American AI, anti-China messaging on behalf of a Big Tech super PAC. And Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the fast-growing, bipartisan movement fighting data center construction in communities across the country. Plus: Sam Altman's leaked texts, 120,000 tech layoffs, and the GPT-5.5 launch party.
Additional Reading:
So Long Jeeves and Ask.com, Relics of Yesterday’s Internet
White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released | The New York Times
A Dark-Money Campaign Is Paying Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as a Threat | WIRED
Inside a growing movement warning AI could turn on humanity | The Washington Post
‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers | The New York Times
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The Trial Where Two Billionaires Could Lose — And Everyone Would Cheer - Week in Tech
This week, some courtroom drama. It’s Elon Musk v. OpenAI the next few weeks and billionaires are taking the stand and opening their diaries — and memories of Burning Man — to scrutiny. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down the legal battle and why Elon Musk believes he’s owed billions since OpenAI went for-profit. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the Pentagon agreement Google was ‘proud’ to sign. But it’s déjà vu for many Google employees, who once again demanded company leadership proceed cautiously. Finally, Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) on the ‘girlboss-ification’ of AI: the coordinated push by major AI companies to win over women, from Anthropic's invite-only influencer supper clubs in New York to Reese Witherspoon's suspiciously enthusiastic (and allegedly unpaid) AI pep talk on Instagram.
Additional Reading:
Shadowboxing Emperors | Semafor
Google workers petition CEO to refuse classified AI work with Pentagon | The Washington Post
Google told staff it is ‘proud’ of Pentagon AI contract after internal backlash | Financial Times
The Girlboss-ification of AI w/ Kat Tenbarge | User Mag
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Is Anthropic's Mythos Model Too Dangerous? - Week in Tech
Why would Anthropic let select companies use a product deemed too dangerous for the public? Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) helps us peek behind the curtain of Claude Mythos Preview and explores the scare tactics of AI CEOs. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) breaks down the world of AI twins — how influencers, agencies, and tech moguls are creating their own digital avatars. And Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) covers the FAA's latest hiring campaign for air traffic controllers: target gamers.
Additional Reading:
US Urges Wall Street Banks to Test Anthropic’s Mythos AI Model | Bloomberg
Mega Influencers Are Replacing Themselves With AI Clones | Vanity Fair
Meta builds AI version of Mark Zuckerberg to interact with staff | Financial Times
To Fill Air Traffic Controller Shortage, F.A.A. Turns to Gamers | The New York Times
Air Traffic Control Hiring: It's Not a Game. It's a Career.
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AI Propaganda Goes Viral - Week in Tech
This week: Iranian propaganda gets a Lego makeover — and it's going viral. Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) tracked down the collective behind the AI-animated videos flooding your feed. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) was in a documentary, The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist, and the press tour feels like ChatGPT doomsday déjà vu. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) celebrates Apple’s 50th birthday, but wonders if the company is entering its Microsoft era. Plus: SpaceX files for IPO — it could be the largest in history.
Additional Reading:
The Team Behind a Pro-Iran, Lego-Themed Viral-Video Campaign | The New Yorker
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Jury Blames Meta and YouTube, Goodbye Sora Videos, Weather Apps That Don't Suck - Week in Tech
The Week in Tech is back with a new roundtable! Every Friday, Oz and three of the best writers covering tech will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.
This week: Big Tech loses in court. Twice. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) breaks down what the verdicts mean for Meta and YouTube and why it seems like we’re living in the past. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) explains why OpenAI killed Sora, its video-generation tool, and what it reveals about the resource war quietly reshaping the entire global economy. Plus, Kyle Chayka (The New Yorker) found a weather app worth caring about. We're as surprised as you are.
Additional Reading:
Verdicts against Meta, YouTube reshape legal protections for Big Tech
A New Cost Crunch | Semafor
Why You Hate Your Weather App | The New Yorker
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Did Anthropic Have the Best Week in Tech?
The Week in Tech is back and it’s growing. Starting this Friday, Oz will be joined by a panel of the brightest minds covering Silicon Valley. Each week, they will discuss the latest news, decode emerging trends and debate what actually matters for the future of technology and for us.
This week, TechStuff asked Taylor Lorenz, Stephen Witt and Nitasha Tiku to share a story. Nitasha catches us up on the drama unfolding between Anthropic and the Pentagon. Stephen covers another tragic case of AI psychosis with fatal consequences. And Taylor makes the case for why 'social media addiction' is a harmful framework — and how age-verification laws could lead to mass surveillance and censorship of adults and children alike.
Additional Reading:
Anthropic Sues Pentagon Over National Security Risk Label - The Washington Post
Gemini Said They Could Only Be Together if He Killed Himself. Soon, He Was Dead. - WSJ
Congress Is Considering Abolishing Your Right to Be Anonymous Online - The Intercept
The world wants to ban children from social media, but there will be grave consequences for us all | Taylor Lorenz | The Guardian
This episode contains mentions of suicide. If you or someone you know needs support, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988, or visit 988lifeline.org.
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