WSJ Tech News Briefing

Plus: Databricks is raising funds at a $100 billion valuation. The U.K. has reportedly dropped a request to access encrypted data from Apple’s U.S. users. Ariana Aspuru hosts. 

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Tech giants are pouring money into efforts to usher in a new world filled with robot cars, killer drones and solar power. WSJ columnist and Bold Names co-host Tim Higgins walks us through how their investments are making the stuff of science fiction real. And WSJ’s Julie Jargon tells us why the nation’s leading autism advocacy organization is calling for OpenAI to add guardrails to its ChatGPT chatbot. Liz Young hosts.

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Plus: AI tools driving rise in CEO deepfake scams. And Taiwan shares close at a record high. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Advent International to buy U-blox for $1.3 billion. Analysts say CSE Global seems to be laying groundwork for steady data-center growth. Ariana Aspuru hosts.

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Media giants are striking multimillion-dollar licensing deals with AI companies. This could represent a new, lucrative stream of revenue for big publishers such as Reddit and the New York Times. But what about smaller players? This is the second episode of “The New AI Data Trade,” a special two-part series on how AI companies get their data. In this episode, we hear from creators who have licensed their content through AI data brokers such as Troveo. But how much money can small publishers actually make? Coleman Standifer hosts.

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Further Reading

Wall Street Journal, New York Post Sue AI Startup Perplexity, Alleging ‘Massive Freeriding’

For Data-Guzzling AI Companies, the Internet Is Too Small

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Generative AI models such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Google’s Gemini need data, and the content creators supplying that data want to get paid. This is the first episode of “The New AI Data Trade,” a special two-part series diving into how data makes its way from a publisher or creator to be used by an AI model, and the conflicts that have arisen along the way. In this first episode, we explore how publishers have grown concerned over web scraping. This has led to lawsuits, with publishers such as Reddit, the New York Times and New Corp.’s Dow Jones suing to protect their data. Meanwhile, companies like Cloudflare are making it harder for AI companies to access data from publishers for free. This has opened the door for data-usage deals through startups such as Troveo. Coleman Standifer hosts.

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Further Reading

Reddit Sues Anthropic, Alleges Unauthorized Use of Site’s Data 

The AI Scraping Fight That Could Change the Future of the Web 

Amazon to Pay New York Times at Least $20 Million a Year in AI Deal 

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Plus: Shares of Ukrainian telecommunications company Kyivstar fall on their Nasdaq listing debut. And the world’s first humanoid robot games begin in China. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Cognition has secured about $500 million to advance AI code-generation business. Rivian says it faces a $100 million hole after the Trump administration relaxed fuel economy rules. Ariana Aspuru hosts.

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Apple’s long-time focus on user privacy has slowed them down in the AI race, as its competitors eat up vast amounts of data to offer super personalized tools. The Journal’s Tim Higgins joins us to break down the tech giant’s latest efforts. Plus, the new way to win in tech is to build. WSJ columnist Christopher Mims says tech giants are entering an “age of infrastructure.” Peter Champelli hosts.

Tim Higgins and Christopher Mims co-host WSJ’s Bold Names podcast.

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Plus: “Buy now, pay later” company Klarna posts revenue growth. And Tencent’s second quarter revenue growth shows investments in artificial intelligence have paid off, according to analysts. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Lenovo’s CEO says tariff angst has calmed. AI hardware sales lead Foxconn’s profit. Ariana Aspuru hosts. 

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Plus: New York AG picks up lawsuit against Zelle that was abandoned by the Trump administration. And OpenAI CEO Sam Altman responds to criticisms of GPT-5. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Tencent Holdings posts faster-than-expected profit growth. Elon Musk says Apple is engaging in anticompetitive behavior in its App Store rankings. Ariana Aspuru hosts. 

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Plus: AI startup Perplexity makes unsolicited $34.5 billion offer to buy Google’s Chrome browser. And disgraced crypto entrepreneur Do Kwon pleads guilty to fraud over crypto crash. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: General Catalyst will lead a $74 million investment in Titan for IT services powered by AI. General Electric and United Nuclear agree on cleanup of uranium mine waste. Ariana Aspuru hosts. 

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President Trump has proposed sweeping tariffs on chips, while offering an exemption: companies that invest in manufacturing in the U.S. won’t have to pay. It’s an attempt to incentivize more chip production in the U.S., but WSJ Heard on the Street writer Asa Fitch notes that key chip-making companies already have invested in U.S. factories. Plus, Disney is in a difficult bind when it comes to AI. The WSJ’s Jessica Toonkel takes us inside the company’s thinking. Peter Champelli hosts.

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Plus: Ford announces plans to overhaul Kentucky factory to launch $30,000 electric pickup. And Chinese battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology suspends major mining project. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan to visit the White House today. And video-sharing site Rumble plans to buy AI cloud-computing group Northern Data. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Lyft bets on robotaxis. And battery startup Lyten buys bankrupt Northvolt’s remaining European assets. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: SMIC says U.S. tariffs should continue to have a limited impact on the chip maker. And Meta settles a defamation lawsuit. Meanwhile, its new AI team is now called TBD Lab. Julie Chang hosts.

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Apple CEO Tim Cook kicked off a plan to manufacture iPhones in India years ago. It was one of a series of savvy moves, along with a newly announced $100 billion U.S. investment, that have helped the company avoid President Trump’s recent tariff threats. WSJ South Asia bureau chief Tripti Lahiri joins us to discuss Apple’s plans. Plus, should you spy on your child’s phone? WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon makes the case for snooping. Belle Lin hosts.

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Plus: Space company Firefly Aerospace goes public. And General Motors plans to import batteries from China despite steep tariffs. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: President Trump imposes roughly 100% tariffs on chips coming to the U.S. The EU says its exports of chips to the U.S. will face a 15% tariff ceiling. SoftBank posts quarterly profit. Ariana Aspuru hosts. 

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Plus: FTC moves to block Edwards Lifesciences acquisition of JenaValve Technology. And North Korea expands satellite launch site. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Shopify, Disney, Uber and Siemens Energy report strong second-quarter earnings. And Apple may soon announce an investment in the U.S., according to National Economic Council director Kevin Hassett. Ariana Aspuru hosts.

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Plus: Linda Yaccarino, former CEO of X, lands at eMed Population Health. And NASA’s acting administrator Sean Duffy directs the agency to support more private space stations. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: German chip maker Infineon Technologies lifts its guidance as semiconductor demand picks up. Three people are arrested over the suspected theft of TSMC’s trade secrets. Ariana Aspuru hosts. 

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AI chatbots have a tendency to flatter users—a term called AI “sycophancy.” And while it feels good, you may pay a high price for that praise. Malihe Alikhani, an assistant professor of AI at Northeastern University’s Khoury College of Computer Sciences, joins us to explain the risks. Plus, should you keep your digital secrets in a digital safe? Belle Lin hosts.

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Plus: U.S. bid to compete in AI with China faces first trial. Tesla stock rises after CEO Elon Musk gets multibillion-dollar stock award. And Spotify to increase premium subscription prices in regions around the globe. Julie Chang hosts.

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Plus: Foxconn to convert EV plant to make AI hardware. Joby Aviation will acquire Blade Air Mobility unit for up to $125 million. Ariana Aspuru hosts.

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Plus: Apple said it would substantially increase capital expenditures. Palantir was awarded a $10 billion dollar, 10-year federal contract. Ariana Aspuru hosts.

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