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Techmeme
August 13, 2025, 11:15 AM
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Top News

Doug OLaughlin / SemiAnalysis:
GPT-5's router directs queries based on complexity and intent, helping OpenAI allocate compute across low-value informational and high-value commercial requests  —  To many power users (Pro and Plus), GPT5 was a disappointing release.  But with closer inspection, the real release is focused …
Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch:
OpenAI adds GPT-5 Auto, Fast, and Thinking settings to ChatGPT's model picker; Auto seems to work like GPT-5's model router that OpenAI initially announced  —  When OpenAI launched GPT-5 last week, the company said the model would simplify the ChatGPT experience.
Reuters:
Sources: the US secretly embedded location trackers in select AI chip shipments, such as in Dell and Super Micro servers, to detect illegal diversions to China  —  U.S. authorities have secretly placed location tracking devices in targeted shipments of advanced chips they see as being at high risk …
M.G. Siegler / Spyglass:
Perplexity's unsolicited $34.5B bid for Chrome with claimed VC backing is clearly a marketing stunt and maybe a signal to the judge in Google's antitrust case  —  Perplexity Makes Longshot $34.5 Billion Offer for Chrome  —  With its unsolicited bid for Google's browser …
Katherine Blunt / Wall Street Journal:
Perplexity offers to acquire Chrome for $34.5B, significantly more than Perplexity's estimated $18B valuation, and says large VC funds agreed to back the deal
New York Times:
Sources: US investigators found evidence that Russia is at least partly responsible for the US federal court's filing system being under attack since early July
Derek Thompson:
Studies suggest AI chatbots' sycophantic responses may increase narcissism among young and vulnerable users, potentially changing personality traits at scale  —  “I can imagine a future where a lot of people really trust ChatGPT's advice for their most important decisions,” Sam Altman said.
Financial Times:
Sources: OpenAI is preparing to back Neuralink rival Merge Labs, co-founded by Sam Altman, that aims to raise $250M at an $850M valuation, including from OpenAI  —  OpenAI in talks to invest in brain implant start-up that would compete with Musk's company  —  OpenAI and its co-founder Sam Altman …
Bloomberg:
Amazon says it now offers same-day grocery delivery in 1,000+ cities and plans to bring it to 2,300+ more by the end of 2025; Prime subscribers get it free  —  Amazon.com Inc. plans to offer same-day grocery delivery in 2,300 cities by the end of the year, more than doubling the current number …
Bloomberg:
Crypto exchange Bullish raised $1.1B in its IPO, selling 30M shares for $37 each, above its $32-to-$33 marketed range, implying a $5.4B valuation  —  Bullish raised $1.1 billion in an initial public offering, pricing its shares above the marketed range.  —  The digital-asset exchange operator …
Mark Gurman / @markgurman:
In response to Elon Musk's claims that the App Store favors ChatGPT, Apple says that it “is designed to be fair and free of bias” and has “objective criteria”  —  Apple on @elonmusk's claims: “The App Store is designed to be fair and free of bias. We feature thousands of apps through charts, algorithmic recommendations, and curated lists selected by experts using objective criteria.” https://www.bloomberg.com/...
Surbhi Misra / Reuters:
Elon Musk says that Apple “makes it impossible for any AI company besides OpenAI” to top its App Store, an “antitrust violation”, and xAI will take legal action
Wall Street Journal:
US tech startups are reviving US hiring plans as President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill lets companies accelerate R&D tax deductions, starting in 2025  —  Faster deductions make adding staff cheaper when cash flow is critical, executives say  —  Tech startups are dusting off U.S. hiring plans …
More: Observer
Joedy McCreary / MedPage Today:
Study: endoscopists accustomed to using AI during colonoscopies detected fewer precancerous growths after the tech was taken away, raising “deskilling” concerns  —  - The adenoma detection rate (ADR) in more than 1,400 non-AI assisted colonoscopies dropped 6 percentage points …
Reuters:
Tencent reports Q2 revenue up 15% YoY to ~$25.7B, vs. ~$24.8B est., gaming revenue up 17% YoY to ~$5.6B, global revenue up 35% YoY to ~$2.6B, a $7.7B net profit  —  Tencent (0700.HK) reported second-quarter revenue growth of 15% on Wednesday, driven by robust gaming performance and AI-powered business expansion.

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The most current version of the site as always is available at our home page. To view an earlier snapshot click here and then modify the date indicated.

From Mediagazer

Financial Times:
The High Court in London rules against Prince Harry and six other claimants in the privacy lawsuit against Daily Mail publisher Associated Newspapers

Scott Nover / Washington Post:
A district court judge dismisses Trump Media and Technology Group's $3.8B defamation lawsuit filed in 2023 against WaPo; TMTG is considering an appeal

Rick Porter / The Hollywood Reporter:
Early Nielsen numbers show 30M people watched the US-Belgium World Cup match through Fox, clearing the record for an English-language soccer telecast in the US

More News

Jagmeet Singh / TechCrunch:
India's RBI grants Paytm “in-principle” approval to operate as a payment services provider for online merchants, after China's Ant Group sold its entire stake
Sharon Goldman / Fortune:
NYC-based Profound, which helps brands optimize visibility in AI search responses, raised a $35M Series B led by Sequoia, bringing its total funding to $58.5M

Earlier Picks

Bloomberg:
CoreWeave reports Q2 revenue up 207% YoY to $1.21B, vs. $1.08B est., and adjusted net loss up 2,450% YoY to $130.8M, vs. $96.3M est.; CRWV drops 10%+
Emma Roth / The Verge:
Google launches Preferred Sources in the US and India, allowing users to personalize the news in Search's “top stories” section by selecting favorite outlets
Emily Price / Fast Company:
Meta says Threads has 400M+ monthly active users, up from 350M MAUs in April; Similarweb says Threads had 15.3M mobile DAUs in the US in June, below X's 22.9M
Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch:
Anthropic updates Claude Sonnet 4 to support a 1M token context window, letting it process prompts up to 750K words or 75K lines of code, up 5x on its old limit
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