Techmeme
May 16, 2025, 4:10 PM

Top News

Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch:
OpenAI rolls out Codex, an AI coding agent powered by codex-1, a version of o3 optimized for software engineering, for ChatGPT Pro, Enterprise, and Team users  —  OpenAI announced on Friday it's launching a research preview of Codex, the company's most capable AI coding agent yet.
Dominic Preston / The Verge:
Mark Gurman / Bloomberg:
Apple denies removing Fortnite from alternative marketplaces in the EU and says it asked Epic Sweden to resubmit the app update excluding the US App Store  —  Apple Inc. and Epic Games Inc. sparred over whether the iPhone maker was obstructing access to the hit game Fortnite …
Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
After Grok's “white genocide in South Africa” X replies, xAI says “an unauthorized modification was made to Grok response bot's prompt” at 3:15 AM PST on May 14  —  xAI blamed an “unauthorized modification” for a bug in its AI-powered Grok chatbot that caused Grok …
Reuters:
Charter says it will acquire Cox Communications for $21.9B, valuing Cox at $34.5B including debt and uniting two of the biggest US cable and broadband operators  —  Charter Communications (CHTR.O) said on Friday it would merge with Cox Communications in a deal that would value its privately held rival …
Todd Bishop / GeekWire:
Microsoft says internal and external reviews found no evidence the Israeli military used its tech to harm civilians in Gaza, after months of employee protests  —  [Updated below with comments from the employee group No Azure for Apartheid.]  —  Microsoft said Thursday that it found no evidence …
Wall Street Journal:
Facebook and Instagram face “an epidemic of scams” driven by crime networks; internal docs from 2022 say 70% of newly active Meta advertisers promote scams  —  Fake puppies and phony offers of mouthwatering bargains are often seeded by overseas crime networks …
Jason Schreier / Bloomberg:
Sony's Haven Studios founder Jade Raymond leaves the company; sources: some developers were worried about its first game's external test reception and progress  —  Her company, Haven Studios, is developing an online shooter title called Fairgames … PlayStation leadership didn't give Haven staff …
Bloomberg:
Sources: OpenAI is expected to be a primary anchor tenant for a 5 gigawatt UAE data center, which could become one of the world's largest at 10 square miles  —  OpenAI plans to help develop a massive new data center in the United Arab Emirates that may eventually be one of the largest in the world …
Lauren Goode / Wired:
US immigration attorneys: since January 2025, USCIS has significantly increased requests for more evidence on tech-related visa petitions, like H-1Bs and O-1s  —  Silicon Valley's coveted work visas are under heavy scrutiny from the Trump administration, and immigration lawyers say requests for documentation are increasing.
More: Newsweek, Trak.in, and Forbes
Bluesky: @laurengoode.  X: @scobleizer.  LinkedIn: Christof Jaritz.  Forums: r/TrueReddit and r/politics
Kelcee Griffis / Bloomberg:
The FCC approves Verizon's $9.6B acquisition of Frontier Communications after Verizon agreed to pare back what Brendan Carr called “invidious” DEI practices  —  The deal “will unleash billions of dollars in new infrastructure builds in communities across the country …
Kyle Wiggers / TechCrunch:
SEC filing: Los Angeles-based Moonvalley, which is developing AI tools for video creation, raised $53M, bringing its total funding to about $124M, per PitchBook  —  Roughly a month after Moonvalley, a Los Angeles-based startup developing AI tools for video creation, said it secured $43 million …

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Featured Podcasts

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Sequoia Capital partners host conversations with leading AI builders and researchers to develop a deeper understanding of the evolving technologies and their implications.
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Stripe cofounder John Collison interviews founders, builders, and leaders over a pint.
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Lenny's Podcast:
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Sources:
Qualcomm's CEO on the coming AI phone supercycle
Candid conversations with the leaders shaping what's next in AI and the broader tech industry. Hosted by Alex Heath, who has covered Silicon Valley for more than a decade.
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More News

Bloomberg:
Matthew Guariglia / Electronic Frontier Foundation:

Earlier Picks

Tom Warren / The Verge:
Adi Robertson / The Verge:
Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch:
Jason Schreier / Bloomberg:
Sarah Perez / TechCrunch:
Benjamin Mayo / 9to5Mac:
Niket Nishant / Reuters:
Bloomberg: