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Pirate group Anna’s Archive says it has scraped 86 million songs from Spotify; plus, OpenAI says AI browsers may always be vulnerable to prompt injection attacks Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Pirate group Anna’s Archive says it has scraped 86 million songs from Spotify.

Also, OpenAI says prompt injections will always be a risk for AI browsers with agentic capabilities, like Atlas. But the firm is beefing up its cybersecurity with an 'LLM-based automated attacker.'

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Alphabet to buy Intersect Power to bypass energy grid bottlenecks; also, Trump admin halts 6 GW of offshore wind leases again Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

Alphabet is set to pay $4.75 billion in cash, plus debt, for the data center and clean energy developer.

Also, the move is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to delay the construction of 6 gigawatts of offshore wind near a hotspot of data center development.

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New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs RAISE Act to regulate AI safety; plus, Sequoia partner spreads debunked Brown shooting theory Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

The bill will require large AI developers to publish information about their safety protocols and report safety incidents to the state within 72 hours.

Also, the newest episode raises questions about whether Sequoia's new leadership -- managing partners Alfred Lin and Pat Grady, who took over last month -- can or will rein in Maguire's social media activity.

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As EU waters down 2035 EV goals, electric startups express concern Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

The future may be electric, but that future is being postponed. The European Commission, citing the need for flexibility, has softened its ambitious plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035.

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Netflix acquires gaming avatar maker Ready Player Me; plus, Meta is developing a new image and video model for a 2026 release Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

The gaming startup will allow Netflix subscribers to create avatars that can extend across gaming titles.

Also, Meta is working on an image and video model and new text-based model, which aids with coding.

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Instacart to pay $60M to settle FTC claims it deceived consumers; plus Apple becomes a debt collector Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

The FTC alleged Instacart misled consumers with unlawful tactics, causing them to pay higher fees while also denying refunds.

Also, Apple says it can now collect any money a developer owes the tech giant at any time.

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Adobe hit with proposed class-action; plus, Instacart’s AI-driven pricing tool attracted attention from the FTC Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

The lawsuit is just the latest in a string of copyright-related legal complaints aimed at the AI industry.

Also, in an economy where everyone's feeling squeezed, AI-driven price testing of kitchen essentials was bound to attract attention.

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Jared Isaacman confirmed as next head of NASA; AWS exec Peter DeSantis to lead new AI org; and YouTube doesn't like Billboard’s ranking formula Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Isaacman will run the space agency at a time when Trump is trying to both downsize it and task it with returning astronauts to the Moon.

Also, DeSantis has spent 27 years at Amazon, including eight years as an SVP for AWS, the cloud provider that powers about one-third of the internet.

And,

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Skana Robotics helps fleets of underwater robots communicate with each other Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Skana Robotics built a decision-making algorithm that helps unmanned vessels react and adapt to data from other vessels.

Also, Amazon reportedly in talks to invest $10B in OpenAI as circular deals stay popular

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Coursera and Udemy enter a merger agreement; plus, Mozilla’s new CEO says AI is coming to Firefox Dec 17, 2025

Show notes

Coursera and Udemy, two of the biggest names in online learning, are combining platforms next year.

Mozilla has appointed Anthony Enzor-DeMeo as its CEO, as the Firefox developer scrambles to adapt in a rapidly changing browser market.

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