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US signs collaboration agreements with Japan and South Korea for AI, chips and biotech, and more Oct 29, 2025

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The U.S. inked Technology Prosperity Deals (TPD) with Japan and South Korea with an eye towards spurring collaboration on AI, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotech, space, 6G and other technologies.

Character AI is ending its chatbot experience for kids. After facing lawsuits and public outcry following the suicides of two teenagers, Character.AI says it's making changes to its platform to protect children, changes that could affect the startup’s bottom line.

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Netflix announces interactive real-time voting for live content; plus, Sam Altman says OpenAI will have a ‘legitimate AI researcher’ by 2028 Oct 29, 2025

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Netflix viewers will be able to vote while watching live content to directly influence the outcome of what they're watching on their TV or mobile device.

Also, OpenAI says its deep learning systems are rapidly advancing, with models increasingly able to solve complex tasks faster. So fast, in fact, that internally, OpenAI is tracking towards achieving an intern-level research assistant by September 2026, and a fully automated “legitimate AI researcher” by 2028, CEO Sam Altman said during a livestream Tuesday.

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Amazon to cut 14,000 corporate jobs; also, OpenAI completes its for-profit recapitalization Oct 28, 2025

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Amazon said on Tuesday that it plans to reduce its corporate workforce by 14,000 jobs as it seeks to reduce bureaucracy, remove layers and invest more in its AI strategy.

Plus, OpenAI has completed its recapitalization, splitting the AI lab into a for-profit corporation nested inside a non-profit foundation.

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New corporate espionage claims emerge, centered on two highly valued 401(k) admin startups Oct 28, 2025

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Two 401(k) management unicorns, Human Interest and Guideline, are squaring off in federal court with allegations so brazen that they're embarrassing.

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Workout app Ladder launches nutrition-tracking experience; plus ads might be coming to Apple Maps next year Oct 27, 2025

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Fitness app Ladder is debuting a new nutrition tracking feature that lets you snap a photo to input macros.

Also, according to a new report from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple Maps users could start seeing ads in the app as soon as next year. Similar to Google Maps and other mapping apps, Apple’s plan is to allow restaurants and other businesses with brick-and-mortar locations to pay to promote themselves in search results

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Trump and Xi will possibly ‘consummate’ TikTok deal on Thursday, High school’s AI security system confuses Doritos bag for a possible firearm, and OpenAI reportedly developing new generative music tool Oct 27, 2025

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-The United States and China are ready to move forward on a TikTok deal, according to Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.

-A high school student in Baltimore County, Maryland was reportedly handcuffed and searched after an AI security system flagged his bag of chips as a possible firearm.

-OpenAI is working on a new tool that would generate music based on text and audio prompts, according to a report in The Information. Such a tool could be used to add music to existing videos, or to add guitar accompaniment to an existing vocal track, sources said.

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Ford isn’t going to make more F-150 Lightnings for a while ; also, big tech is paying for Trump’s White House ballroom Oct 24, 2025

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Ford is prioritizing its gas and hybrid F-150 trucks instead.

Plus, Trump's $250 million White House ballroom will be funded in part by big tech companies like Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft.

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20-year-old dropouts built AI notetaker Turbo AI to 5 million users; plus, YouTube paid out $8B to the music industry in 12 months Oct 24, 2025

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Rudy Arora and Sarthak Dhawan, two 20-year-old college dropouts, grew an AI note-taker app to five million users and an eight-figure ARR.

Also, The milestone marks a new record for the platform, as YouTube’s annual music industry payout increased by $2 billion since 2022.

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As China’s 996 culture spreads, South Korea’s tech sector grapples with 52-hour limit Oct 23, 2025

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South Korea's 52-hour workweek cap is stricter than the U.S. and Singapore but more flexible than much of Europe. Still deep tech founders and investors worry it's too restrictive.

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Sumble emerges from stealth with $38.5M to bring AI-powered context to sales intelligence Oct 23, 2025

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The founders of machine learning community Kaggle are trying to upend the crowded sales prospecting market with AI. And they're making headway.

Also, Starbridge raises $42M Series A led by Craft Ventures to help businesses better monitor public service opportunities.

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