Fidji Simo knows technology can make life better or it can make inequality worse. As OpenAI’s incoming CEO of Applications, she’s making it clear which path she wants AI to take. “Every major technology shift can expand access to power,” she said in her memo announcing her new role on July 21. “The power to […]
The U.S. and EU Are Fighting Over Who Controls Big Tech
President Trump just slapped 30% tariffs on goods coming from the European Union, escalating a long-simmering conflict over who gets to write the rules for Big Tech. The move came just after Brussels moved forward with more regulations, this time targeting the booming field of artificial intelligence. The latest flashpoint is the EU’s new “Code […]
Silicon Valley Is Cashing Its Check After Backing Trump
The cost of living is increasing, wages for workers are stagnant, and people are looking for a break. Silicon Valley is getting one instead. According to Bloomberg, a little-known tax benefit known as the Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) that has become a favorite carve-out of tech startups would get expanded under a spending bill […]
Military Launches Website to Find Big Tech’s ‘Army Strong’ Employees
If you’re working in Big Tech and looking to make an exit, the Army is waiting with open arms. Someone’s gotta build the tech to drop these bombs, after all. Task and Purpose reports that the Army’s Talent arm has launched Detachment 201, an initiative to pull technology professionals into the military’s ranks—the latest in a […]
Google Calls More Remote Staff Back to Office—or Else
We forget how good we had it. Google is putting the last nails in the work-from-home coffin as it orders more remote employees to return to offices on a hybrid schedule or risk losing their jobs. The endless cubicle farms, which could have been repurposed for better use like housing or shopping, are not going […]
Mysterious Blocklist Prevents Former Meta Employees From Returning
Meta reportedly maintains secretive lists of former employees who are prohibited from returning to the company. Some who have reapplied were even courted by their former managers, only to be ghosted after recruiters found they were on a mysterious “ineligible for rehire” list. Former employees are not told when they are added to such lists; […]
Big Tech Hijacked Steve Bannon’s Movement
Steve Bannon is out and Elon Musk is in. A man who once had an office and a whiteboard in the White House now has a podcast. It’s not nothing, but it’s not an extra-governmental agency that has access to the backend systems that make America run and hum. Banon was once the darling of […]
Picture of a Duck Accidentally Sent to Stripe Workers Being Laid Off
Stripe is laying off approximately 300 people this week, and the company that provides digital payment processing seems to have made a royal gaffe in executing the firings. Business Insider reports that employees affected by layoffs received a PDF image of a duck in their emails, as well as a termination date that was not […]