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Google Pulls Gemma AI Amid Controversy

Google Pulls Gemma AI Amid Controversy

Microsoft expands AI hiring, OpenAI defends revenue scrutiny, and Coinbase CEO jokes about market manipulation.

Memorandum
November 03, 2025

Welcome back to your daily memorandum talking tech, business, AI, markets, and more. 🗞️

In today’s edition, we are tackling the following:

🧨 Google removes Gemma AI after Senator Blackburn alleges defamatory claims.
🤖 Microsoft to expand hiring with greater efficiency through AI, says Nadella.
💲 Sam Altman says ‘enough’ to questions about OpenAI’s revenue.
🚫 Trump refuses Democrat talks, vows no compromise as shutdown continues.
🪙 Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong jokes by manipulating prediction markets during call.

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TECHNOLOGY

Google removes Gemma AI after Senator Blackburn alleges defamatory claims (TechCrunch)
^_More:^{_{Fox News}}^_,^_AOL^_,^_Yahoo!
- Senator Marsha Blackburn accused Google’s Gemma AI of fabricating false allegations of sexual misconduct against her.
- Blackburn’s letter cited similar cases where Google’s AI models generated defamatory statements about other conservative figures.
- Google confirmed Gemma’s removal from AI Studio, stating the model was misused beyond its intended developer purpose.
Microsoft to expand hiring with greater efficiency through AI, says Nadella (CNBC)
^_More:^_MSN^_,^{_{Business Standard}}^_,^{_{Times Now}}
- CEO Satya Nadella said Microsoft will increase hiring after a period of workforce stagnation and layoffs.
- Around 6,000 employees left last year, keeping Microsoft’s total headcount near 228,000.
- Nadella expects AI adoption to help workers relearn roles and enable more efficient future hiring.
Sam Altman says ‘enough’ to questions about OpenAI’s revenue (TechCrunch)
^_More:^_F^_ortune^_,^_AOL^_,^_Yahoo!
- Sam Altman said OpenAI is earning well over $13 billion annually, dismissing doubts about its financial stability.
- During a podcast with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, Altman defended OpenAI’s massive computing infrastructure investments.
- Altman and Nadella expressed confidence in OpenAI’s steep revenue growth, AI cloud ambitions, and future consumer device ventures.

BUSINESS

Trump refuses Democrat talks, vows no compromise as shutdown continues (AP)
^_More:^{_{The Washington Post}}
- Trump said he “won’t be extorted” by Democrats demanding negotiations to reopen the government.
- The shutdown has stretched into its sixth week, affecting federal workers and millions receiving federal aid.
- Trump urged Republicans to eliminate the Senate filibuster, a move party leaders strongly oppose.
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong jokes by manipulating prediction markets during a call (TechCrunch)
^_More:^_Yahoo!
- Brian Armstrong admitted to tracking prediction markets during Coinbase’s earnings call and deliberately mentioned wagered words.
- Around $84,000 was bet on whether specific terms would be spoken during the call.
- Critics accused Armstrong of market manipulation, saying his actions undermined the crypto industry's credibility and investor trust.
AI market surge fueled by a self-reinforcing growth cycle (CNBC)
^_More:^_AInvest
- U.S. markets ended October strong, led by tech gains and renewed investor confidence in AI.
- Nvidia and other Big Tech firms reported record capital spending focused on expanding AI infrastructure.
- Analysts describe AI’s momentum as a “virtuous cycle” of usage, investment, and technological advancement driving markets upward.

MARKETS

S&P	6,883.25	+0.13%
NASDAQ	26,059.00	+0.21%
Dow	47,760.00	+0.08%
10-Year	4.1010%	+0.20%
Bitcoin	$107,672.55	-2.50%
Gold	$4,022.20	+0.64%

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WORLD

Chinese EV maker Seres raises $1.8B through Hong Kong listing (Bloomberg)
^_More:^_Reuters^_,^_Yahoo!
- Seres Group raised HK$14.3 billion ($1.8 billion) from its Hong Kong stock market debut.
- The Chongqing-based EV maker priced shares at HK$131.50, hitting the top of its range.
- Seres, a key Huawei partner, expanded its offering by 8.4% after strong investor demand.
Seven killed, 150 injured after strong quake hits northern Afghanistan (Reuters)
^_More:^_Yahoo!^_,^{_{Al Jazeera}}
- A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near Kholm, close to Mazar-i-Sharif, early Monday morning.
- Officials reported at least seven dead and 150 injured, mostly in Samangan province.
- The quake damaged part of Mazar-i-Sharif’s Blue Mosque and was felt as far as Kabul.
Korea’s Kospi extends rally as Nvidia boosts local AI partnerships (Bloomberg)
^_More:^_BBC^_,^_Yahoo!
- South Korea’s Kospi Index surged 20% in October, its strongest monthly gain since 2001.
- Nvidia will provide over 260,000 AI chips to South Korea’s government, Samsung, LG, and Hyundai.
- The deals highlight South Korea’s growing role in global AI production and Nvidia’s rapid international expansion.

FUTURISM

Rising energy prices put AI and data centers in the crosshairs (TechCrunch)
^_More:^_Yahoo!
- A new survey found 80% of consumers fear AI data centers will raise household electricity costs.
- U.S. data centers now consume about 4% of national electricity, expected to reach up to 12% by 2028.
- Renewable energy growth offsets rising demand, but gas shortages and potential policy rollbacks threaten future power stability.
Baidu reports 250,000 weekly robotaxi rides, matching Alphabet’s Waymo figures (CNBC)
- Baidu’s Apollo Go robotaxi service surpassed 250,000 fully driverless weekly rides as of October 31.
- Alphabet’s Waymo recorded the same number of weekly paid robotaxi rides in the U.S. last April.
- Baidu confirmed that no major accidents or human injuries have occurred with its Apollo Go robotaxis.
AI robot powered by LLM unexpectedly mimics Robin Williams during tests (TechCrunch)
- Andon Labs tested multiple advanced LLMs by programming a vacuum robot to perform simple office tasks.
- During testing, one robot spiraled into comedic dialogue resembling Robin Williams’ energetic improvisational style.
- Researchers concluded that current LLMs remain unfit for real-world robotic embodiment and autonomous decision-making.
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CONTENT

Canva CEO Melanie Perkins reveals how she built a $42B design empire (Lenny's Podcast)
- Melanie Perkins turned Canva into a $42 billion company with $3 billion in annual revenue.
- She overcame over 100 investor rejections and major product setbacks before achieving long-term profitability.
- Perkins credits her success to “column B” thinking—focusing on future vision over present limitations.
Matan Grinberg explores AI’s future, regulation, and fears of a potential bubble (The Prof G Pod)
- Factory CEO Matan Grinberg discusses AI’s evolution, regulation challenges, and risks of an emerging industry bubble.
- Grinberg emphasizes AI autonomy in software engineering, arguing it should work for humans, not merely alongside them.
- He remains optimistic about long-term AI progress but warns against big tech dominance and circular funding practices.
Stephen Marche examines U.S.-Canada tensions and potential scenarios of a modern civil war (Sam Harris)
- Stephen Marche and Sam Harris analyze growing U.S.-Canada strains and factors that could spark civil unrest.
- They explore political polarization, extremism, secession threats, and assassination attempts tied to rising national instability.
- Marche outlines how diversity, immigration, and conspiracy theories shape America’s risk of internal conflict and division.

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