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

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

💼 OpenAI buys Statsig for $1.1B, boosting enterprise AI tools.
🤖 Apple’s lead robotics researcher exits for Meta amid AI talent war.
🛡️ ChatGPT will add safeguards for teens and crisis users.
💸 Anthropic raises $13B Series F, soaring to $183B valuation.
🛫 Sumitomo-led group acquires Air Lease in $7.4B deal.

TECHNOLOGY

• OpenAI acquires product testing startup Statsig, promotes top execs

  • OpenAI bought Statsig for $1.1B, naming CEO Vijaye Raji CTO of Applications under Fidji Simo.

  • Srinivas Narayanan becomes CTO of B2B Applications, while Kevin Weil now leads OpenAI’s AI for Science.

  • The acquisition boosts enterprise focus, strengthening OpenAI’s Apps division and supporting growth in recurring revenue streams.

• Apple’s lead AI robotics researcher departs to join Meta

  • Jian Zhang, Apple’s lead robotics researcher, exited for Meta as Apple faces significant internal AI talent losses.

  • Three others left Apple, too, joining rivals OpenAI and Anthropic, worsening the company’s AI leadership struggles.

  • The departures underscore intensifying talent wars across tech as major firms race ahead in robotics.

• ChatGPT will launch protections for teens and users in crisis

  • OpenAI will add mental-health safeguards: distress detection, GPT-5 routing, and parental account linking for teen users.

  • The updates come after mounting lawsuits following tragedies involving ChatGPT, demanding stronger protections for vulnerable populations.

  • Features will launch within 120 days, aiming to ensure ChatGPT avoids acting like an unqualified therapist.

BUSINESS

• Judge blocks Google breakup but mandates data sharing to boost competition

  • Judge Amit Mehta rejected dismantling Chrome or Android but ordered Google to share search data with competitors.

  • Device and browser default deals can continue—but must avoid exclusivity and be renegotiated annually to foster competition.

  • Alphabet shares rose ~7% as the ruling balances antitrust concerns with caution against disrupting consumer services and partnerships.

• Anthropic raises $13B Series F at $183B valuation

  • Anthropic secured $13B in Series F, boosting its valuation from $61.5B to $183B in just six months.

  • The funds will accelerate enterprise adoption, international expansion, and safety-focused AI research amid surging revenue.

  • Its annualized revenue run-rate exceeded $5B, driven by enterprise demand and the popularity of Claude Code and Claude models.

• Air Lease to be acquired for $7.4B by Sumitomo-led group

  • Sumitomo Corporation, SMBC, Apollo, and Brookfield agreed to acquire Air Lease for $7.4B in cash per share.

  • Total deal value reaches approximately $28.2B including assumed or refinanced debt, underscoring strategic consolidation.

  • The acquisition reflects growing investor interest in aircraft financing as a high-stakes, high-liquidity sector.

MARKETS

WORLD

• ICE regains access to Paragon spyware after Biden-era ban lifted

  • The Trump administration restored ICE’s $2 million contract with Israeli spyware maker Paragon, suspended under Biden.

  • Paragon’s tools can hack encrypted apps on mobile devices, raising concerns over surveillance misuse.

  • Critics worry the revived deal signals lowered ethical standards for federal cyber tools and civil liberties risks.

• Sudan rebels appeal for aid after landslide wipes out mountain village

  • A devastating landslide buried Tarasin village in Darfur, reportedly killing over 1,000 people, leaving a single survivor.

  • The Sudan Liberation Movement called for international help amid obstructed rescue efforts due to conflict and poor roads.

  • The tragedy underscores the lethal intersection of climate catastrophe and civil war in Darfur's humanitarian crises.

• China debuts advanced weaponry in Victory Day parade

  • Xi Jinping presides over a military parade unveiling new missiles, drones, and precision systems—some seen publicly for the first time.

  • The event commemorates WWII’s end, with Putin and Kim among the few foreign leaders in attendance.

  • The show of strength displayed China’s rising defense capabilities, prompting concern among regional rivals and the U.S.

CONTENT

• How we restructured Airtable’s entire org for AI

  • Airtable CEO Howie Liu reorganized the company around AI, adopting a hands-on ‘IC CEO’ approach.

  • The shift drove rapid shipping of AI features, $100M in free cash flow, and cultural reinvention.

  • Liu stresses CEOs must embrace coding, ‘vibe-driven’ innovation, and direct AI experimentation to survive industry transformation.

• Cursor AI agents work like 10 developers

  • Cursor’s VP of Developer Experience showed agents automating bug fixes, reviews, and code quality through prompts and rules.

  • Developers can build custom commands, run headless agents, and prevent overload by splitting tasks into separate chats.

  • Cursor enables faster, more accessible development, with teams leveraging AI for debugging, compliance, and innovation.

• AI CEO: How to build a $1B company in 2 days

  • Replit CEO Amjad Masad explains how solopreneurs can leverage AI and vibe coding to build billion-dollar ventures.

  • He shares lessons scaling Replit to $144M ARR, emphasizing grit, fast execution, and entrepreneurial resilience.

  • Masad highlights AI’s potential to replace traditional coding, democratize software creation, and empower individual builders.

FUTURISM

• Cloudflare hit by data breach in Salesloft, Drift supply chain attack

  • Hackers exploited Salesloft and Drift, exposing Cloudflare data, including employee credentials and sensitive customer information.

  • Cloudflare disabled affected integrations, confirmed no core systems were breached, and continues investigating the incident.

  • The breach underscores growing supply-chain vulnerabilities as attackers increasingly exploit third-party SaaS vendors.

• Dolby Vision 2 launches with AI-powered content intelligence

  • Dolby Vision 2 introduces AI-driven tone mapping, enhancing video across devices with smarter, adaptive color adjustments.

  • The system optimizes scenes frame-by-frame, aiming to deliver more consistent cinematic quality across content platforms.

  • Dolby’s update strengthens its HDR dominance as streaming platforms and hardware partners begin rolling out support.

• Disney to pay $10 million over children’s data collection

  • Disney settled allegations that it unlawfully collected children’s data through apps and games without parental consent.

  • The $10 million agreement resolves FTC complaints, highlighting increasing scrutiny of children’s online privacy protections.

  • Regulators stress companies must strengthen safeguards as kids’ digital engagement expands rapidly across platforms.

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EXTRAS

• NATO works to counter Russian GPS jamming after EU leader's flight disrupted

  • President von der Leyen’s plane lost GPS over Bulgaria in suspected Russian jamming, prompting NATO to urgently enhance protection.

  • NATO Chief Rutte labeled it a serious part of Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign targeting critical civilian infrastructure.

  • The jamming underscores increasing electronic threats to European airspace, raising alarms across aviation and defense communities.

• Tesla teases Master Plan 4, envisioning AI and robotics abundance

  • Elon Musk hints at a Master Plan 4 focused on AI-driven robotics, supercharging autonomy, and an era of abundance.

  • The vision includes mass deployment of general-purpose robots, AI-enabled manufacturing, and self-operating infrastructure.

  • Musk frames it as transforming productivity while reducing labor, blending exponential AI growth with Tesla's hardware edge.

• Amazon introduces Lens Live for real-time camera shopping

  • Lens Live lets iOS users scan real-world objects to receive live Amazon product matches and add to cart instantly.

  • The tool combines visual AI with Rufus, Amazon’s assistant, for product summaries and conversational shopping insights.

  • Built on SageMaker and OpenSearch models, the feature aims to simplify frictionless in-store-to-online shopping experiences.

AND MORE

• Investors brace for volatility as September market risks surge.

• Gold hits an all-time high near $3,532 per ounce amid global uncertainty.

• Australia’s economy grows fastest in nearly two years, fueled by consumer spending.

• Roko’s Basilisk skips the buzz words and cuts straight to what moves markets, products, and careers. Read it over coffee, sounds brilliant on your next call.*

• U.S. Congress returns with under one month to stave off shutdown.

• Russia’s central bank reports substantial progress on inflation reduction.

• U.S. military strikes drug vessel linked to Venezuela, 11 killed.