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

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

🚗 Tesla shareholders approve Musk’s record $1T compensation package.
🎥 Meta launches Vibes, an AI video remix feed for European users.
📚 Amazon tests Kindle Translate to convert books across multiple languages.
💰 OpenAI reveals $1.4T investment in global AI data centers.
🌪️ Typhoon Kalmaegi kills 142 in the Philippines before striking Vietnam.

TECHNOLOGY

• Meta brings its short-form video feed of AI slop to Europe (TechCrunch) _{^{More: Meta About, WinBuzzer, TechBuzz}}

  • Meta launches Vibes AI video feed in Europe through Meta AI app expansion.

  • The platform allows creating and remixing AI videos with cross-posting to Instagram Reels.

  • Media generation increased tenfold despite user criticism, calling it unwanted AI slop.

• Amazon is testing an AI tool that automatically translates books into other languages (Engadget) 
  _{^{More: TechCrunch, About Amazon, Neowin}}

  • Kindle Translate beta converts books between English-Spanish and German-English for authors.

  • Amazon evaluates accuracy automatically, though authors can't verify unfamiliar language translations.

  • Service addresses less than 5% of Amazon titles being available multilingually.

• Discord's Family Center update now lets parents monitor weekly purchases (TechCrunch) 
  _{^{More: Discord Safety, Engadget, Dataconomy}}

  • Parents can track teen purchases, including Discord Shop items and Nitro subscriptions.

  • Guardian controls manage DM permissions, content filtering, and data privacy settings.

  • Dashboard shows voice/video call time and the top five user/server interactions weekly.

BUSINESS

• Tesla Asks Delaware Supreme Court to Reinstate Elon Musk's Record Pay Package (WSJ) 
  _{^{More: Bloomberg, NPR, Fortune}}

  • The Delaware Supreme Court heard arguments on restoring Musk's $56 billion compensation package on Wednesday.

  • Tesla proposes new $1 trillion pay plan while appealing judge's decision invalidating original package.

  • The court must decide if shareholder reapproval validates compensation worth currently $120 billion.

• Altman Says OpenAI Doesn't Want a Government Bailout for AI (Bloomberg) 
  _{^{More: TechCrunch, CNN, The Register}}

  • CEO Altman rejected government backstops after the CFO suggested federal guarantees for infrastructure loans.

  • OpenAI expects $20 billion in revenue this year, targeting hundreds of billions by 2030.

  • The company committed $1.4 trillion over eight years for AI infrastructure and chip investments.

• Microsoft Lays Out Ambitious AI Vision, Free From OpenAI (WSJ) 
  _{^{More: PYMNTS, WinBuzzer, CNBC}}

  • Microsoft launches MAI Superintelligence Team to pursue AGI independently under revised OpenAI deal.

  • Partnership extended until 2032 with Microsoft holding 27% stake worth $135 billion.

  • Microsoft gains freedom to develop foundational models while retaining OpenAI technology access.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Israeli military says it is striking Hezbollah targets across southern Lebanon (CNN) 
  _{^{More: Al Jazeera, Times of Israel}}

  • IDF launches strikes citing Hezbollah attempts to rebuild operations despite the November 2024 ceasefire.

  • Israeli security cabinet convenes as officials warn of Hezbollah rearming and restoring capabilities.

  • Lebanese President suggests direct negotiations while Hezbollah rejects political talks with Israel.

• Typhoon Kalmaegi kills three in Vietnam after leaving 114 dead in the Philippines (BBC) 
  _{^{More: Al Jazeera, CNN, CBS News}}

  • Kalmaegi hits Vietnam with 149 km/h winds after killing at least 142 in the Philippines.

  • The Philippines declares a state of emergency with over 500,000 displaced and 127 still missing.

  • Vietnam evacuates 260,000 people as storm brings 10-meter waves to the central coast.

• Witkoff says he will announce a new country to enter the Abraham Accords on Thursday night (Reuters) 
  _{^{More: CNN, The National, Times of Israel}}

  • Kazakhstan becomes the first country to join the Abraham Accords in Trump's second term.

  • The agreement is largely symbolic as Kazakhstan has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since 1992.

  • The Trump administration signals momentum for expanding accords with more countries expected.

FUTURISM

• Sam Altman says OpenAI has $20B ARR and about $1.4 trillion in data center commitments (TechCrunch) 
  _{^{More: Bloomberg, Fortune, CNBC}}

  • OpenAI expects over $20 billion annualized revenue this year, targeting hundreds of billions by 2030.

  • The company committed $1.4 trillion over eight years for AI infrastructure and data centers.

  • Altman outlines new revenue streams, including enterprise offerings, consumer devices, and AI cloud services.

• Microsoft forms superintelligence team to pursue 'humanist' AI (The Verge) 
  _{^{More: WinBuzzer, Fortune, GeekWire}}

  • Microsoft launches the MAI Superintelligence Team, pursuing human-centered AI under Mustafa Suleyman's leadership.

  • Initiative follows revised OpenAI partnership, allowing Microsoft independent AGI development after October deal.

  • Team focuses on controllable AI serving humanity while avoiding autonomous systems with self-improvement capabilities.

• Sora for Android saw nearly half a million installs on its first day (TechCrunch) 
  _{^{More: Android Authority}}

  • Android launch generated 470,000 downloads first day, exceeding iOS debut by 327 percent.

  • App expanded to seven countries, including Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam, without an invite requirement.

  • The U.S. accounted for 296,000 Android installs, showing sustained interest in AI video creation.

CONTENT

• DEBATE: Is AGI Really Decades Away? (Doom Debates)

  • Tsvi Benson-Tilsen and Liron Shapira clash over AGI timelines, benchmark predictions, and whether LLMs can evolve.

  • The debate covers creativity, sample complexity, and how germline engineering might accelerate alignment research before AGI arrives.

  • Both argue over confidence, goalposts, and whether AI progress signals an imminent breakthrough or another approaching winter.

• Mark Zuckerberg & Priscilla Chan: How AI Will Cure All Disease (a16z)

  • Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan reveal how CZI’s Biohub unites biology and AI to accelerate curing and preventing all diseases.

  • They discuss virtual cell models, large-scale open data, and the need for billion-dollar projects beyond traditional NIH frameworks.

  • The talk showcases how AI-powered biology will redefine research efficiency, collaboration, and scientific discovery at scale.

• Is Investing REALLY the Hardest Job? (This Week in Startups)

  • Jason Calacanis, Deedy Das, and Jay Eum debate venture capital’s evolution amid massive AI funding and shifting market structures.

  • They analyze Roelof Botha’s Sequoia exit, “smile curve” product-market fit, and the prosumer market’s growing strategic importance.

  • The discussion dissects diligence speed, mega-round trends, and whether investors still outwork founders in the AI boom.

• Turn AI noise into signal*

  • Cut through the hype. Roko’s Basilisk distills the day’s AI breakthroughs, market moves, and workable workflows into a five-minute brief.

  • Get one sharp deep dive, fast Quick Hits, and a witty pro tip, plus links that actually matter.

  • Join 100k+ readers who start decisions here each morning.

EXTRAS

• Nvidia's Jensen Huang says China 'will win' AI race with US (Financial Times) 
  _{^{More: CNBC, Tom's Hardware, Yahoo Finance}}

  • Huang initially declared China would win the AI race, citing energy costs and regulations.

  • The CEO quickly clarified, saying China is "nanoseconds behind" America in AI development.

  • Comments reflect frustration over U.S. export restrictions hurting Nvidia's Chinese market share.

• Kim Kardashian blames ChatGPT for making her fail multiple law school tests repeatedly (Fox News) 
  _{^{More: Vanity Fair, People, Daily Mail}}

  • Reality star admits to using ChatGPT for legal advice while studying through California's apprenticeship program.

  • The AI tool consistently provides incorrect answers causing multiple test failures despite repeated use.

  • Kardashian completed a six-year program in May and awaits California bar exam results from July.

• 'Vibe coding' was named Collins Dictionary's Word of the Year (CNN) 
  _{^{More: Collins Dictionary}}

  • Term describes using natural language AI prompts to generate computer code without traditional programming.

  • Coined by former OpenAI engineer Andrej Karpathy to capture AI's democratization of coding.

  • Tech-related words dominate the shortlist, including "broligarchy" and "clanker," reflecting AI's cultural impact.

AND MORE

• China’s vice premier calls for ending trade barriers to speed green transition.

• France leads $2.5 billion plan to safeguard Congo’s rainforest over five years.

• Philippine utility Maynilad Water Services debuts flat after $590 million IPO.

• Google prepares to announce its largest-ever investment plan in Germany.

• Global markets fall amid concerns of an AI-driven bubble and weak jobs data.

• Warburg Pincus says China is becoming increasingly attractive for investments.

• Japan’s Trial Holdings launches discount store chain to rival 7-Eleven in Tokyo.

• British woman formerly on Indonesia’s death row repatriated to the United Kingdom.

• Our new report shows how top U.S. firms are escaping the H-1B chaos through smarter, faster, borderless hiring.*