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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

❌ Elon Musk won’t buy TikTok US.
📉 Stock futures drop amid data tariff fears.
💡 Finding and building billion-dollar AI startups.
💊 China backs local generic drug quality.
⚖️ Trump ends legal battle over Twitter ban.

TECH

• Elon Musk won’t buy TikTok US

  • Elon Musk has clarified that he has no intention of acquiring TikTok's U.S. operations.

  • He stated, "I have not put in a bid for TikTok," emphasizing that he lacks plans for its potential ownership.

  • Musk noted his acquisition of Twitter was an exception, as he typically prefers building companies from scratch.

• Christie's AI art auction sparks controversy

  • Christie's has announced an upcoming auction featuring AI-generated artworks, reigniting debates on artificial intelligence.

  • Critics express concerns about the authenticity and originality of AI-created pieces, if they should be classified as art.

  • This controversy mirrors past disputes, such as the 2018 sale of "Edmond de Belamy," an AI-generated portrait.

• Zoox robotaxi hands on safe, but lagging

  • Zoox, has been testing its bidirectional, driverless robotaxi in Las Vegas for the past year and a half.

  • The vehicle features a unique design without a traditional front or back, sliding doors, and touchpad controls.

  • During test rides, the robotaxi exhibited occasional abrupt braking and struggled handling complex traffic scenarios smoothly.

BUSINESS

• Stock futures drop amid data tariff fears

  • U.S. stock futures declined on Sunday evening following President Donald Trump's announcement of impending 25% tariffs.

  • The impending 25% applies on all steel and aluminum imports with additional reciprocal tariffs expected later in the week.

  • Investors are concerned about potential trade conflicts, especially with the European Union and China.

• DBS reports profit announces capital return

  • DBS Group Holdings Ltd. reported a 10% increase in fourth-quarter net profit, reaching S$2.62B, aligning with analysts' expectations.

  • The bank's net interest margin improved to 2.15% from 2.13% the previous year.

  • DBS declared a final dividend of 60 Singapore cents per share and announced a capital return for 2025.

• 2 million baked goods recalled over Listeria

  • Approximately 2 million doughnut and pastry products have been recalled due to potential contamination with Listeria monocytogenes.

  • The recall, initiated on January 7, 2025, and escalated to a Class II status on February 5.

  • Involves multiple products manufactured by FGF Brands and several of the affected items are sold at Dunkin' locations.

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CONTENT

• Finding and building billion-dollar AI startups

  • The best AI startup ideas come from your own expertise or deep industry knowledge.

  • Shadowing professionals, or even taking an undercover job can reveal inefficiencies AI can solve.

  • Pushing boundaries, and leveraging AI’s rapid evolution can give you a competitive edge.

• Why economists get it wrong

  • Critics argue in overarching theory of how the economy works, making accurate predictions difficult.

  • Economic forecasts influenced by political beliefs and assumptions can distort predictions and lead to major errors.

  • The complexity of economies means that models will always struggle to make precise predictions.

• The future of Al and how it will shape our world

  • Mo Gawdat discusses how AI is evolving, its societal impact, and the role of unelected officials in shaping its direction.

  • The conversation covers algorithmic control, and whether billionaires should focus on solving real-world issues.

  • Mo shares insights from his book Unstressable, exploring why society is addicted to stress.

WORLD

• China backs local generic drug quality

  • Concerns have emerged in China regarding the efficacy of domestically produced generic drugs.

  • Senior doctors have voiced apprehensions about the quality of these medications.

  • China's National Healthcare Security Administration (NHSA) announced an investigation into these reports.

• Court Ruling gives hope for cleanup in Italy’s ‘land of fires’

  • European Court of Human Rights ruled that Italy violated the right to life of residents in the "Terra dei Fuochi" region.

  • The court found that Italian authorities had been aware of the pollution since 1988 but failed to take adequate measures.

  • This ruling underscores the longstanding environmental and health crises where illegal waste disposal impacted communities.

• North Korean leader vows to further develop nuclear forces

  • North Korean leader Kim Jong Un criticized the trilateral military cooperation of U.S.A, Japan, and South Korea.

  • He condemned the deployment of U.S. nuclear strategic assets and joint military exercises.

  • Kim pledged to further develop North Korea's nuclear capabilities to counter these perceived threats.

AND MORE…

• Trump ends legal battle over Twitter ban

  • Former President Donald Trump has concluded his legal battle against Meta Platforms over his 2021 account suspension.

  • In January 2025, Meta Platforms agreed to pay approximately $25M to settle a similar lawsuit filed by Trump.

  • This settlement includes $22M allocated for Trump's presidential library and covering legal fees and payments.

• PSN is finally back after a huge outage

  • PlayStation Network (PSN) experienced a significant outage lasting nearly a day last February 8, 2025, affecting services.

  • The disruption began around 6 PM ET, with user reports peaking at nearly 70,000.

  • Sony acknowledged the issue on their PSN status page and apologized for the inconvenience.

• TikTok offers its Android app for download on its website

  • TikTok is now offering US downloads of the Android version of the app on its own website.

  • Android users in the U.S. cano now download or update the app since Google removed it from Google Play.

  • TikTok help page claims that, nevertheless, the app “remains safe and secure.”