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OpenAI, Google Staff Rally Behind Anthropic

OpenAI, Google Staff Rally Behind Anthropic

Oracle struggles with AI debt, OpenAI acquires Promptfoo, LeCun’s AMI raises $1.03B, and Asia markets rebound after oil plunges on Trump’s Iran comments.

Memorandum
March 10, 2026

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

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

🤝 Employees across OpenAI & Google support Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Pentagon.
🏗️ Oracle builds legacy data centers while carrying massive debt for AI projects.
🔒 OpenAI to acquire Promptfoo to strengthen security for advanced AI agents.
💰 Ex-Meta AI chief LeCun’s AMI raises $1.03B for alternative AI.
📈 Asian markets rebound as oil plunges after Trump signals Iran war may end.

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TECHNOLOGY

Employees across OpenAI & Google support Anthropic’s lawsuit against the Pentagon (TechCrunch)
^_More:^_WSJ^_,^{_{The Verge}}^_,^{_{NY Times}}
- Over 30 OpenAI & Google DeepMind employees backed Anthropic’s lawsuit against the U.S. Defense Department.
- Pentagon labeled Anthropic a supply-chain risk after it refused mass surveillance & autonomous weapons use.
- Employees warn that punishment could harm U.S. AI competitiveness & discourage open debate about AI risks.
Apple’s M5 Max delivers a major upgrade for laptops bought three years ago (MacRumors)
^_More:^{_{The Verge}}^_,^{_{Tom's Hardware}}
- First reviews of new MacBook Pro models with Apple M5 Pro & M5 Max published before launch.
- New models include faster SSDs, 1TB of starting storage, improved battery life, and Wi-Fi 7 support.
- Benchmarks show up to 15% faster CPU performance & 20% faster GPU versus M4 chips.
Oracle builds legacy data centers while carrying massive debt for AI projects (CNBC)
^_More:^{_{Tom's Hardware}}^_,^_Yahoo!
- OpenAI declined to expand Stargate data center with Oracle, seeking sites for next-gen Nvidia chips.
- Oracle funds AI data center buildouts with debt exceeding $100B amid negative free cash flow.
- Long data center construction timelines clash with rapid chip advancements, creating risk for the AI infrastructure industry.
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BUSINESS

OpenAI to acquire Promptfoo to strengthen security for advanced AI agents (CNBC)
^_More:^_Bloomberg^_,^_TOI^_,^_TechCrunch
- OpenAI will acquire cybersecurity startup Promptfoo to strengthen safeguards for AI agents.
- Promptfoo’s team will join OpenAI to integrate security tools into its Frontier AI agents platform.
- The startup previously raised Series A funding led by Insight Partners with participation from Andreessen Horowitz.
Ex-Meta AI chief LeCun’s AMI raises $1.03B for alternative AI (Reuters)
^_More:^_Bloomberg^_,^{_{Investing.com}}^_,^_Yahoo!
- Yann LeCun’s Advanced Machine Intelligence raised $1.03B to develop AI focused on reasoning & planning.
- Funding round co-led by Cathay Innovation, Greycroft, Hiro Capital, HV Capital & Bezos Expeditions.
- AMI targets organizations operating complex systems, aiming to eventually support consumer applications like domestic robots.
Live Nation settles government antitrust suit and dodges a breakup (WSJ)
^_More:^{_{NY Times}}^_,^{_{The Verge}}^_,^_BBC
- Live Nation reached a tentative settlement with the U.S. Justice Department over antitrust allegations involving Ticketmaster’s dominance.
- Case followed the chaotic ticket sale for Taylor Swift's Eras tour, raising concerns about monopolies across the live entertainment industry.
- Settlement requires venue ticketing competition, venue divestments, artist-promoter freedom, plus a $280M damages payment.

MARKETS

S&P	6,793.50	-0.11%
NASDAQ	24,970.75	-0.08%
Dow	47,715.00	-0.11%
10-Year	4.1360%	+0.07%
Bitcoin	$69,970.51	+4.00%
Gold	$5,183.50	+1.56%

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WORLD

Apple now makes about 25% of iPhones in India after China shift (Bloomberg)
^_More:^{_{Business Times}}^_,^_Binance^_,^{_{Investing.com}}
- Apple increased iPhone production in India by 53%, assembling about 55M devices in 2025.
- India now produces roughly 25% of iPhones as Apple reduces its reliance on Chinese manufacturing.
- Expansion supported by incentives from Narendra Modi’s government despite higher costs & weaker supply chains.
Asian markets rebound as oil plunges after Trump signals Iran war may end (NY Times)
^_More:^_WSJ^_,^_CNBC^_,^_Reuters
- Asian markets surged as falling oil prices lifted investor sentiment across regional equities.
- S&P/ASX 200, Nikkei 225, & Kospi rose sharply after the previous session's declines.
- Donald Trump signaled the Iran conflict could end soon, sending crude prices down over 10%.
Five Iranian women soccer players granted humanitarian visas in Australia (Reuters)
^_More:^{_{Al Jazeera}}^_,^_BBC^_,^{_{NY Times}}
- Australia granted humanitarian visas to five Iranian women soccer players, fearing persecution back home.
- Police assisted in evacuating the players from their official Iranian touring group for safety reasons.
- U.S. President Trump praised Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s handling of this delicate situation.

FUTURISM

Archer countersues Joby, alleging concealed Chinese ties in air taxi dispute (WSJ)
^_More:^_TechCrunch^_,^_Yahoo!
- Archer Aviation countersued Joby, alleging it misled the government by falsely presenting itself as American-made.
- Lawsuit claims Joby sourced aircraft components from China while disguising imports to evade tariffs.
- Dispute follows Joby’s earlier lawsuit accusing Archer of stealing trade secrets through a former employee.
GM figured out how to navigate EV uncertainty with the Chevy Bolt (TechCrunch)
^_More:^{_FindArticles}
- General Motors revived the Chevrolet Bolt, leveraging fan support and internal advocacy to restart production.
- Fairfax Assembly Plant’s available capacity allowed GM to resume Bolt manufacturing without disrupting future vehicle launches.
- Broader availability of EV parts lowered costs, while incremental updates improved the model’s appeal in the uncertain U.S. market.
Qualcomm’s partnership with Neura Robotics signals the start of broader robotics collaboration (TechCrunch)
^_More:^_MEXC^_,^_Yahoo!^_,^{_{Robotics Tomorrow}}
- Neura Robotics partnered with Qualcomm to develop next-generation robots and physical AI systems.
- Neura will use Qualcomm’s Dragonwing Robotics IQ10 processors and Neuraverse platform for robot simulation and testing.
- Collaboration aims to advance humanoid & general-purpose robots for domestic and industrial real-world applications.

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- He highlights that Cursor’s strategy of building its own models was not a mistake.
- Discussion covers Accel’s investment approach, win rates, and lessons from past successes and misses.
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- Bill Gurley discusses how finding your fascination and passion is key to thriving.
- He emphasizes the importance of peer groups, leadership skills, and learning from risks.
- Gurley advises being cautious when others are greedy and taking advantage of uncertainty.

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