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

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

🎧 YouTube rolls out AI playlist generator for Premium subscribers on mobile.
📊 Polymarket partners with Kaito AI to launch social media attention markets tracking.
🧠 Study finds AI power users burning out as productivity expands workloads.
⚖️ Meta faces New Mexico trial over child sexual exploitation risk claims.
🚀 SpaceX proposes orbital data centers for next-generation AI compute.

TECHNOLOGY

• OpenAI begins testing ads in ChatGPT (OpenAI)
  ^{_{More: NBC News, CBS News, Engadget}}

  • OpenAI launched ad testing for ChatGPT free and Go tier users in the United States.

  • Ads appear below responses, clearly labeled as sponsored, and do not influence ChatGPT's answers.

  • Premium subscription tiers, including Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Education, remain completely ad-free.

• Spotify hits a record 751M monthly users, thanks to Wrapped, new free features (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, Variety, CNBC}}

  • Spotify reached 751M monthly users with a record 38M additions in the fourth quarter alone.

  • The wrapped campaign engaged 300M users and generated 630M social media shares across 56 languages.

  • Premium subscribers grew 10% to 290M despite recent price increases across multiple markets.

• YouTube rolls out an AI playlist generator for Premium users (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Newsbytes, Startup News}}

  • YouTube Premium subscribers can create playlists using text or voice prompts describing mood or genre.

  • Feature available exclusively on iOS and Android through the Library tab's AI playlist option button.

  • YouTube joins Spotify, Amazon Music, and Deezer in offering AI-powered playlist creation to subscribers.

BUSINESS

• Apple and Google agree App Store changes to appease UK regulator (Reuters)
  _{^{More: UK CMA, Apple Insider, Yahoo Finance}}

  • Apple and Google committed to fairer app review processes following the UK competition regulator designation.

  • Developers will gain greater access to iOS features to build competing products, such as wallets.

  • The UK Competition and Markets Authority will monitor implementation closely and provide public reports on compliance.

• Polymarket to offer 'attention markets' in partnership with Kaito AI (Forbes)
  _{^{More: Benzinga, Bitcoin Ethereum News, BitcoinEthereumNews.com}}

  • Polymarket partnered with Kaito AI to launch markets tracking social media mindshare and sentiment.

  • Dozens of attention markets launching in March, with thousands expected by year's end.

  • Users can bet on popularity trends for topics, brands, and people across platforms.

• China's AI apps wield red envelopes in Lunar New Year fight for users (Nikkei Asia)

  • Chinese AI companies launched digital red envelope campaigns during Lunar New Year celebrations.

  • Baidu and ByteDance compete aggressively for conversational AI market share with promotional giveaways.

  • Traditional social media user acquisition tactics are adapted for AI chatbot growth strategies.

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MARKETS

WORLD

• Trial against Meta in New Mexico focuses on dangers of child sexual exploitation on social media (AP News)
  _{^{More: ABC News, Boston Herald, Fast Company}}

  • Meta faces trial in New Mexico over allegations that Instagram facilitated child sexual exploitation.

  • State alleges company prioritized profits over safety despite knowing about systemic platform issues.

  • First standalone trial among dozens of state lawsuits against social media companies over harm.

• Telegram messaging app faces new restrictions and fines in Russia, media report (Economic Times)

  • Russian authorities imposed new restrictions and fines on Telegram for failures in content moderation.

  • The platform faces escalating regulatory pressure despite having previously cooperated with government content removal requests.

  • Telegram remains widely used in Russia, creating tension between compliance and user retention.

• Emmanuel Macron declares a European 'state of emergency' (The Economist)

  • French President Macron called for a European state of emergency to address mounting continental challenges.

  • The declaration focuses on economic competitiveness, defense capabilities, and technological sovereignty amid global uncertainty.

  • Macron seeks coordinated EU action on strategic autonomy and accelerated integration initiatives.

FUTURISM

• SpaceX files for a million-satellite orbital AI data center megaconstellation (Data Center Dynamics)
  _{^{More: ABC News, The Register, TechCrunch}}

  • SpaceX filed with the FCC for up to 1M satellites to create orbital data centers.

  • Solar-powered constellation aims to bypass terrestrial power and cooling constraints for AI compute infrastructure.

  • Industry experts debate the feasibility given launch costs, maintenance challenges, and orbital debris concerns.

• The first signs of burnout are coming from the people who embrace AI the most (TechCrunch)
  _{^{More: Harvard Business Review, Yahoo News, FindArticles}}

  • UC Berkeley research found AI early adopters experiencing burnout as productivity gains expand workloads.

  • Work bleeds into lunch breaks and evenings as to-do lists grow to fill time saved.

  • A study reveals that AI augmentation leads to fatigue and difficulty stepping away from work.

• ‘Novelist’ boasts that using AI, she can churn out a new book in 45 minutes (Futurism)
  _{^{More: DNyuz, AI Business}}

  • Romance author produced 200 AI-generated novels across 21 pen names, selling 50K copies last year.

  • The writer completed a book in 45 minutes using Claude while teaching AI authorship courses.

  • Veteran authors warn that AI-generated content floods the publishing ecosystem, making human writers harder to discover.

CONTENT

• Inside 3G Capital with Alex Behring and Daniel Schwartz (Invest Like the Best)

  • Alex Behring and Daniel Schwartz unpack 3G Capital’s operating model, discipline, and approach to long-term ownership.

  • Discussion covers zero-based budgeting, cultural rigor, and how incentives shape execution across global consumer businesses.

  • The episode explores why operational excellence, not financial engineering, ultimately drives durable returns at scale.

• The rise of the professional vibe coder with Lazar Jovanovic (Lenny’s Podcast)

  • Lazar Jovanovic explains how vibe coding blends intuition, AI tools, and rapid iteration into a new professional role.

  • The conversation examines hiring signals, productivity tradeoffs, and why traditional engineering metrics struggle to capture this work.

  • The episode highlights how AI-native workflows are reshaping career paths for builders outside classic technical tracks.

• The truth behind automation claims in customer support with Ping Wu (Grit)

  • Cresta CEO Ping Wu challenges exaggerated automation promises in customer support using real enterprise deployment lessons.

  • The discussion outlines constraints from conversation complexity, legacy infrastructure, and customer demographics, which limit the outcomes of full automation.

  • The episode argues that sustainable scaling requires combining human judgment with AI systems rather than replacing agents outright.

EXTRAS

• AI video startup Runway raises $315M at $5.3B valuation (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, Crunchbase News}}

  • Runway raised $315M, led by General Atlantic, pushing the valuation to $5.3B for world models.

  • The company will use funds to pre-train the next generation of AI systems simulating physical environments.

  • Valuation reflects investor confidence in generative AI video, extending beyond content creation to simulation infrastructure.

• Supercell revenue declines 4% to €2.65B in 2025 (GamesIndustry.biz)
  _{^{More: Game World Observer}}

  • Finnish mobile game developer reported €2.65B revenue, down 4% year-over-year in 2025.

  • Clash Royale experienced record growth while Brawl Stars faced declining sales despite strong profitability.

  • The company doubled its investment in new game development and will double again in 2026.

• OpenAI abandons 'io' branding for its AI hardware (Wired)
  _{^{More: 9to5Mac, MacRumors, DNyuz}}

  • OpenAI dropped the "io" branding for its upcoming hardware following a trademark dispute with the audio startup iyO.

  • First device won't ship before February 2027, later than the previously announced second-half 2026 target.

  • Company rebranding consumer hardware strategy while continuing development with designer Jony Ive.

AND MORE

• Portugal elects Socialist António José Seguro as president with a decisive vote share.

• TechCrunch reports India orders social platforms to remove deepfakes under new rules.

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• The Swiss government announces a commitment of up to CHF 200M toward the infrastructure for the 2038 Winter Olympics bid.

• Taiwan criticizes the sentencing of Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, citing free-press concerns.

• The International Olympic Committee is exploring moving future Winter Games earlier due to rising global temperatures.

• Munich Security Conference set to convene world leaders to address global geopolitical instability.

• Canadian regulators approve first at-home oral HIV self-test, expanding public health diagnostics.

• AP News reports that the Israeli security cabinet has approved expanded control measures in the West Bank.