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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

📌 Access to future AI models in OpenAI’s API may require a verified ID.
🏦 G-7 Central banks prepare first responses to US tariff chaos.
💡 Inside v0’s mission is to create 100M builders with Guillermo Rauch.
💶 France needs 40B euros in savings to reach the 2026 deficit target.
🎵 YouTube’s new AI tool generates free background music for videos.

TECH

• Access to future AI models in OpenAI’s API may require a verified ID

  • OpenAI may soon require organizations to complete an ID verification process to access specific future AI models.

  • Verification requires a government-issued ID from one of the countries supported by OpenAI’s API.

  • An ID can only verify one organization every 90 days, and not all organizations will be eligible for verification, says OpenAI.

• Simulated Musk and Zuckerberg voices are speaking from hacked crosswalk buttons

  • Crosswalk buttons in at least three California cities appear to have been hacked this weekend.

  • The hack was to give them the seemingly AI-generated voices of Tesla CEO Elon Musk and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.

  • In videos posted online, the apparent voice of Musk begs listeners to be his friend, or Zuckerberg brags about ‘undermining democracy’.

• Tech tariff exemptions are only temporary according to Trump’s commerce secretary

  • The tech industry may not be safe from new tariffs, according to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

  • The Trump administration announced Friday evening that consumer electronics would be exempt from the tariffs.

  • Reports about the exemptions noted that tech products might still be affected by targeted tariffs to come.

BUSINESS

• G-7 Central banks prepare first responses to US tariff chaos

  • The first Group of Seven monetary policy decisions may prompt diverging responses from either side of the Atlantic.

  • The European Central Bank is now widely anticipated to reduce interest rates the following day.

  • The next Federal Reserve decision isn’t until May 7, so this week’s meetings put the onus on policymakers to soothe investors.

• Renewable energy’s biggest stress test is here

  • U.S. energy demand is poised to grow upwards of 16% in the next five years, a big difference from the 0.5% it grew each year on average.

  • Subsidies have helped them get through their early days of growth, but President Trump has targeted these technologies.

  • Companies in solar, wind, and hydrogen are facing subsidy walkbacks and tariffs at a time when clean energy providers are essential.

• Looser food standards off the menu in any US-UK trade deal

  • Britain will not relax its food safety standards as part of any deal to secure lower tariffs on its exports to the United States.

  • U.S. President Trump has imposed 10% tariffs on most imports of British goods and a higher 25% rate on imports of cars, steel, and aluminum.

  • Although the tariffs imposed on Britain are at the lower end of the scale Reynolds still viewed the greater trade barriers as ‘disappointing’.

CONTENT

• Inside v0’s mission to create 100M builders with Guillermo Rauch

  • Guillermo Rauch is the founder and CEO of Vercel, creator of v0 and foundational JavaScript frameworks like Next.js and Socket.io.

  • This episode discusses how AI will radically speed up product development and the three critical skills PMs should master.

  • Discussion highlighted Guillermo’s actionable advice on increasing your product quality through rapid iteration, and real-world user feedback.

• Are tariffs good or bad for founders?

  • Hosts delve into the multifaceted impact of tariffs on entrepreneurs, particularly those in hardware and product-based sectors.

  • They discussed that while challenging for many, tariffs can present opportunities for startups that have preemptively diversified.

  • The episode underscores that while tariffs aim to protect domestic industries, they often pose significant challenges for founders.

• Lessons from Jensen Huang & how to fix the UK tech ecosystem

  • This episode discussed the UK’s primary hurdle lies in its talent pipeline, with immigration and retention bottlenecks limiting growth.

  • They also talked about how a surge in venture capital is essential to unlock innovation and scale; current investment levels lag.

  • They shared final insights emphasizing urgency, scale, and founder-first ecosystems as core to future economic wins.

WORLD

• France needs 40B euros in saving to reach 2026 deficit target

  • France's plan to lower its budget deficit to 4.6% of economic output in 2026 from 5.4% this year implies finding 40B euros of savings.

  • "I am sticking to the target of 4.6% for 2026, which will require an extra and very considerable effort worth 40 billion euros," Lombard said.

  • France, the euro zone's second-biggest economy, is targeting a gradual reduction in its budget deficit to meet EU rules.

• China’s March lending jumped on government stimulus push

  • China’s new loans rebounded more than expected in March after a sharp fall in the prior month.

  • Beijing moved to shore up the tariff-hit economy with more muscular fiscal support.

  • New yuan loans issued by banks in China came in at 3.64 trillion yuan, equivalent to $497.64 billion, in March.

• Sudan's RSF claims control of major Darfur camp civilians flee

  • Sudan's Rapid Support Forces seized control of a major camp for displaced people in North Darfur.

  • RFS has left hundreds dead or wounded after a four-day assault the paramilitary group said on Sunday

  • The fighting has centered around the Zamzam camp, which, along with the nearby Abu Shouk camp, hosts some 700,000 people.

AND MORE…

• YouTube’s new AI tool generates free background music for videos

  • YouTube is giving creators a new AI tool that can generate instrumental tracks to use in videos for free without worrying about copyright claims.

  • The new feature was demonstrated in a video posted on the company’s Creator Insider channel this week.

  • YouTube built a music remixer that lets you ‘restyle’ popular songs to add to your Shorts.

• Effortless tutorial video creation with Guidde*

  • Turn PDFs or manuals into stunning video tutorials with a single click. Instantly capture workflows with automated visuals, voiceovers, and call-to-actions.

  • Generate multilingual guides to ensure accessibility for global teams and keep your training materials relevant.

  • The best part? The browser extension is 100% free.

• Apple reportedly working on a Vision Pro that plugs into your Mac

  • The company has been debating the best direction forward for the product after low sales but is now moving forward with 2 new models.

  • One would address probably the two biggest complaints about the initial product. its weight and its $3,500 price tag.

  • Apple is reportedly building another model that would connect to a user’s Macs allowing them to stream the content on their display.

• ChatGPT is transforming LinkedIn users into really dull dolls

  • ChatGPT’s latest image generator had an explosive debut and LinkedIn users have now jumped on a new gimmick: turning yourself into a toy.

  • The ‘AI Action Figure’ variant appears to have gained the most traction, in which a person generates a plastic version of themselves.

  • While the trend started on LinkedIn, it’s since started to leak over to other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.