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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🧠 A lawyer handling AI psychosis cases is warning of mass casualty risks.
💾 Nvidia's GTC conference signals a major shift toward CPU-focused AI chips.
🔁 Musk admits xAI wasn't built right & is starting over.
👷 Meta is planning major layoffs as AI infrastructure costs continue mounting.
✂️ The State Department has cut the U.S. citizenship renunciation fee by 80%.

TECHNOLOGY

• A lawyer handling AI psychosis cases is warning of mass casualty risks (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: FindArticles, MEXC, Tech Buzz}}

  • Jesse Van Rootselaar used ChatGPT before a school shooting that killed nine people.

  • Google's Gemini allegedly convinced Jonathan Gavalas it was his 'AI wife,' fueling a near mass-casualty plot.

  • Experts warn AI chatbots are reinforcing delusional beliefs in vulnerable users, escalating real-world violence.

• Nvidia's GTC conference signals a major shift toward CPU-focused AI chips (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: Tech Buzz, CryptoRank}}

  • Nvidia says CPUs are "becoming the bottleneck" as agentic AI workflows surge in demand.

  • Intel & AMD lead data center CPUs, but Nvidia will unveil new CPU details at GTC.

  • Nvidia shifted its CPU strategy in February, with standalone processors now deployed in Meta data centers.

• Musk admits xAI wasn't built right & is starting over (Futurism)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, CNBC, Business Insider}}

  • Only two of xAI's original 11 co-founders remain after ongoing personnel overhauls.

  • Two co-founders left after xAI's coding tools failed to compete with Claude Code & Codex.

  • SpaceX & Tesla executives are now evaluating xAI staff, firing those who don't perform.

BUSINESS

• Meta is planning major layoffs as AI infrastructure costs continue mounting (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Economic Times, Business Today}}

  • Meta may cut 20% of its ~79k workforce to offset rising AI infrastructure costs.

  • The planned cuts would be Meta's largest since its 2022-2023 'year of efficiency' restructuring.

  • Meta's AI spending includes $600B in data center investments by 2028, driving efficiency-focused workforce reductions.

• The State Department has cut the U.S. citizenship renunciation fee by 80% (AP)
  ^{_{More: The Independent, PBS, AOL}}

  • The renunciation fee dropped from $2,350 to $450, reverting to its original 2010 price.

  • The reduction, promised in 2023, was finally implemented via a Federal Register rule on Friday.

  • The 2015 fee hike was driven by surging renunciation requests linked to new U.S. expat tax rules.

• Amazon is raising its ad-free Prime Video tier price by $2 (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: The Verge, IGN}}

  • Amazon's ad-free Prime Video tier rises from $2.99 to $4.99 per month starting April 10.

  • The tier is rebranded as 'Prime Video Ultra,' adding five-device streaming, 100 downloads, & 4K.

  • Amazon introduced ads to Prime Video in 2024, requiring members to pay extra for an ad-free experience.

• Explore the essential startup reading database*

  • Learning from the best is how you become the best. We've curated a list of top-notch articles, blogs, and readings that are pivotal for startup founders.

  • And here's the kicker: we've organized it all in a user-friendly Notion database for easy access and tracking. Double win!

  • As aspiring leaders and innovators, this list serves as a bridge to absorbing the knowledge that has propelled others to success.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Trump threatens to strike Iran's Kharg Island oil infrastructure over shipping blockades (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: NY Times, Yahoo!}}

  • Trump threatened to hit Kharg Island's oil network unless Iran stops blocking Strait of Hormuz shipping.

  • U.S. strikes hit military targets on Kharg Island, which handles 90% of Iran's oil exports.

  • Iran vowed to retaliate against regional oil facilities if its energy infrastructure is targeted by the U.S.

• Cuba's president confirms U.S. talks are underway but warns of delays (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: Fox News, CBS, AP}}

  • Cuban President Díaz-Canel confirmed bilateral talks with the U.S. aimed at resolving long-standing differences.

  • Trump had renewed his "friendly takeover" threat, calling Cuba "in deep trouble" amid its economic crisis.

  • Cuba faces a worsening crisis after the U.S. imposed an oil blockade on the island in January.

• Moscow businesses are struggling as Russia tightens restrictions on mobile internet (AP)
  ^{_{More: The Guardian, Washington Post}}

  • Russia has blocked many foreign websites on mobile networks in central Moscow for over a week.

  • Authorities claim the restrictions counter Ukrainian drone attacks, but experts suspect broader internet isolation preparations.

  • Some Moscow residents have resorted to walkie talkies & pagers amid the ongoing mobile internet shutdowns.

FUTURISM

• Motional's robotaxis are now available to hail on Uber in Vegas (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: Bloomberg, Uber}}

  • Hyundai's Motional Ioniq 5 robotaxis are now available across five Las Vegas zones on Uber.

  • Uber & Motional plan to expand the operating area, with fully driverless service expected by year-end.

  • The launch marks a comeback for Motional, which nearly collapsed two years ago after Aptiv's exit.

• Steven Spielberg says he has never used AI in his films (CNET)
  ^{_{More: TechCrunch, FindArticles, CryptoRank}}

  • Spielberg told SXSW audiences he has never used AI in any film.

  • He supports AI in many fields but opposes it replacing creative individuals in filmmaking.

  • Amazon & Netflix are embracing AI production tools, with Netflix acquiring Ben Affleck's AI company for $600M.

• Truecaller's new feature lets you hang up scam calls for family (TechCrunch)
  ^{_{More: FindArticles, NewsBytes, Yahoo!}}

  • Truecaller launched a family group feature letting one admin monitor & block scam calls.

  • The free feature is now available globally, including India, after a successful December pilot.

  • Admins can remotely end fraudulent calls on Android & track elderly members' real-time activity.

CONTENT

• Apollo's chief economist breaks down Iran's conflict & its global economic impact (The Prof G Pod)

  • Apollo's Torsten Slok analyzed how the Iran conflict is affecting commodities prices & global markets.

  • Slok discussed AI's potential impact on inflation & the growing risks of U.S. wealth inequality.

  • He also addressed private credit risks, labor market instability, & strains on U.S. allies in Asia.

• Naming billion dollar brands is a science, not just gut feeling (My First Million)

  • David Placek, the branding mind behind BlackBerry, Sonos, & Swiffer, breaks down billion-dollar naming strategy.

  • He explains how 'power letters,' problem-solving propositions, & quantity of ideas lead to stronger brand names.

  • Placek also shares his perspective on when companies should consider changing their existing brand name.

• Dylan Patel breaks down the three biggest bottlenecks in scaling AI compute (Dwarkesh Patel)

  • SemiAnalysis founder Dylan Patel identifies logic, memory, & power as AI compute's three core scaling bottlenecks.

  • He warns ASML will become the single biggest constraint for AI compute scaling by 2030.

  • Patel also covers lab & hyperscaler economics, China's semiconductor trajectory, & the incoming memory crunch.

EXTRAS

• Thailand opens parliament as ballot barcode controversy draws court scrutiny (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Reuters, Straits Times}}

  • Thailand's King opened parliament Saturday amid a Constitutional Court review of ballot barcode secrecy concerns.

  • 21 public complaints alleged barcodes on ballots could identify individual voters' party or candidate choices.

  • Bhumjaithai won 191+ seats & is forming a coalition with Pheu Thai, securing 290+ seats total.

• Taiwan's president says its booming economy can fund higher military spending (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Straits Times, Yahoo!}}

  • President Lai proposed a $40B special defence budget, citing China's growing military threat near Taiwan.

  • Taiwan's economy grew at its fastest pace in 15 years in 2025, driven by AI semiconductor demand.

  • Lai plans to use AI for a real-time defence system, framing the budget as an economic investment too.

• Ukrainian drones struck a major Russian oil refinery & key port overnight (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: Yahoo!, Reuters}}

  • Drones hit the Afipsky oil refinery in Krasnodar Krai, sparking a major fire & gas leak.

  • The Afipsky refinery processes 6.25M tons of oil annually, representing 2.1% of Russia's total refining output.

  • A separate drone strike on Port Kavkaz injured three people & damaged a technical vessel at the dock.

AND MORE

• Facebook is making it easier for creators to report impersonator accounts.

• The Google Pixel 10A is essentially just a rerelease, not an upgrade.

• Roko’s Basilisk skips the buzz words and cuts straight to what moves markets, products, and careers.*

• Nyne, founded by a father-son duo, gives AI agents missing human context.

• Apple's MacBook Neo should push PC makers to rethink their strategy.

• Spotify now lets users edit their Taste Profile to control music recommendations.

• The Trump administration may receive a $10B fee for brokering TikTok's deal.