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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

🧊 Microsoft debuts zero water cooling for new data centers
🧑‍💻 Thinking Machines resignations grow as a massive funding round stalls
📚 Wikipedia at 25 confronts regulators, AI scraping, and political pressure
🧾 Researchers find major AI models can reproduce copyrighted books near verbatim
🌍 Trump threatens tariffs over opposition to Greenland takeover

TECHNOLOGY

• OpenAI to begin testing ads on ChatGPT in U.S. (CNBC)
  _{^{More: Bloomberg, Axios, 9to5Mac}}

  • OpenAI will test ads at bottom of ChatGPT answers for free and Go tiers.

  • Ads will be labeled sponsored, influenced by conversations but not shared with advertisers directly.

  • Plus and Pro subscriptions remain ad-free; under-18 users won't see advertisements at all.

• Meta discontinues Horizon Workrooms metaverse for work (The Verge)
  _{^{More: Android Headlines, Road to VR, Windows Report}}

  • Meta will shut down Horizon Workrooms on February 16 after cutting Reality Labs workforce.

  • Company stops selling commercial Quest headsets and managed services effective February 20, 2026 overall.

  • Meta shifts focus to mobile metaverse experiences rather than immersive VR workplace collaboration tools.

• Microsoft advances zero-water data centers in West Des Moines (Techstrong IT)

  • Microsoft's next two buildings use zero-water cooling technology, dramatically reducing municipal water strain significantly.

  • Closed-loop systems circulate coolant without continuous evaporation, saving millions of gallons per month.

  • The approach reflects global shift as Microsoft standardizes next-generation cooling avoiding evaporative water loss.

BUSINESS

• Thinking Machines exodus deepens as funding stalls (Implicator)
  _{^{More: WIRED}}

  • More employees resigned after Thursday all-hands meeting following CTO Barret Zoph's controversial departure recently.

  • The fifty billion dollar funding round has stalled amid leadership disagreements on product direction.

  • Sources reveal founders never aligned on what to build; only Tinker API exists currently.

• TikTok to tighten age checks in Europe (Reuters)
  ^{_{More: Engadget, TechRepublic, UPI}}

  • TikTok rolls out age-detection technology across Europe analyzing profiles, videos, and behavioral signals effectively.

  • Flagged accounts reviewed by specialist moderators rather than automatically banned for better accuracy outcomes.

  • Technology built specifically for Europe's strict GDPR requirements with Irish regulator consultation throughout development.

• Wikipedia may be the largest compendium of human knowledge ever created, but can it survive? (Financial Times)
  _{^{More: Wikimedia Foundation}}

  • Wikipedia marks 25th anniversary facing challenges from regulators, AI companies, and political pressure globally.

  • Gunman interrupted WikiCon with loaded pistol protesting moderation policies before being subdued by organizers.

  • Platform battles declining editor numbers, AI traffic decline, regulatory threats while maintaining neutrality standards.

• 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 new tariffs on countries opposed to Greenland takeover (BBC)
  _{^{More: Al Jazeera, CNBC, CBS News}}

  • Trump threatens tariffs on nations opposing Greenland annexation, citing national security needs for acquisition.

  • Bipartisan congressional delegation visits Greenland as European allies deploy troops in reconnaissance mission.

  • Denmark warns military action would end NATO; Trump envoy says US seeks deal directly.

• Machado vows to lead Venezuela 'when right time comes' (BBC)
  ^{_{More: CNN, NPR, The Hill}}

  • Opposition leader Machado vows to become Venezuela's first woman president when right time arrives.

  • Trump works with interim president Rodríguez instead, citing Iraq lessons; CIA director holds talks.

  • Rodríguez announces oil reforms allowing foreign investment in departure from Maduro's policies significantly.

• Viettel begins construction of Vietnam's first chip plant (Reuters)
  _{^{More: VnExpress, Nikkei Asia}}

  • Military-run Viettel breaks ground on 27-hectare semiconductor fabrication facility in Hoa Lac Park.

  • Trial production of chips targeted for late 2027 with full operations by 2030 timeline.

  • Vietnam aims to train 50,000 chip engineers by 2030 building comprehensive semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem.

FUTURISM

• AI models found to reproduce copyrighted books near-verbatim (Futurism)
  ^{_{More: The Atlantic, Stanford Study, Reuters}}

  • Stanford and Yale researchers found four major LLMs reproduce copyrighted texts with stunning accuracy.

  • Claude output entire books with 95.8% accuracy; Gemini reproduced Harry Potter with 76.8% accuracy.

  • Findings undermine industry's "learning not storing" defense in ongoing copyright litigation battles nationally.

• ICE using AI for recruitment screening (Futurism)

  • Immigration and Customs Enforcement deploying AI tools to screen and evaluate job applicants systematically.

  • Technology analyzes applicant data raising concerns about bias and transparency in hiring decisions.

  • Civil liberties groups question lack of oversight and potential discrimination in automated recruitment processes.

• Wikipedia strikes AI deals with tech companies (Futurism)

  • Wikipedia announces enterprise AI licensing agreements with Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Perplexity, and Mistral.

  • Deals formalize AI companies' access while generating revenue to support nonprofit mission and infrastructure.

  • Human traffic fell 8% as AI chatbots summarize Wikipedia content instead of directing users.

CONTENT

• Siri is a Gemini (The Vergecast)

  • Apple’s stalled Siri reboot gets a new path via Google Gemini, reshaping assistant capability expectations and timelines.

  • David Pierce and Nilay Patel unpack the deal’s incentives, tradeoffs, and how it affects Apple and Google.

  • The episode broadens to AI fallout, platform accountability, and Big Tech pivots away from VR toward AI.

• AI Can’t Replace Juniors" - AWS CEO (The PrimeTime)

  • AWS CEO Matt Garman argues junior roles are essential for building judgment, context, and long-term technical leadership.

  • He frames AI as a productivity amplifier, especially for early-career workers learning faster through assisted workflows.

  • The takeaway is workforce compounding, where eliminating juniors erodes the future senior pipeline and resilience.

• Ed Elson & Kyla Scanlon on Why Young Americans Feel Stuck in Today’s Economy | Office Hours (The Prof G Pod)

  • Ed Elson and Kyla Scanlon explain why younger Americans feel blocked despite headline growth and low unemployment.

  • They break down misleading signals, highlighting indicators that mask affordability strain, debt burdens, and wage reality.

  • They offer a media filter, emphasizing narrative discipline, primary data checks, and calmer frameworks for decision-making.

EXTRAS

• DoorDash revenue chief Lee Brown departs (Bloomberg)
  ^{_{More: The Information, Archyde, Intellectia}}

  • DoorDash Chief Revenue Officer Lee Brown exits after less than six months in role.

  • Departure comes amid company's efforts to diversify revenue beyond core restaurant delivery business.

  • Shanna Prevé promoted from VP to succeed Brown, signaling focus on sustainable profitability strategies.

• Italy probes Microsoft over Call of Duty sale practices (Reuters)
  _{^{More: TechCrunch, ANSA, The Week}}

  • Italian antitrust authority investigating Microsoft's Activision Blizzard over allegedly misleading and aggressive sales practices.

  • Probe examines Call of Duty Mobile and Diablo Immortal for pushing in-game purchases, loot boxes.

  • Investigation focuses on transparency violations and exploitation of behavioral triggers particularly affecting minors extensively.

• Cloudflare acquires AI startup Human Native (CNBC)
  _{^{More: SiliconANGLE, Tech Startups, Cloudflare Blog}}

  • Cloudflare acquires UK-based Human Native to build AI data marketplace connecting creators and developers.

  • Deal enables content creators to transform work into AI-ready data and monetize transparently.

  • Acquisition strengthens Cloudflare's vision for fair compensation model in AI-driven internet economy significantly.

AND MORE

• Earth’s 2025 temperature nearly matched records, raising climate-risk alarms.

• Cyera hits $9B valuation as data-security demand accelerates in enterprises.

• Iran’s internet access collapses amid protests over worsening economic conditions.

• OpenAI agrees to acquire the team behind executive-coaching tool Convogo.

• Gmail rolls out personalized AI inbox features and expanded AI search overviews.

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

• UN projects 2026 global growth slowdown as tariffs and uncertainty weigh.

• US draft signals support for Ukraine if Russia launches another attack.

• CES 2026 show-floor photo essay captures the event’s quieter human moments.