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

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

🌱 Google reveals energy, emissions, and water tied to Gemini AI queries.
🧠 Microsoft AI chief warns studying consciousness could deepen social harm.
🏛️ Trump names Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia as first government design chief.
🎬 Amazon bets on AI agents as the next big computing shift.
📺 Apple TV+ raises monthly subscription price for new users.

TECHNOLOGY

• Google wants you to know the environmental cost of quizzing its AI

  • Google reports a Gemini AI text query uses 0.24 Wh of energy, emits 0.03 g of CO₂, and uses about five drops of water.

  • Energy per query has dropped around thirtyfold over the past year, though total emissions rose 51 % since 2019.

  • Experts urge wider adoption of prompt simplicity, smaller models, and cleaner energy to offset AI’s growing environmental footprint.

• Microsoft AI chief says it’s ‘dangerous’ to study AI consciousness

  • Mustafa Suleyman warns that exploring AI welfare and consciousness risks deepening human mental health issues and social divisions.

  • He argues that framing AI as conscious reinforces unhealthy attachments and misinformation amid escalating AI reliance.

  • Critics respond that parallel research can mitigate harm while addressing consciousness inquiries—both paths deserve pursuit.

• Popular streaming service hikes price for some users

  • Apple TV+ monthly subscription rises from $9.99 to $12.99 for new users, the first increase in nearly two years.

  • Existing subscribers will see the increase take effect 30 days after their next renewal date.

  • Annual and Apple One bundle pricing remain unchanged, as the service faces pressure to monetize with expanded content.

BUSINESS

• Trump taps Airbnb co-founder as first government design chief

  • Trump named Airbnb co-founder Joe Gebbia as Chief Design Officer to lead a three-year National Design Studio.

  • This initiative aims to overhaul federal websites’ usability and aesthetics while eliminating redundant design expenses.

  • The studio will report to White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and seek standardized design across agencies.

• Powell is on the cusp of taking a big gamble with the U.S. economy

  • Powell faces a difficult balancing act as rising inflation, tariff-driven price pressures, and cooling jobs collide.

  • Holding rates risks slipping into recession; cutting to shore up jobs may entrench inflation above the 2 percent target.

  • His final Jackson Hole speech presents a calibrated path: easing policy without appearing politically pressured or premature.

• Passengers sue United and Delta for selling 'window' seats with no windows

  • Class-action lawsuits allege that Delta and United deceived passengers by designating window seats adjacent to blank walls.

  • Unlike these carriers, plaintiffs point out that competitors disclose windowless window seats during booking.

  • The suits, filed in San Francisco and New York, seek millions in damages for misrepresentation and breach of trust.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Uganda agrees to take deported migrants from the U.S. if they don’t have criminal records

  • Uganda will take in third-country deportees from the U.S., excluding unaccompanied minors and those with criminal records.

  • Kampala prefers accepting African nationals, but precise numbers and terms are still being negotiated between the two nations.

  • Critics warn the deal risks violating international norms and accuse Uganda of leveraging refugees for political favor.

• Japan proposes ‘economic zone’ linking Indian Ocean to Africa at summit

  • At TICAD 9 in Yokohama, Prime Minister Ishiba proposed a new "Indian Ocean–Africa economic zone" to boost regional connectivity.

  • Japan pledged $5.5 billion in loans via the African Development Bank and will train 30,000 AI professionals over three years.

  • The initiative is seen as Tokyo's strategic bid to counterbalance growing Chinese influence in Africa and reaffirm its global role.

• Netanyahu orders immediate hostage negotiations

  • Netanyahu has authorized simultaneous ceasefire discussions with Hamas and aggressive military operations in Gaza City.

  • The strategy hinges on combining force with diplomacy to extract hostages while pursuing Israel’s goal of defeating Hamas.

  • The plan triggered mounting international alarm over civilian harm and prompted urgent calls for a truce under more humane terms.

CONTENT

• How Intercom rose from the ashes by betting everything on AI

  • Eoghan McCabe recounts returning as CEO, pivoting Intercom into an AI-first company with its Fin agent product.

  • Transformation required cutting 40% of staff, reshaping culture, and introducing radically different pricing at $0.99 per resolved ticket.

  • He argues late-stage SaaS survival demands founder-driven urgency, risk-taking, and the advantage of having “nothing to lose.”

• Can AI fix housing and healthcare affordability?

  • EliseAI founders explain how automation can ease U.S. housing shortages and healthcare inefficiencies by reducing labor costs.

  • They envision fully autonomous buildings with AI managing leasing, maintenance, and operations, later extending the model to healthcare.

  • Discussion highlights regulatory hurdles, capital challenges, and potential for AI-powered solutions to improve affordability.

• Simon Sinek: You’re being lied to about AI’s real purpose

  • Simon Sinek warns AI could erode human skills like empathy, authenticity, and resilience, creating increasingly helpless generations.

  • He stresses the importance of purpose, gratitude, and community to counter AI’s impact on jobs, meaning, and relationships.

  • Conversation urges developing uniquely human traits and friendships as essential defenses against an AI-dominated world.

FUTURISM

• OpenAI lawyers question Meta’s role in Elon Musk’s $97B takeover bid

  • OpenAI subpoenaed Meta for documents related to Zuckerberg’s communications with Musk and xAI around the $97 billion takeover bid.

  • Lawyers seek records of any coordinated financing or restructuring discussions tied to the bid that was ultimately rejected.

  • Meta objected to the subpoena; OpenAI is now pushing the court for a ruling to compel production of those documents.

• Amazon is betting on agents to win the AI race

  • David Luan, head of Amazon’s AGI lab, says AI agents that execute real-world tasks will replace chat-based models.

  • Amazon is building large-scale simulated ‘gyms’ for agents to learn causal, multi-step tasks through reinforcement learning.

  • The goal is high-reliability agent platforms for enterprise, with agents as the next major ‘S-curve’ leap in AI.

• Elon Musk’s X may finally settle $500M severance lawsuit

  • X has agreed to a tentative $500 million settlement with former Twitter employees over unpaid severance claims.

  • A court filing requested and received a delay of the September 17 hearing to finalize the settlement details.

  • The move may resolve a class action regarding Musk’s 2022 layoffs, though other related lawsuits remain pending.

EXTRAS

• Apple Fitness chief Jay Blahnik accused of creating a toxic workplace

  • Nine current or former employees allege Blahnik fostered a verbally abusive, manipulative culture, prompting medical leaves.

  • The lawsuit follows prior settled harassment claims; Apple’s internal review found no wrongdoing.

  • Critics accuse Apple of shielding a high-profile executive while disregarding staff well-being and concerns.

• Stellantis unveils hybrid Jeep Cherokee, amid sales decline

  • The 2026 Cherokee relaunches as a hybrid-only model built on the STLA Large platform, offering 37 MPG and over 500-mile range.

  • It packs a 1.6 L four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, a digital instrument cluster, and advanced safety tech.

  • Starting price is $36,995 — lower than the 2023 model — with trims arriving late 2025 to early 2026.

• The ancient sunken city of Canopus lies off the Alexandria coast

  • Egypt recovered Ptolemaic and Roman artifacts, including sphinxes and statues, from a 2,000-year-old submerged city near Alexandria.

  • The finds mark the first recovery under UNESCO’s 2001 underwater heritage convention, with strict artifact-extraction limits.

  • The discoveries underscore threats from rising sea levels and may be showcased in a forthcoming museum exhibit.

AND MORE

• Wall Street closes lower as investors brace for Fed Chair Powell’s speech.

• U.S. jobless claims rise sharply, signaling growing softness in labor markets.

• Memo readers don’t just scroll—they act. They forward, they buy, they share. Let’s put your brand in that flow.*

• Dayforce agreed to be acquired by Thoma Bravo in a $12.3 billion deal.

• Japan’s core inflation slows in July but remains above the central bank’s 2 percent target.

• Nigeria deports 50 Chinese nationals in sweeping cybercrime crackdown.

• Ecosia proposes a decade-long stewardship deal to manage Google Chrome.

• Athyna connects you with professionals who deliver, not just interview well.*

• Gold slips as dollar strengthens, markets await Jackson Hole policy signals.