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

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

📉 Discord co-founder and CEO Jason Citron is stepping down.
🤖 OpenAI seeks to make its upcoming ‘open’ AI model best-in-class.
🛩️ Alaska Air withholds full-year outlook as second-quarter forecast misses estimates.
🍎 Apple and Meta are the first to be hit by the E.U. digital competition law.
🌊 South Korea expressed concern over the Chinese structure in disputed area of sea.

TECH

• Discord co-founder and CEO Jason Citron is stepping down

  • Discord co-founder and CEO Jason Citron is stepping down and will be replaced by former Activision Blizzard and King exec Humam Sakhnini.

  • Sakhnini takes over on April 28th. Citron will stay on the board of directors and serve as an advisor to the CEO.

  • “As we enter our next phase, I’ve been reflecting on how I can best contribute to Discord’s long-term success,” Citron says.

• OpenAI seeks to make its upcoming ‘open’ AI model best-in-class

  • OpenAI announced its intention to release its first ‘open’ language model since GPT-2 sometime this year.

  • Now, details about that model are beginning to trickle out from the company’s sessions with the AI developer community.

  • Aidan Clark, OpenAI’s VP of research, is leading the development of the open model, which is in the very early stages.

• Unlock tomorrow’s potential through Futuristica’s daily deep dives*

  • Follow the latest developments in AI architecture, self-replicating systems, and radical biotech innovations transforming modern industries.

  • Delve into pioneering robotics achievements, from drone swarms to sensor-enabled prosthetics, each reshaping entire sectors overnight.

  • Learn how blockchain extends beyond cryptocurrencies, revolutionizing transparency, operational efficiency, and security for global businesses.

• Lexus’ redesigned ES sedan can be electric or hybrid

  • Lexus’s mid-sized ES luxury sedan is getting a redesign for its eighth generation that includes some edgier styling.

  • It also includes a significant platform change that accommodates both an all-electric drivetrain and a regular hybrid one.

  • Revealed at the Shanghai Auto Show today, the 2026 ES is Lexus’ second electric vehicle after the RZ, which was just refreshed in March.

BUSINESS

• Alaska Air withholds full-year outlook as second-quarter forecast misses estimates

  • Alaska Airlines said it expects a six-percentage-point hit to revenue in the second quarter.

  • The carrier anticipates adjusted earnings per share of $1.15 to $1.65, lower than the $2.47 a share Wall Street analysts had forecast.

  • Adjusting for one-time items, Alaska reported a loss of 77 cents per share for the three months that ended March 31, below analysts' estimates.

• Apple and Meta are the first to be hit by the E.U. digital competition law

  • The European Commission has fined Apple €500M and Meta €200M for breaking rules on fair competition and user choice.

  • The fines under the EU Digital Markets Act which is intended to ensure fair business practices by tech companies.

  • These fines are likely to provide another flashpoint with Donald Trump’s administration, which has fiercely attacked Europe’s internet regulation.

• Oil holds decline with focus on OPEC+ supply and tariff outlook

  • Oil held a decline as investors weighed the prospect of more OPEC+ supply and the fallout from trade tensions between the US and China.

  • Brent traded near $66 a barrel after sliding 2% on Wednesday, while West Texas Intermediate was above $62.

  • Oil dropped sharply this month on concerns that US tariffs and counter-levies from its biggest trading partners will impact energy demand.

CONTENT

• Powering the next big things with Erin Price-Wright and Doug Bourum

  • Secretary Doug Burgum shares his journey from tech entrepreneur to Governor of North Dakota, and now Secretary of the Interior.

  • Applying business principles to government, innovation over regulation, treating taxpayers like customers, and boosting energy independence.

  • He advocates for a U.S. mining revival to secure critical minerals, reduce dependency on China, and do so cleaner and safer through tech.

• Hunter Isaacson’s 250M+ app download blueprint

  • Hunter Isaacson shares his framework for building successful mobile apps, including NGL (250M downloads) and Bags.

  • He discussed the importance of creating simple experiences with strong branding that people can understand and resonate with.

  • He also shared how to identify core metrics and growth loops that drive user engagement and viral sharing.

• The Kill Chain: 2025 edition with Chris Brose

  • In this conversation, The Kill Chain author reflects on his predictions of warfare.

  • At Anduril, this shift has influenced their evolution from experimental defense tech into full-scale production.

  • The guest emphasizes the importance of industrial capacity as the next frontier: it's no longer just about innovation, it’s about producing at scale.

WORLD

• South Korea expressed concern over the Chinese structure in disputed area of sea

  • South Korea expressed "deep concern" over China erecting a sea structure off the west coast of the Korean Peninsula.

  • The Chinese side during the meeting had explained that the structure was fish-farming equipment and had nothing to do with territorial rights.

  • The structure in a disputed area of the Yellow Sea, known in South Korea as the West Sea, has raised alarm bells in Seoul.

• Australia’s Labor pledges new critical minerals reserve

  • Australia’s ruling Labor party will create a critical mineral reserve if it’s re-elected in an upcoming ballot.

  • A Labor government will make an initial investment of A$1.2B in the strategic reserve, to be operational in the 2nd half of next year.

  • Australia is the biggest producer of rare earths outside of China, and Albanese has previously flagged a reserve to build resilience.

• Aid funding disrupts child vaccinations almost as much as the pandemic, says UN

  • Global aid funding cuts, led by the United States, are disrupting efforts to vaccinate children against deadly diseases as much as COVID-19.

  • Outbreaks of infectious diseases, including measles, meningitis, and yellow fever, have been increasing globally.

  • Cuts to funding also reduced vaccine supplies and hampered disease surveillance, the WHO and UNICEF said in a joint release with Gavi.

AND MORE…

• Perplexity’s AI voice assistant is now available on iOS

  • Perplexity’s iOS App just got an update enabling support for the company’s conversational AI voice assistant.

  • Now Apple users can activate the assistant in the app and ask it to perform tasks like writing emails and making dinner reservations.

  • You can even navigate away from the app and continue to speak to Perplexity, although it doesn’t yet support screen sharing.

• WhatsApp now lets you block people from exporting your entire chat history

  • WhatsApp is launching a new ‘Advanced Chat Privacy’ feature that aims to prevent people from taking conversations outside the app.

  • When the setting is turned on, you can block others from exporting your chat history and automatically downloading photos and videos in the app.

  • The feature will prevent people from using messages for Meta AI as well, which you can currently use to ask questions within a chat.

• Musk’s Neuralink eyes fundraise at $8.5B valuation

  • Elon Musk's brain implant company, Neuralink, is reportedly planning to raise approximately $500M, valuing the company at valuation of $ 8.5 B.

  • Neuralink is currently testing a device aimed at assisting individuals with spinal cord injuries.

  • This innovative device has already enabled the first patient to engage in activities such as playing video games and browsing the internet.