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

In today’s edition we are tackling the following:

👓 Alibaba debuts Quark smart glasses with Qwen AI for translation and scanning.
🏦 EU moves to require financial-ad verification, pressuring Meta and TikTok platforms.
⚖️ Intel rejects TSMC allegations an executive leaked advanced chip technology.
🌎 Brazil asks U.S. for help combating organized crime and weapons smuggling.
🤖 MIT finds current AI could replace roughly 12% of American workers.

TECHNOLOGY

• What to know about a recent Mixpanel security incident (OpenAI) 

  _{^{More: BleepingComputer, SecurityWeek, Heise Online}}

  • Analytics provider Mixpanel detected unauthorized access on November 9 resulting in export of limited OpenAI API user data.

  • Exposed data included names, emails, and approximate locations, but no passwords or API keys.

  • OpenAI cut ties with Mixpanel and strengthened vendor checks after a smishing attack affected customers.

• China's tech giants move AI model training overseas to tap Nvidia chips, FT reports (Reuters) 

  _{^{More: Financial Times, Tom's Hardware, Semafor}}

  • Alibaba and ByteDance train large language models in Southeast Asian data centers to access Nvidia's advanced chips.

  • Training surge follows April restrictions on H20 chip sales, with companies leasing overseas facilities owned by non-Chinese entities.

  • DeepSeek trains domestically using stockpiled Nvidia chips, collaborating with Huawei on next-generation Chinese AI semiconductors.

• Alibaba releases Quark smart glasses with its Qwen AI built In (Bloomberg) 

  _{^{More: CNBC, CBS News, Silicon Republic}}

  • Alibaba launches Quark S1 smart glasses at $537 with Micro-OLED displays, competing against Meta's Ray-Ban offerings.

  • Device features built-in Qwen AI for translation, meeting notes, and instant Taobao price scanning via camera.

  • Smart glasses market projected to exceed 10 million unit shipments by 2026, doubling from 2025 levels.

BUSINESS

• Social media giants Meta, TikTok liable for financial scams under new EU law (Politico EU) 

  _{^{More: Irish Times, Security Brief, Payment Expert}}

  • Ireland leads EU push to make social platforms verify financial advertisers before publishing ads amid €4.3 billion scam crisis.

  • Proposed amendment to Payment Services Directive would require platforms to screen advertisers' Central Bank registration status.

  • Tech firms argue verification mandates conflict with Digital Services Act's prohibition on general content monitoring.

• Intel denies TSMC allegations that executive leaked trade secrets (Reuters) 

  _{^{More: Bloomberg, CNBC, Focus Taiwan}}

  • Intel rejects TSMC lawsuit alleging Wei-Jen Lo leaked 2-nanometer and A14 process technology secrets after joining company.

  • Former TSMC senior vice president accessed sensitive data before October retirement, violating non-compete agreement according to suit.

  • Taiwan prosecutors searched Lo's homes Wednesday as government investigates potential National Security Act violations.

• Pimco sells stake in troubled Brazil telecom operator Oi (Bloomberg)

  • Pimco exits investment in Brazil's Oi after years of bankruptcy proceedings and restructuring challenges.

  • Sale marks end of bond giant's involvement with troubled telecom operator that struggled with massive debt.

  • Move reflects broader investor retreat from distressed Brazilian telecommunications sector amid regulatory and financial pressures.

MARKETS

WORLD

• Brazil seeks U.S. help to fight organized crime, weapons smuggling (Bloomberg) 

  ^{_{More: Reuters, UNN}}

  • Brazilian government requests American assistance combating transnational criminal organizations and illegal arms trafficking across borders.

  • Cooperation aims to disrupt sophisticated smuggling networks that funnel weapons into favelas and organized crime groups.

  • Initiative follows surge in gang violence and recognition that cross-border enforcement requires bilateral coordination.

• Sheinbaum eyes FIFA World Cup draw for first meeting with Trump (Bloomberg) 

  ^{_{More: NY Times,  Breaking The News}}

  • Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum plans to meet President Trump during December World Cup draw ceremony.

  • Meeting would mark first face-to-face encounter since Sheinbaum took office, focusing on 2026 tournament cooperation.

  • Diplomatic engagement comes amid ongoing trade and immigration tensions between neighboring nations and tournament co-hosts.

• Michael Bloomberg: Ukraine peace deal must be worth the price (Bloomberg Opinion) 

  • Bloomberg argues any Ukraine settlement should ensure territorial integrity and prevent future Russian aggression cycles.

  • Peace agreement must include security guarantees and reconstruction support to make costly concessions strategically justifiable.

  • Opinion warns against rushed diplomatic solutions that sacrifice Ukrainian sovereignty for temporary geopolitical stability.

FUTURISM

• MIT study finds AI can already replace 11.7% of U.S. workforce (CNBC)
  ^{_{More: Fortune, Fast Company}}

  • MIT research identifies current AI capabilities could substitute for nearly 12 percent of American workers immediately.

  • Study focuses on task-level automation potential rather than complete job elimination, emphasizing partial workforce displacement.

  • Findings suggest gradual labor market transformation as AI adoption accelerates across white-collar and service sectors.

• Godfather of AI predicts breakdown of society (Futurism) 

  ^{_{More: CNN, The Guardian,Yahoo News}}

  • Geoffrey Hinton warns artificial intelligence development could trigger societal collapse without proper governance frameworks.

  • AI pioneer expresses concern about unchecked technological advancement outpacing human ability to manage consequences.

  • Statement reflects growing alarm among leading researchers about existential risks from advanced AI systems.

• Insurance industry grapples with cyber risk from AI (Futurism) 

  • Insurers struggle to price cybersecurity policies as AI-powered attacks become more sophisticated and frequent.

  • Industry faces challenge modeling risks from autonomous hacking tools that evolve faster than traditional threat assessment.

  • Coverage gaps emerge as AI-enabled breaches outpace underwriting models, forcing policy exclusions and premium increases.

CONTENT

• AI Expert: We have 2 years before everything changes! (Diary of a CEO)

  • Tristan Harris warns AGI progress could disrupt economies, challenge institutions, and spark global instability far sooner than expected.

  • He warns that competition fuels unsafe AI advances, and that these raise manipulation risks and accelerate job losses.

  • The conversation highlights China’s rapid AI buildup, rising humanoid robotics, and urgent calls for political action and public preparedness.

• The 17k civilians prepping for a Russian invasion on NATO’s Eastern border (WSJ)

  • WSJ reports on Lithuania’s Riflemen’s Brigade training thousands of civilians to respond quickly to potential Russian incursions.

  • The documentary examines escalating hybrid attacks targeting infrastructure and morale across the Baltic region as tensions intensify.

  • Officials outline expanded border defenses and community readiness programs designed to strengthen NATO’s eastern frontier resilience.

• SO MANY THINGS need to go right just to watch a TikTok! (This week in startups)

  • Alex and Gou Rao unpack IT-ops complexity and show how Hawkeye pinpoints system failures through context engineering.

  • The episode covers Subject AI’s gamified learning model and its tools for improving classroom engagement and student interaction.

  • A flashback with Alexandr Wang explains why AI doomsday fears and ambitious AGI claims are largely overstated.

EXTRAS

• Campbell's explores bioengineered chicken from 3D printer (Futurism)
  ^{_{More: The Guardian, Finance Yahoo, Business Insider}}

  • Food giant investigates cultured meat technology for potential soup products using bioprinting manufacturing processes.

  • Partnership explores scalability of lab-grown poultry as sustainable protein alternative to conventional animal agriculture.

  • Initiative signals mainstream food industry's growing interest in cellular agriculture and alternative protein production.

• Meta announces Hyperion data center in Louisiana (Futurism) 

  ^{_{More:  Meta}} , ^{_{The Wall Street Journal}}

  • Meta plans massive AI infrastructure facility in Louisiana to support growing computational demands of machine learning.

  • Hyperion project represents multi-billion dollar investment in regional technology infrastructure and employment opportunities.

  • Data center will power Meta's artificial intelligence research and product development across platforms.

• China launches emergency mission to space station (Futurism) 

  _{^{More: Reuters, AlJazeera}}

  • Chinese space agency deploys unscheduled Shenzhou mission responding to critical technical issue aboard Tiangong station.

  • Emergency launch underscores China's growing orbital capabilities and commitment to maintaining continuous crewed presence.

  • Mission aims to address equipment malfunction or crew rotation necessity, demonstrating rapid response capabilities.

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AND MORE

• South Korea exports likely rose 5.7 % in November, buoyed by strong semiconductor demand and a recent US trade deal.

• China’s industrial firms saw profits fall 5.5 % in October, after two months of gains, as domestic demand weakened.

• Euro-zone bank lending remained stable in October while economic-sentiment edged up, signalling modest growth.

• Investors may rotate away from U.S.-led AI winners—boosting some undervalued Asian equities.

• The global economy’s 2025–27 growth forecast was revised slightly up, driven by stronger outlook for China.

• COP30 climate conference ended without fossil-fuel phase-out targets—major disappointment for campaigners.

• Bank of Mexico cut its 2025 growth forecast to 0.3 % and raised near-term inflation expectations.

• European Central Bank lending and money-supply data show households and firms maintaining credit growth in the euro area.

• Our new report shows how top U.S. firms are escaping the H-1B chaos through smarter, faster, borderless hiring.*