AI helped them work faster and better. Then their colleagues found out. New research reveals an unexpected tension in today's workplace: using AI tools can boost performance but damage professional reputation. Data from 4,400 workers shows why many now hide their AI use
A groundbreaking court case in Arizona blurs the line between technology and testimony, as AI enables a deceased victim to address his killer. Legal experts now grapple with profound questions about justice, closure, and the boundaries of courtroom innovation.
AI just rattled Google's $20 billion Apple deal. In court, Apple's Eddy Cue declared AI assistants will replace traditional search 🔍. Google's stock promptly sank 7.3%. Even wilder? Cue predicts the iPhone itself might vanish within a decade 📱. Apple executives eating their own – how refreshing.
Meanwhile, OpenAI snagged tech veteran Fidji Simo to run its booming business empire 🚀. She'll handle the money while Sam Altman tinkers with the tech. Makes sense - when you're burning through $500 billion on something called "Stargate," you probably need a grown-up in the room 💼.
Stay curious,
Marcus Schuler
AI Assistants Could Kill Google's Golden Goose, Apple VP Says
Apple's Eddy Cue testified in court that artificial intelligence will eventually replace traditional search engines, causing Alphabet shares to plummet 7.3% in a single day. The revelation came during the Justice Department's antitrust case against Google.
The senior Apple VO thinks AI tools from companies like OpenAI and Anthropic will revolutionize how people find information online. Google's estimated $20 billion annual payment to remain Safari's default search engine suddenly looks shaky.
Safari searches declined in April 2025 - a first-ever drop that Cue blamed on users turning to AI tools. Google scrambled to counter this claim, but the writing is on the wall. Users increasingly skip traditional search engines for AI assistants that deliver direct answers instead of link lists.
But Cue's most eyebrow-raising prediction went beyond search. "You may not need an iPhone 10 years from now as crazy as it sounds," he told the court. He compared this potential shift to Apple killing the iPod at its peak – a move he called "the best thing we did."
Apple plans to add AI search options to Safari, though they "probably won't be the default" yet. The company has moved cautiously on AI while competitors charged ahead. Its first wave of Apple Intelligence features left users wanting more, while Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses already pack AI capabilities that make Siri look dated.
The testimony reveals a shifting tech landscape. Traditional search engines might follow the iPod's fate – replaced by AI that grasps context and delivers precise answers. Google faces threats from all sides: legal troubles over ad tech monopoly, scrutiny of its search deals, and AI endangering its business model.
Why this matters:
Google's $20 billion search deal with Apple, once considered bulletproof, looks increasingly fragile as AI reshapes information discovery
Even Apple admits the iPhone's reign might end in an AI-first world – a stunning admission from the company that revolutionized smartphones
Prompt: A very strange creature with a face and hands like a human and a body like a fat elephant. He is sitting on the streets of India begging. There is a bowl for money in front of him. Indian people pass by him.
Mistral AI Launches New Language Model at Lower Cost
Mistral AI unveiled a model that matches top AI performance while cutting costs by 87%. The French startup's Medium 3 performs on par with leading models at $0.40 per million input tokens.
The model runs on just four GPUs – making it accessible for smaller companies. It matches 90% of Claude Sonnet's capabilities while costing eight times less.
Mistral also launched Le Chat Enterprise, connecting with common business tools like Google Drive and SharePoint. The platform works on public cloud or private infrastructure.
Why this matters:
Companies can now deploy powerful AI without enterprise-level budgets
Silicon Valley loses its cost advantage as efficient models emerge
Create a professional, well-structured company memo that effectively communicates all key information to the intended audience.
Content Requirements Transform the provided key points into a comprehensive memo * Maintain a professional tone throughout * Address all information clearly and concisely * Tailor the language and detail level to the specified audience * Include an executive summary at the beginning (2-3 sentences) * End with clear next steps or action items when applicable
Format Specifications Use a logical hierarchy with clearly labeled sections: * Title/Subject line * Date and distribution list * Purpose statement * Main content sections with descriptive headings * Conclusion with required actions and timeline * Contact information for follow-up questions
Incorporate professional formatting elements * Bullet points for lists * Bold text for emphasis on key points * Tables for comparing data (when relevant) * Numbered lists for sequential instructions or processes
Style Guidelines * Use active voice and direct language * Keep paragraphs under 4-5 lines for readability * Avoid jargon unless necessary for the specific audience * Maintain objective tone while conveying urgency when needed * Use consistent tense throughout
Output Deliver a complete, ready-to-distribute memo that requires minimal editing and effectively communicates all necessary information.
Tech Veteran Takes New Role at OpenAI
OpenAI is splitting its top job. Instacart CEO Fidji Simo will run products and business, while Sam Altman focuses on research and safety.
The move comes as OpenAI grows fast. The company just got $40 billion from investors and runs massive projects like the $500 billion Stargate initiative. What started as a research lab now needs two leaders - one for tech, one for business.
Simo knows big tech. She ran Facebook's main app for a decade before leading Instacart. She's watched OpenAI up close since joining its board last March. Now she'll manage its business teams directly.
She'll stay at Instacart through summer to help pick her replacement. The news leaked early, pushing both companies to announce weeks ahead of schedule.
The timing works. OpenAI has outgrown its old setup, and other AI companies are also adding executives. Simo's experience running a public company helps too - especially as Washington pushes for more AI oversight.
Why this matters:
OpenAI now needs two types of skill: technical genius to build AI safely, and business sense to turn it into products
It shows how AI companies are growing up - from labs to global businesses
Trump's team will ditch Biden's three-tier system for controlling AI chip exports when it takes effect May 15, opting instead for direct negotiations with countries like UAE and Saudi Arabia. The change won't affect China restrictions but lets other nations strike individual deals for chip access, with their terms potentially shaped by investment promises and diplomatic ties.
Anthropic launches web search API for Claude AI
Anthropic added web search capabilities to its Claude AI models, letting developers build apps that tap current online information. The new API, starting at $10 per 1,000 searches, works with Claude 3.7 and 3.5 models and lets developers control which domains Claude can access.
Apple fights order to stop app store payment control
Apple seeks to pause a court order that would let developers bypass its App Store payment system. The company claims last week's ruling causes "grave irreparable harm" and fights a judge's finding that it "willfully" violated a 2021 order about steering users to external payment options.
Gates Foundation to close by 2045, plans $200 billion final push
Bill Gates will spend down his fortune and close his foundation by 2045, two decades earlier than planned, despite Trump's gutting of foreign aid. The foundation aims to save millions more lives through new tools like AI-powered healthcare and gene therapies, though Gates warns recent aid cuts could mean "millions of additional deaths of kids" in the meantime.
AI tools flood open-source project with fake security reports
Daniel Stenberg, creator of the curl software project, faces a surge of AI-generated security reports that waste his time - spotting them by their suspiciously polite tone and perfect formatting, a style no human uses in first drafts. HackerOne, which manages bug bounties, now treats these AI-hallucinated vulnerabilities as spam.
EU pressured to make tech firms screen financial ads for scams
Ireland wants the EU to make social media platforms check if financial advertisers are legitimate before posting their ads, targeting scams that cost Europeans €4.3bn in 2022. The EU Commission resists the plan, saying it conflicts with digital content laws, while affected companies like Google and Meta stay quiet.
Match Group hits turbulence as Tinder users drop
Match Group saw paid users drop more than analysts expected, with Tinder's parent company now projecting the app won't return to growth until 2027 - though first-quarter revenue beat estimates at $831 million thanks to favorable exchange rates. The company aims to right the ship with new features, including an AI-powered game that drew 750,000 Tinder users and plans to expand Hinge into Brazil and Mexico.
Trade war hits Shopify's outlook as China loophole closes
Shopify projects revenue growth in the mid-twenties this quarter, barely meeting analyst expectations, as Chinese tariffs and the end of an $800 duty-free loophole threaten its e-commerce merchants. The company beat first-quarter sales estimates with $2.36 billion in revenue, but its stock dropped 9% in early trading as investors digested the impact of trade tensions.0
AI data centers drain water from drought-prone regions
Two-thirds of new data centers built since 2022 sit in water-stressed areas, with just five states accounting for 72% of these facilities in high-risk regions - meanwhile, an average 100-megawatt data center uses as much water daily as 6,500 households. The water strain has only intensified since ChatGPT launched the AI boom, with over 160 new AI data centers appearing in water-scarce US regions in three years, marking a 70% jump from the previous period.
🚀 AI Profiles: The Companies Defining Tomorrow
Clockwise: Time's New Guardian
Clockwise transforms chaotic calendars into productivity symphonies using AI. Founded in 2016 by ex-RelateIQ engineers, this San Francisco startup has built intelligent scheduling tech to help people reclaim time for what matters.
The Founders
Matt Martin (CEO), Gary Lerhaupt (CTO), and Mike Grinolds launched Clockwise in San Francisco in 2016
All three previously worked at RelateIQ (acquired by Salesforce for $390M)
Company now employs 100+ people, growing rapidly after securing major funding
The Product
AI-powered calendar optimization that creates "Focus Time" blocks for deep work
Automatically reschedules flexible meetings to maximize uninterrupted work periods
Works with Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook/Office 365
Integrates with Slack, Zoom and other workplace tools
Features conversational AI interface using GPT-4 to schedule via natural language
Analyzes team schedules collectively, not just individual calendars
Reclaim.ai was direct competitor until Dropbox acquired it in 2024
Motion combines task management with calendar optimization
Doodle specializes in scheduling polls for finding meeting times
Native calendar features from Google and Microsoft offer basic focus time tools
Financing
Total funding: $76M across three rounds
Series A: $11.3M (2019) led by Greylock Partners and Accel
Series B: $18M (2020) led by Bain Capital Ventures
Series C: $45M (2022) led by Coatue Management with Atlassian Ventures
Current valuation: approximately $475M
The Future ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Clockwise sits at the intersection of AI advancement and growing demand for work-life balance. 😎 The company has already optimized schedules for 40,000+ organizations, creating 5+ million hours of focus time. With hybrid work here to stay, smart scheduling tools will only become more essential.
Jensen Huang spots $50 billion vanishing before his eyes. But Nvidia's CEO isn't blinking. As Washington tightens the AI screws on China, he's gambling on a bold strategy that could reshape tech's biggest battleground. The stakes? Nothing less than America's AI crown.
