Sam Altman predicts AI CEOs within years while betting billions on human-centric infrastructure. His Tyler Cowen interview reveals three tensions: monetizing without breaking trust, energy bottlenecks limiting AI, and models that persuade without intent.
Ex-Tencent AI scientist Wei Liu chose Singapore for unrestricted Nvidia chip access, raising $50M for Video Rebirth. The geography play matters more than the physics pitch—it's about training on Blackwell while China can't.
Good Morning from San Francisco, The AI bubble found its puncture point this week. Palantir beat earnings, then lost 8%
"Discover how Palo Alto Networks' planned $500M+ acquisition of security startup Protect AI can reshape the cybersecurity landscape. Learn more here."
Palo Alto Networks is betting big on AI security. The cybersecurity giant plans to acquire Seattle-based Protect AI in a deal worth over $500 million, showing just how valuable AI security has become.
The timing makes sense. Nearly 75% of companies reported AI-related security breaches in 2024. Protect AI, founded by former Amazon and Oracle leaders, helps Fortune 500 companies monitor their machine learning systems for vulnerabilities.
The two-year-old startup has been on a tear. It raised $60 million earlier this year at a $400 million valuation and made four acquisitions. Now it's joining forces with Palo Alto, which boasts a $120 billion market cap.
The deal comes as Palo Alto launches its new AI security platform, Prism AIRS. Morgan Stanley predicts this market will explode to $135 billion by 2030 as companies scramble to secure their AI systems.
Why this matters:
Read on, my dear:
Ex-Tencent AI scientist Wei Liu chose Singapore for unrestricted Nvidia chip access, raising $50M for Video Rebirth. The geography play matters more than the physics pitch—it's about training on Blackwell while China can't.
Microsoft's venture arm doubled funding for a German startup that cuts datacenter cooling costs by up to 40% using software alone. The timing: North American operators face years-long power constraints while AI demand climbs.
FurtherAI closed $25M from Andreessen Horowitz six months after seed to automate insurance workflows—from submission intake to claims processing. The velocity signals a shift from AI pilots to production deployment, with early customers reporting measurable ROI.
A16z analyzed what 200,000 startups actually pay for in AI tools—and the results diverge from traffic rankings. Replit generated 15x more revenue than Lovable despite lower visibility. Copilots outnumber autonomous agents twelve to five. Budgets reveal what clicks conceal.
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