Google's AI chief: We're Living in the “Foothills of the Singularity” - Week In Tech

Google's AI chief: We're Living in the “Foothills of the Singularity” - Week In Tech

What does it mean to be at the “foothills of the singularity”? That’s how DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis ended his speech at Google I/O, prompting questions and scratched heads. Oz and Reed Albergotti (Semafor) attempt to dissect the meaning behind Hassabis’s confounding statement. They also discuss why so many commencement speakers are getting booed by college graduates after bringing up AI, and what it means for SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI to all be heading towards an IPO.  Then, Oz sits down with David Webster, Head of UX at Google Labs, for a deeper look at the products Google unveiled at their annual developer conference of the year. Additional Reading:  * DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis on what Google AI products say about ‘singularity’ | Semafor [https://www.semafor.com/article/05/20/2026/google-exec-demis-hassabis-predicts-were-at-the-foothills-of-the-singularity] * A Guide to Commencement | Semafor [https://www.semafor.com/newsletter/05/20/2026/how-to-handle-ai-at-commencement-addresses?utm_source=newslettershare&utm_medium=technology&utm_campaign=FirstWord#b] * SpaceX, Anthropic and OpenAI’s Sprint to Go Public Defines the AI Boom’s Big Day - WSJ [https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/spacex-anthropic-and-openais-sprint-to-go-public-defines-the-ai-booms-big-day-d462bf7b?mod=tech_trendingnow_article_pos4]   * Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed | Strait Times IG [https://www.instagram.com/reel/DYgoJLtjStq/]  * Subscriber Q&A: Live @ Google I/O - by Alex Heath - Sources [https://sources.news/p/subscriber-q-and-a-live-google-io] Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff  at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/creator/?coupon=techstuff&utm_source=12669&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=138&aff_transaction_id=102e6208403cf45b12b357c4a30eb2&aff_offer_id=138&aff_id=12669https://saily.com/techstuff [https://saily.com/techstuff] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

The ‘Steroid Olympics’ Brought to You By Big Tech - The Story

What if Olympic athletes could use steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs, legally? They can now, at the Enhanced Games. The Enhanced Games take place on May 24th and it’s anyone’s guess what will happen. Unless you’re Chris Gayomali, host of the new podcast SuperHuman, which is an inside look at the ‘steroid Olympics.’ Chris Gayomali joins Oz to break down how aging tanks athletes' earning potential, how the Enhanced Games strives to be like Formula One, and what drew big-money backers Peter Thiel and Donald Trump Jr. to the table. Additional Reading:  * SuperHuman | iHeart [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1119-superhuman-331753605/]  * What Would the Olympics Be Like If the Athletes Could Juice? | GQ [https://www.gq.com/story/enhanced-games-olympics-athletes]  EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/techstuff [https://nordvpn.com/podcast/?coupon=techstuff&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=&utm_content&utm_source=aff141920&utm_campaign=off1001] Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Jensen Crashes Trump's China Trip, Elon's Baby Mama Takes the Stand - Week in Tech

This week has it all: geopolitical FOMO, major AI deals, more courtroom drama, and a hacker group that just won't quit. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) breaks down why AI tokens are the new oil, and why Anthropic is buying compute straight from SpaceX. Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) takes us inside the Elon Musk-OpenAI trial, where Shivon Zilis, aka the “Elon Whisperer” and the mother of four of Musk's children, finally took the stand. And Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Dexter Thomas gives insight into how the hacking of education tech platform Canvas could still affect college students, even after Canvas’s parent company says a deal was reached to delete the stolen data.  Additional Reading:  * Nvidia CEO joins Trump in China despite ‘awkward’ politics | Semafor [https://www.semafor.com/article/05/12/2026/nvidia-snubbed-from-trump-china-trip-to-avoid-awkward-conversations?utm_medium=technology&utm_campaign=First+Word&utm_source=newsletterlink]  * Anthropic-SpaceX compute deal shows how tokens are taking over the economy | Semafor [https://www.semafor.com/article/05/08/2026/anthropic-spacex-compute-deal-shows-how-tokens-are-taking-over-the-economy]  * Shivon Zilis was Elon Musk’s ‘bridge’ to OpenAI. Now she’s entangled in his lawsuit. | The Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/05/08/shivon-zilis-elon-musk-trial/]  * Instructure Pays Ransom to Canvas Hackers | Inside Higher Education [https://www.insidehighered.com/news/tech-innovation/administrative-tech/2026/05/11/instructure-pays-ransom-canvas-hackers]  Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff  at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/creator/?coupon=techstuff&utm_source=12669&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=138&aff_transaction_id=102e6208403cf45b12b357c4a30eb2&aff_offer_id=138&aff_id=12669https://saily.com/techstuff [https://saily.com/techstuff] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

Inside Formula One’s Speed Hunt with Atlassian Williams F1 Team Principal James Vowles - The Story

How did nine rejection letters and “boring” data lead to “the biggest transformation in sport”? Americans might know Formula One Racing from the hit Netflix show “Drive to Survive.” But F1 has long been a fan favorite in Britain and Europe. Today’s guest, team principal James Vowles, sits down with Oz to discuss how he’s bringing his team, Atlassian Williams F1 Team, from a recent slump into the Top 5. His process involves being “data-rich”, pushing his team to the brink, and utilizing AI and technology to get that elusive tenth of a second in speed.  Additional Reading:  * ‘Get rid of the battery’: F1 under increasing pressure to make more changes to engine rules | Formula One 2026 | The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2026/may/04/f1-under-increasing-pressure-engine-rules-battery] * Formula One Went Green—and It’s Driving Everyone Crazy | WSJ [https://www.wsj.com/sports/formula-one-electric-73a176bd]   EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/techstuff [https://nordvpn.com/podcast/?coupon=techstuff&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_term=&utm_content&utm_source=aff141920&utm_campaign=off1001] Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee  See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.

One Nation United Against Data Centers - Week in Tech

This week: AI regulation, dark money and data center backlash. Reed Albergotti (Semafor) helps decipher how the Trump Administration actually feels about AI oversight and it seems like a reversal of the hands-off approach they’ve taken so far. Taylor Lorenz (User Mag) exposes a dark money influencer campaign — one she was personally recruited for — that's paying creators to push pro-American AI, anti-China messaging on behalf of a Big Tech super PAC. And Nitasha Tiku (The Washington Post) reports on the fast-growing, bipartisan movement fighting data center construction in communities across the country. Plus: Sam Altman's leaked texts, 120,000 tech layoffs, and the GPT-5.5 launch party. Additional Reading:  * So Long Jeeves and Ask.com, Relics of Yesterday’s Internet [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/03/business/ask-jeeves-shuts-down-internet-search-engine.html]  * White House Considers Vetting A.I. Models Before They Are Released | The New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/04/technology/trump-ai-models.html]  * A Dark-Money Campaign Is Paying Influencers to Frame Chinese AI as a Threat | WIRED [https://www.wired.com/story/super-pac-backed-by-openai-and-palantir-is-paying-tiktok-influencers-to-fear-monger-about-china/#intcid=_wired-verso-hp-trending-bktb_295a9c71-1e1d-4763-a74d-aefc9ccd4e46_cygnus-personalized]  * Inside a growing movement warning AI could turn on humanity | The Washington Post [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2026/04/18/ai-doom-influencers-safety/]  * ‘The Most Bipartisan Issue Since Beer’: Opposition to Data Centers | The New York Times [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/01/us/politics/liberals-conservatives-data-centers.html]  Download SAILY in your app store and use our code techstuff  at checkout to get an exclusive 15% off your first purchase! For further details go to https://saily.com/creator/?coupon=techstuff&utm_source=12669&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_campaign=138&aff_transaction_id=102e6208403cf45b12b357c4a30eb2&aff_offer_id=138&aff_id=12669https://saily.com/techstuff [https://saily.com/techstuff] See omnystudio.com/listener [https://omnystudio.com/listener] for privacy information.