Elizabeth Lopatto
OpenAI has called Sam Altman as a witness.
He is being sworn in now.
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Archives for May 2026
Elizabeth Lopatto
Taylor says the reason OpenAI Foundation has been able to do more work is the recapitalization.
Having the ability to sell their equity let them finance their activities, such as AI research into Alzheimer’s research.
Elizabeth Lopatto
Bret Taylor is back on the stand.
He is now testifying about Musk’s attempt to buy OpenAI using xAI, which happened after this lawsuit was filed. “I was surprised” by it, Taylor says. “Ostensibly this lawsuit is about our nonprofit purpose and mission adn this proposal was to acquire this nonprofit by a group of for-profit investors, which felt contradictory to the spirit of this lawsuit.” The OpenAI Foundation board rejected the bid because they didn’t feel it was appropriate for one person to control the mission
Tom Warren
Microsoft’s Israel chief is leaving amid investigation allegations.
Microsoft quietly announced last week that its Israel general manager, Alon Haimovich, is stepping down at the end of the month after four years. Israeli newspaper Globes now reports that Haimovich is leaving amid a Microsoft investigation into Microsoft Israel’s work with the Israeli Ministry of Defense. Microsoft blocked the Israeli military from some cloud and AI services last year after The Guardian revealed its services were being used for mass surveillance of Palestinians.
Elizabeth Lopatto
We’ve talked about how this case isn’t just for whatever happens in the court...
But also about some light character assassination. It looks like Musk now has a broader strategy to try to make Altman a liability to OpenAI.
Sam Altman’s Business Dealings Under GOP Scrutiny Ahead of OpenAI’s IPO
[The Wall Street Journal]
TC Sottek
Kickstarter clutches its pearls.
Back in 2019 we covered the censorship that was hurting the sex toy industry. One of the offenders was Kickstarter, which later changed its ways and became more welcoming.
But it seems like the company has regressed. “Sexual pleasure” is now a banned concept for rewards, though Kickstarter says pleasure might be fine as long as the product is not designed for “insertion or penetration.” I want to know what’s going on over at Kickstarter HQ but I fear nobody is having fun.
Kickstarter’s new rules
[Kickstarter]
Stevie Bonifield
90% of Europe’s internet passes through the Red Sea. An audacious cable plan in the Arctic could solve that.
Josh Dzieza
Mia Sato
The Iran war is affecting another kind of chip.
Calbee, the Japanese snack company, is temporarily switching its packaging on some items to grayscale, citing “supply instability affecting certain raw materials amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East.” CNN reports that it wasn’t clear what component was at risk — but it’s just the latest industry to feel the pinch as a result of the US and Israel attacking Iran in February.
Image: Calbee
Emma Roth
LinkedIn power users can soon get paid to give advice.
This month, users with a LinkedIn Business account will be able to offer one-on-one consultation sessions from their profiles. Users will be able to manage bookings, take payments, and host video calls directly from LinkedIn.
