C_NCENTRATE

IN THIS ISSUE: Zuck goes MAGA, TikTok goes bye-bye, rollable laptops, AI shoes, and a $10B insurance crisis?

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NEW FOR 2025! Curated with neuroscientists, ’Focus’ is the official C_NCENTRATE playlist that aids your encoding and recall. Play as is, or hit shuffle.

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Databricks, SpaceX, and OpenAI delayed IPO plans following huge fundraising deals, as the seven largest US private firms swelled to a $695 billion valuation. OpenAI's crawlers overwhelmed an e-commerce site by disregarding robots.txt, exposing issues with (clutches pearls) AI compliance. TSMC severed ties with PowerAIR after export breaches surfaced, while launching 4nm chips in Arizona, matching Taiwan's standards. Foxconn recalled Chinese workers from India amid halted equipment shipments.

Meta's civil rights VP announced his resignation amidst company upheaval, while the EU greenlit Synopsys' $35B Ansys acquisition under divestment conditions. Joe Biden criticised Meta for dropping third-party fact-checking, labelling it "shameful," as self-imposed solitude in the US continued to reshape societal identity. Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Dara Khosrowshahi drew eyerolls by announcing they’ll attend Trump inauguration events. Meanwhile, Apple resisted shareholder pressure to end DEI initiatives, defending its operational choices and gave Tim Cook 18% pay bump.

Amazon ceased some DEI initiatives and scaled back Try Before You Buy, citing broader operational shifts. TikTok had it’s day in court and faced scrutiny as Texas demanded transparency on child data use, raising more privacy alarms. Innovaccer and Hippocratic AI secured big healthcare AI investments, underscoring an industry shift. Lastly, cyberattacks on Taiwan have doubled as China escalated digital offensives.

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