Listen to today’s podcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nqwUyvLDEvs7bV985k-gQ
AI Daily Podcast 12/28/2025
Today’s podcast episode was created from the following stories: a sweeping roundup of AI’s breakout year, big-money deals and debt, new guardrails for social media, and fresh ideas from scrappy builders around the world. Here are the highlights we covered.
The top 5 things that happened in the AI race this year
Source: Business Insider
By Brent D. Griffiths — December 27, 2025
2025’s AI boom was powered by a capex frenzy (~$400B), Nvidia’s ascent to a $4T market cap, and nonstop debate over whether we’re in a bubble. The year featured talent wars, complex financing loops tying hyperscalers to model labs, and Google’s comeback with Gemini 3. The big takeaway: spend is surging, but so are questions about sustainability and risk.
Nvidia’s Groq deal rattled Silicon Valley. Here are 5 other AI startups split apart in Big Tech’s new deals.
Source: Business Insider
By Ben Bergman — December 27, 2025
Nvidia’s non‑exclusive licensing deal with Groq, which also sees top talent join Nvidia, underscores a new playbook: acquire know‑how without acquiring the company. The story spotlights similar moves (Windsurf, Scale AI, Character AI, Inflection, Adept) that reward founders while leaving many employees on the sidelines. It signals regulators’ pressure is reshaping M&A—and that Big Tech will find workarounds to secure critical talent and IP fast.
I’m a senior PM at Microsoft and a self‑proclaimed early adopter of AI. Here are the easy ways it helps me at work and in my personal life.
Source: Business Insider
By Charissa Cheong — December 27, 2025
Microsoft PM Rishab Jolly says AI gives him time back by handling note‑taking and accelerating first drafts, while he keeps human judgment at the center. In his personal podcasting, AI speeds research and scripting—but he double‑checks outputs to avoid inaccuracies. His advice to PMs: start experimenting now; proficiency will soon be expected.
Silicon Valley is raising billions to develop wearable AI products. These 15‑year‑olds built theirs for under $100.
Source: Business Insider
By Lauren Edmonds — December 27, 2025
Three Santa Clara teens built AI‑powered text‑to‑speech glasses for visually impaired students for under $100 and won a $10,000 prize. Their prototype snaps a photo, extracts text, and reads it aloud with 90%+ accuracy in about 13 seconds, trained on 800 classroom images. With a new grant, they’re scaling the project statewide.
The Groq deal secures key talent for Nvidia, including CEO Jonathan Ross
Source: Spyglass
By M.G. Siegler — December 27, 2025
Another report frames Nvidia’s move as a ~$20B asset and talent acquisition centering on Groq’s CEO Jonathan Ross (creator of Google’s TPU) and inference IP. It’s as much a defensive play as a technical one, keeping strategic talent out of competitors’ hands. The bet: inference leadership and tighter control of breakthrough hardware know‑how.
NY passes warning labels for addictive social feeds targeting young users
Source: Engadget
By Andre Revilla — December 27, 2025
New York will require warning labels when users—especially teens—engage with features deemed addictive, like algorithmic feeds. Supporters liken it to tobacco and alcohol warnings; critics see First Amendment issues and question efficacy. Expect legal challenges and copycat bills in other states.
Coforge to acquire Encora for $2.35B, expanding AI engineering reach
Source: Reuters
By Staff report — December 26, 2025
Coforge’s $2.35B deal for Encora deepens its capabilities in AI‑powered product, cloud, and data engineering. It’s one of Indian IT’s biggest 2025 acquisitions, aimed at strengthening North America presence and delivery scale. The move reflects how services players are racing to operationalize AI for enterprise clients.
Google begins rolling out long‑requested option to change Gmail addresses
Source: 9to5Google
By Ben Schoon — December 24, 2025
A new Google feature will let users change their @gmail.com address while keeping all emails, Drive files, and linked services—no more starting over. First spotted on a Hindi support page, the rollout appears to begin in India with broader availability expected. It solves a long‑standing pain for users who outgrew old handles.
Inside Instagram’s aggressive push to win back teens
Source: The Washington Post
By Naomi Nix — December 26, 2025
Internal docs show Instagram prioritized teen re‑engagement by boosting teen‑friendly creators, tweaking recommendations, and even building a “living museum” of teen culture. The strategy pursued growth despite mounting scrutiny over youth mental health. It highlights the tension between engagement goals and safety commitments.
Cursor CEO warns “vibe coding” can create shaky software foundations
Source: Fortune
By Marco Quiroz‑Gutierrez — December 25, 2025
Cursor’s Michael Truell cautions against building advanced projects by leaning blindly on AI‑generated code. Speedy prototyping is great, he says, but without rigorous review, tech debt and hidden fragility pile up until things “crumble.” The message: pair AI speed with engineering discipline.
Coinbase contractor arrested in India after customer data breach
Source: Bloomberg
By Muyao Shen — December 26, 2025
Authorities in Hyderabad arrested a former Coinbase contractor tied to a May breach in which hackers bribed support agents to access sensitive data. Coinbase says the investigation is ongoing and more arrests may follow. The incident spotlights third‑party risk and the sophistication of social‑engineering attacks.
Foreign‑brand phone shipments in China jump 128% YoY in November
Source: Reuters
By Staff report — December 25, 2025
Government data show foreign‑brand smartphone shipments—largely iPhones—rebounded to 6.93M units in November, up 128.4% year‑over‑year. Analysts cite pent‑up demand and strong iPhone 17 performance. The question now is whether momentum holds into 2026.
Oracle posts worst quarter since 2001 as AI data center doubts grow
Source: CNBC
By Jordan Novet — December 26, 2025
Oracle shares fell 30% this quarter amid skepticism it can build enough capacity to meet OpenAI and other AI partners’ needs. Despite leadership changes, Wall Street wants proof that AI announcements translate into durable revenue and infrastructure. The miss underscores how capital‑intensive AI has become—and how execution matters.
ICE ramps surveillance tech spending past $300M as privacy guardrails ease
Source: Politico
By Alfred Ng — December 26, 2025
Federal records reveal ICE boosted spending on surveillance tools—facial recognition, analytics, and tracking—past $300M while privacy protections loosened. Critics warn of overreach and risk to law‑abiding citizens’ data. Expect renewed debate over the balance between security and civil liberties.
Amazon blocks AI shopping agents while racing to build its own
Source: CNBC
By Annie Palmer — December 24, 2025
As startups unleash AI shopping agents, Amazon is tightening access to its site and threatening legal action, even as it pours resources into its own assistants. The company faces a classic innovator’s dilemma: protect margins and data—or embrace agents that could reshape how consumers shop. The outcome will influence e‑commerce for years.
AI infrastructure companies borrowed $100B+ in 2025—at a price
Source: The New York Times
By Joe Rennison — December 26, 2025
Refinitiv data show AI infra firms raised more than $100B in debt this year to fund data centers and hardware. Bigger players got favorable terms, while smaller, unproven companies paid steep rates as investor caution grew. The split raises questions about concentration—and echoes of past bubbles.
Amazon, Microsoft, Google pledge $67.5B for AI in India
Source: The Washington Post
By Pranshu Verma — December 26, 2025
U.S. tech giants pledged $67.5B for India since October—80% in December—targeting data centers and AI cloud services. The spree reflects India’s scale and strategic importance amid global competition. It’s a rush to build capacity where future growth will likely come online first.
China launches three mega VC funds to back “hard tech” startups
Source: Reuters
By Staff report — December 26, 2025
Beijing unveiled three state VC funds, each over $7.1B, focusing on early‑stage startups valued under ¥500M (~$71M). Targets include semiconductors, robotics, and quantum—key areas for self‑reliance. It’s a bid to seed breakthroughs beyond China’s established tech giants.
Top 10 U.S. tech billionaires added $550B+ in 2025
Source: Financial Times
By Rafe Rosner‑Uddin — December 26, 2025
America’s 10 richest tech leaders saw their net worth swell to $2.5T, up from $1.9T, powered by AI‑linked valuations. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang climbed sharply alongside familiar names like Elon Musk. The surge fuels renewed debates about taxes, market power, and AI’s winner‑takes‑all dynamics.
AI minted 50+ new billionaires as funding topped $200B
Source: Forbes
By Alicia Park — December 25, 2025
Crunchbase and Forbes report over $200B flowed into AI startups—roughly half of all global venture and growth funding—creating 50+ new billionaires. Fortunes clustered around LLMs, AI chips, core software, and vertical apps. Whether durable shift or exuberant cycle, the wealth creation is reshaping tech’s power map.
State supercomputers open doors for academic AI research
Source: WWWhat’s New
By Natalia Polo — December 27, 2025
New York’s Empire AI and California’s CalCompute aim to give universities dedicated AI compute outside pricey commercial clouds. Early clusters like “Alpha” are already accelerating work from protein science to urban flood modeling. The big question: can federal support and state programs avoid widening regional gaps in research access?
Mini AI phone rides “emotional value” to crowdfunding success
Source: 36Kr
By 欧雪 — December 27, 2025
Hong Kong’s iKKO Mind One Pro raised over HK$11.5M on Kickstarter with a quirky 4‑inch square AMOLED design, 180° flip camera, and dual OS focused on distraction‑free AI tools. It’s a niche companion, not a flagship—lean specs and small battery limit daily use. Still, it shows how design and focused use‑cases can carve out space beneath industry giants.
