Good morning from OWITH.ai: the podcast that gives you only what's important to hear in AI and tech world.OpenAI's decision to abandon plans to put its for-profit arm in charge has raised new questions and concerns. The original plan to spin out OpenAI into an independent, for-profit company was scrapped after facing criticism from various stakeholders, including regulators, AI safety advocates, competitors, and even Elon Musk, who filed a lawsuit against the business revamp. The new approach will make OpenAI's for-profit group a public benefit corporation controlled by the nonprofit, but there are still unresolved issues regarding how the nonprofit will exercise control over the for-profit entity's activities. Questions remain about long-term control, investor influence, and the potential acquisition by Musk. The decision to backtrack on the for-profit transition has left many uncertainties surrounding OpenAI's future direction and governance structure.Statsig, a software engineering testing and analysis platform founded by Vijaye Raji, has raised $100 million in series C funding at a valuation of $1.1 billion. This comes after acquisition talks with Datadog fell through, leading to Datadog acquiring Statsig's rival, Eppo, for $220 million. The funding round was led by Iconiq Growth, with participation from Sequoia and Madrona. Statsig helps software engineering teams test, analyze, and roll out new products, using experimentation based on data to make informed decisions. The company has attracted customers like Notion and OpenAI, and is moving to a new office while onboarding 30 new employees. The rise of AI in software development has led to an increased need for precision and measurement in product development. Statsig's focus on statistically significant results aims to address this need. The company has not disclosed whether it has reached profitability yet but remains optimistic about its growth trajectory.Google is partnering with a production company to promote their products in TV and film projects. OpenAI has reversed its decision to restructure into a more typical business model, opting to remain a nonprofit. Skype has shut down after 22 years, with users advised to switch to Microsoft Teams. Elon Musk's neighbors in Austin are complaining about living next to him, citing disruptions like security measures and Tesla traffic. Palantir's stock fell 9% despite meeting earnings expectations, while eToro is targeting a $4 billion valuation in its IPO. Apple has appealed a ruling requiring it to open the App Store to outside payment services. Waymo's robotaxi service is expanding with Jaguars, and Uber and WeRide plan to add more cities to their robotaxi service.The text summarizes discussions and events at the Milken Institute Global Conference in Los Angeles, covering topics such as Trump's movie tax impact on the film industry, market trends in Western and Asian markets, analyst notes on economic topics, and news from Fortune. The conference focused on trade, tariffs, and investment opportunities at the intersection of finance, philanthropy, and health. It also mentions OpenAI's decision to retain control over the AI giant, Melania Memecoin insiders making $100 million through cryptocurrency trading, Doordash's acquisition of Deliveroo for $3.9 billion, and the White House's ban on "gain of function" research.Additionally, it discusses market updates like the decline in the S&P 500 following Trump's tax announcement and gains in Asian markets. Analyst notes from EY, JPMorgan Chase, and Pantheon MacroEconomics on various economic indicators are provided. Watercooler chat topics include Sweetgreen CEO defending $16 salads, Warren Buffett crediting Apple CEO Tim Cook for Berkshire Hathaway's success, a
Thanks for listening! Follow us on Twitter, Instagram and Linkedin