WSJ Tech News Briefing

By The Wall Street Journal

Tech News

What's WSJ Tech News Briefing about?

Tech News Briefing is your guide to what people in tech are talking about. Every weekday, we’ll bring you breaking tech news and scoops from the pros at the Wall Street Journal, insight into new innovations and policy debates, tips from our personal tech team, and exclusive interviews with movers and shakers in the industry. Hosted by Zoe Thomas

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Schools and Learning in an ...

05.26.2023

How will generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, change the education system? That’s the question on a lot of parents' and teachers’ minds. At this year’s Future of Everything festival, the founder of Code.org talked about how the next generation of ...

WSJ Tech News Briefing episodes:

05.26.2023 Schools and Learning in an AI-Enabled World How will generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, change the education system? That’s the question on a lot of parents' and teachers’ minds. At this year’s Future of Everything festival, the founder of Code.org talked about how the next generation of ...
05.25.2023 Governments Want Kids Off Social Media. Why Aren't Platforms Doing It? Local and national governments in the U.S. and Europe want social media companies to do more to keep children off their platforms. Efforts to require age verifications come as evidence shows companies aren’t effectively enforcing their own policies, limiting what ...
05.24.2023 Elon Musk Opens Up About His Hopes and Challenges for Twitter Elon Musk opened up about his goals for Twitter, balancing advertiser concerns with his desire to support free speech and interviewing presidential candidates. He spoke at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit with WSJ editor for Europe, the Middle ...
05.23.2023 How an Antiabortion Group Used Cellphone Data to Send Targeted Ads Until last year, an antiabortion group was using location data gathered from cellphones to send people who visited Planned Parenthood targeted advertising. WSJ reporter Byron Tau joins host Zoe Thomas to explain how the group got the information, the legality ...
05.22.2023 It’s Gamers vs. Government in Hunt for Classified U.S. Documents A global scavenger hunt for classified documents is underway and it's pitting the U.S. government against online gamers. WSJ national security reporter Jessica Donati joins host Zoe Thomas to explain how the race to find secret military information began. Learn ...
05.19.2023 The Executive Keeping Tesla Rolling Isn’t Elon Musk Tesla’s CFO Zach Kirkhorn has a reputation for working quietly behind the scenes to execute Elon Musk’s vision for the electric carmaker. But as Musk’s attention gets pulled in several different directions, investors are focusing more on Kirkhorn and how ...
05.18.2023 TikTok Still Fills Teens' Feeds With Dark Content Montana’s Governor signed the county’s first statewide ban of TikTok on Tuesday. And calls are growing to ban the app nationwide. But a bigger worry for parents may be the dark content the app serves up to teens. TikTok says ...
05.17.2023 OpenAI Boss Calls for AI Safety Standards at Senate Hearing Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI the company behind ChatGPT, told lawmakers they should create licensing and safety standards for advanced artificial intelligence systems . But Congress has historically had a tough time when it comes to regulating technology. WSJ tech ...
05.16.2023 Elon Musk Is Running Twitter Like SpaceX. Will It Work? Elon Musk is trying to run his social media company, Twitter, like his rocket company, SpaceX. WSJ aerospace reporter Micah Maidenberg joins host Zoe Thomas to explain the leadership structure and management choices at both operations. Plus, tech reporter Sarah ...
05.15.2023 Apple Takes New Approach With Mixed-Reality Headset Elon Musk has named a new CEO to replace him at Twitter. WSJ reporter Alexa Corse joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why he chose an advertising exec. Plus, WSJ reporter Aaron Tilley explains why Apple is breaking its own ...
05.12.2023 Social-Media Shopping Scams Target Young People A growing number of young people are being hit by online shopping scams that originated on social media. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what victims have gone through and how to protect ...
05.11.2023 Google Takes On Rivals in AI and Foldable Devices Google is making a show of force to its rivals in the hardware and artificial-intelligence sectors. At its developer conference, the company unveiled its new AI search feature and announced plans for other AI tools. WSJ Google reporter Miles Kruppa ...
05.10.2023 Virgin Galactic Struggles to Launch Its Space Tourism Business Billionaire Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic nearly two decades ago. But despite sending him to the edge of space and selling tickets to would-be space tourists, the company has struggled to launch its commercial space flights. Now it says it's ...
05.09.2023 Will AI Gold Rush Lead Investors to Risky Bets? The potential of generative artificial intelligence has venture capitalists racing to invest. But in their rush to get in on the ground floor, are investors making the mistakes of the past? WSJ startups reporter Berber Jin joins host Zoe Thomas ...
05.08.2023 TikTok Users Who Watched Gay Content Put on List, Former Staff Says For at least a year, some employees at TikTok were able to access what they described internally as a list of users who watched gay content on the app, according to former employees. TikTok says it's changed the way it ...
05.05.2023 Lawmakers Fight for Child Vloggers to Be Compensated For children who appear in monetized content online, like vlogs and social media posts, there are currently no laws to protect them or ensure they get a cut of the money they help earn. Now, some state lawmakers are fighting ...
05.04.2023 Meta Faces New Sanctions; Political Turmoil Hits Tech Hub The FTC proposes barring Meta’s from earning money on the data it collects on young users. TikTok launches a new advertising product. Also, Israel’s tech sector says political turmoil in the country is making it hard to raise money. WSJ ...
05.03.2023 Uber Picks Up More Riders; Bluesky Adds Users; AI for Daily Tasks Marissa Mayer, CEO of Sunshine, says artificial intelligence can be used to help improve more mundane tasks. The former Yahoo boss spoke at this year’s WSJ Future of Everything Festival. Plus, why users are flocking to Bluesky Social as an ...
05.02.2023 Your AI Clone Can Fool Family, Your Bank, But Not Your Video Meeting You can pay companies to create video and audio versions of yourself using generative artificial intelligence. But how well does it work? WSJ senior personal tech columnist Joanna Stern joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what it was like to ...
05.01.2023 Apple Partnership was “Kiss of Death” Smaller Rivals Claim Smaller rivals say meeting with Apple ended with the tech giant releasing products that resemble their own. Some say Apple used the U.S. patent system to avoid having to pay for using their technology. Apple says it doesn’t steal technology ...
04.28.2023 How to Secure Your Digital Life Before You Die Your digital footprint lives on after you pass away. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss the best way to pass on access to your emails, photos and online accounts. Plus, WSJ Heard on ...
04.27.2023 Regulator Blocks Microsoft’s Activision Blizzard Deal U.K. antitrust regulator rejects Microsoft’s $75 billion deal to buy game maker Activision Blizzard, saying it would hurt competition in videogame industry. WSJ reporter Kim Mackrael joins host Zoe Thomas to explain the regulator’s reasoning and what happens next. Learn ...
04.26.2023 Lyft to Cut at Least 1,200 Jobs, Struggles to Keep Up with Rival Uber Ride-hailing company Lyft plans to cut at least 30% of its workforce. It comes days after a new CEO officially took over. Can the changes and new leadership help Lyft compete with its biggest rival Uber? WSJ ride-hailing reporter Preetika ...
04.25.2023 What’s Going on With Twitter’s Blue Check Marks? Twitter is changing which users get blue check marks. Some celebrities have lost then regained them, despite claiming they aren’t paying for Twitter’s new subscription program. WSJ’s Twitter reporter Alexa Corse joins host Zoe Thomas. Plus, Apple scores a legal ...
04.24.2023 When AI Gets It Wrong, Who’s on the Hook? Generative artificial-intelligence chatbots like ChatGPT are known to get things wrong sometimes, a process known as “hallucinating.” But can anyone be held liable if those incorrect responses are damaging in some way? Host Zoe Thomas talks to a legal expert ...
04.21.2023 iPhone Security Feature Helps Criminals Lock Users Out of Accounts Thieves in cities across the U.S. who steal iPhone passcodes along with the devices, are also using another Apple security feature to lock victims out of their accounts. The victims say they have no way to regain access to years ...
04.20.2023 Why More People Are Pivoting to Help Influencers on Social Media A growing number of people who once chased social media stardom are turning to new roles, helping others become influencers. And the opportunities for social media support staff may only just be taking off. Host Zoe Thomas speaks with one ...
04.19.2023 To Become a Tech Hub, Tulsa Recruits Ukrainian Workers Oklahoma businesses are recruiting Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. They hope the new workers will turn Tulsa into a regional tech hub. WSJ immigration reporter Alicia A. Caldwell joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how they are doing it and what ...
04.18.2023 The Unexpected Reason iPhones Dominate the Market Apple controls more than half of the U.S. smartphone market. One big reason for that dominance isn't the company’s marketing strategy or its cool factor among young people. Instead, it's got to do with how long iPhones hang around in ...
04.17.2023 Artists Worry About Survival as AI Changes the Game for Creative Work The threat that technology will replace workers is something more people are grappling with due to the introduction of new tools powered by generative artificial intelligence. Creative workers like artists, writers, and filmmakers are among those raising the loudest alarm. ...
04.14.2023 What’s Slowing Down Self-Driving Car Technology? Car and tech companies have promised for years that fully self-driving cars were just around the corner. But experts say the technology is far from where it needs to be to fully replace drivers. Bart Ziegler, who wrote about self-driving ...
04.13.2023 Virtual Reality Helps Trauma Patients Confront Fears Virtual reality can help transport users to new worlds. But a growing number of doctors are using it to help patients confront trauma in therapy. WSJ health reporter Brianna Abbott joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how doctors are individualizing ...
04.12.2023 Moms Push for New Laws Making Social Media Sites More Accountable A group of mothers, who say their sons’ and daughters' lives were devastated by social media, is pushing for new laws that would hold the platforms accountable. But efforts to force social media companies to do more to protect minors ...
04.11.2023 Uber’s CEO Became a Driver and Learned a Lot After five years leading Uber, the company’s CEO Dara Khosrowshahi decided to get into the driver's seat last September. WSJ ride-hail and food delivery reporter Preetika Rana joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what Khosrowshahi learned and how it’s helping ...
04.10.2023 AI Hallucinations to Befriending Chatbots: Your Questions Answered There is so much changing in artificial intelligence right now and generative AI is raising a lot of new questions. WSJ tech reporter Karen Hao joins host Zoe Thomas to answer listener questions on AI. This is the second episode ...
04.07.2023 The Hottest Tech Topics Among Older Adults A retirement community in Lancaster, Pa., is integrating tech more and more into the lives of their residents, proving what experts on aging have been saying for years: Older adults are just as keen on new technologies as anyone else. ...
04.06.2023 How the CEO of OpenAI Is Navigating Development and Risk Sam Altman, the CEO of startup OpenAI, is navigating the challenges of being at the forefront of the most buzzed about technologies in decades. WSJ tech reporter Berber Jin joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how he’s balancing the speed ...
04.05.2023 Should Digital Devices Be Given Genders? Is it a good idea to give robots traditionally male or female names and voices? Some researchers say that reinforces stereotypes. But a new paper explains there could be an upside to doing it. Chris Kornelis, who wrote about this ...
04.04.2023 Apple Tries to Improve Streaming for Classic Music Fans Fans of classical music have long complained that streaming services don't make it easy to find their favorite pieces. Apple has set out to fix the issues. WSJ Science of Success columnist Ben Cohen joins host Zoe Thomas to explain ...
04.03.2023 Artificial Intelligence 101: Why It’s Different This Time There is so much being said about artificial intelligence these days. In order to understand this latest wave of AI, it is important to know how it works and why this moment is different from developments in the past. WSJ ...
03.31.2023 U.S. Military Prepares for Space Warfare With New Tech The Pentagon is gearing up for a future conflict in space. It comes as China and Russia deploy missiles and lasers that can take out satellites and disrupt military and civilian communications. WSJ aerospace and defense industry reporter Doug Cameron ...
03.30.2023 Hospital ‘Black Boxes’: the New Tech in Operating Rooms Hospitals are turning to new technology that allows them to record everything going on in the operating room. These new surgical “black boxes” offer insight on how to improve medical outcomes but what are their downsides? Barbara Sadick, who wrote ...
03.29.2023 Samsung Is Betting on AI for Smartphone Innovation Innovation and new technology are often driving factors to convince customers to upgrade their smartphones. Samsung is looking to artificial intelligence to help with its next wave of smartphones. Samsung EVP Patrick Chomet spoke with WSJ senior personal tech columnist ...
03.28.2023 Uber Eats to Cut Thousands of Listings as It Moves to Declutter App Uber Eats plans to take down thousands of listings for online-only brands. WSJ restaurants reporter Heather Haddon joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how so many of these brands emerged and how Uber’s decision could affect customers. Learn more about ...
03.27.2023 Online Publishers Want AI Chatbot Makers to Pay Up A battle between the makers of artificial intelligence chatbots and publishers of online content is brewing. Publishers say they should be compensated by companies like Microsoft, Google and OpenAI for using their material to train chatbots. WSJ reporter Keach Hagey ...
03.24.2023 U.S. Lawmakers Grill TikTok CEO About China Ties and Security Risks TikTok’s CEO Shou Zi Chew defended his company as U.S. lawmakers questioned whether the app’s ties to China made it a national security risk. WSJ tech policy reporter John McKinnon joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss Chew’s testimony and what ...
03.23.2023 Those Pesky Password Rules Are Actually a Security Risk, Experts Say Cybersecurity researchers say systems that force users to change their passwords often actually could be creating security risks. But lots of companies and even government websites require this and other not-so-secure policies. WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims joins host Zoe ...
03.22.2023 How European Regulators Are Thinking About Emerging Tech As more new technologies like artificial intelligence and the metaverse become mainstream, how are European Union officials approaching regulation? Spain’s Secretary of State for Digitization and Artificial Intelligence Carme Artigas spoke about that with WSJ senior personal tech columnist Joanna ...
03.21.2023 Skilled Workers Shortage Threatens Biden’s Plans For U.S. Chipmaking Chipmaker Micron will have to overcome a massive shortage of skilled workers in order to open its planned semiconductor-manufacturing campus in the suburbs of Syracuse, N.Y. WSJ reporter Joseph De Avila joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how the company ...
03.20.2023 Tech Execs and Lawmakers Build Anti-China Alliance Silicon Valley leaders and Capitol Hill lawmakers are developing an unusual bicoastal alliance . The group is pushing against China's presence in the U.S. tech sector, and is meeting just days before TikTok's CEO is scheduled to testify before Congress. ...

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