Welcome back to your daily dossier talking AI, robotics, crypto, and the future of tech. 👾

In today’s edition, we are tackling the following:

🛡️ Scale AI not winding down after Meta deal, interim CEO reassures employees.
📊 Multiplier, founded by ex ex-Stripe exec, raises 27.5M for AI accounting.
🚗 Amazon Zoox opens first major robotaxi production facility in California.
🚨 DOJ seizes record $225M in crypto tied to global scams.
🪙 Shares of Coinbase and Circle surge after stablecoin bill passes Senate vote.

AI

• Scale AI is not winding down after the Meta deal, interim CEO reassures employees

  • Scale AI's interim CEO assures the company is not pivoting or winding down operations.

  • Meta now owns a 49% stake after investing $14.3 billion into Scale AI.

  • Despite founder Wang joining Meta, Scale AI remains an independent company, according to CEO Jason Droege.

• Google AI mode now supports back-and-forth real-time voice conversations

  • Google introduces Search Live, enabling free-flowing voice conversations with AI Mode for complex, multi-part queries.

  • Users access Search Live via the Google app’s ‘Live’ icon, receiving AI audio responses and exploring web links.

  • Powered by the Gemini model, Search Live works in the background, supports multitasking, transcripts, and AI Mode history review.

• Multiplier, founded by ex-Stripe exec, raises 27.5M for AI accounting

  • Multiplier shifted from building SaaS to acquiring service firms and enhancing them with AI tools.

  • Its acquisition of Citrine International Tax doubled profit margins by automating manual accounting work.

  • Backed by $27.5M in funding, Multiplier joins a growing trend of AI-powered service roll-up startups.

ROBOTICS

• Amazon Zoox opens first major robotaxi production facility in California

  • Zoox opened its first full-scale factory in California, aiming to build 10,000 robotaxis annually.

  • The facility will support engineering, assembly, and testing for upcoming launches in Las Vegas and San Francisco.

  • Zoox plans commercial robotaxi rollouts in Austin and Miami, using both human labor and automation.

• Marina Bay Sands gets robotic help to improve daily hotel operations

  • Marina Bay Sands deployed 12 autonomous robots to handle back-of-house deliveries, improving hotel operations efficiency.

  • The robots reduced manual labor needs by 30%, allowing staff to upskill and manage tech systems.

  • Each AMR carries up to 300kg, navigates 20 preset routes, and more units will launch in 2025.

• Northrop integrates spacecraft for the future space robotic servicing system mission

  • Northrop’s SpaceLogistics integrated a Naval Research Lab robotics payload onto its Mission Robotic Vehicle (MRV).

  • The MRV aims to become the first commercial spacecraft with robotic servicing for satellites in GEO orbit.

  • The vehicle supports DARPA’s RSGS program and will undergo environmental tests before operational deployment.

CRYPTO

• DOJ seizes record $225M in crypto tied to global scams

  • The DOJ seized $225.3 million in crypto, the largest-ever U.S. seizure linked to scams.

  • The funds were tied to “pig butchering” confidence schemes targeting over 400 victims worldwide.

  • DOJ thanked Tether for its assistance and encouraged more victims to report related fraud cases.

• Andreessen Horowitz did not post the tweet about the crypto scam

  • Andreessen Horowitz’s X account was briefly hacked, posting fake crypto airdrop tweets.

  • The firm quickly warned followers not to engage, and X removed the fraudulent posts.

  • a16z clarified the scam caused confusion and reminded users that giveaways like this are false.

• Shares of Coinbase and Circle surge after stablecoin bill passes Senate vote

  • Circle’s stock jumped nearly 20% after the Senate passed the GENIUS Act regulating stablecoins.

  • Coinbase rose almost 10%, benefiting as a USDC co-founder, earning half its revenue from Circle.

  • The GENIUS Act may drive significant growth in the $260 billion stablecoin market despite crypto price pressures.

CONTENT

• Sam Altman joins Andrew Mayne to discuss the future of AI

  • Sam Altman discusses AI’s future, including GPT-5, AGI, and new research workflows on the OpenAI Podcast.

  • Topics covered include AI’s role in parenting, privacy concerns, social media impacts, and advertising.

  • He highlights Project Stargate, the importance of computing power, and potential upcoming AI devices.

• Alexandr Wang on building Scale AI transforming work and competing with China

  • Scale AI began as a simple API but evolved to clean and structure real-world data for AI.

  • It now supports Fortune 500 firms and U.S. military AI systems with critical infrastructure.

  • Meta recently invested $14B, valuing Scale at $29B, underscoring its global AI impact.

• Steven Sinofsky to unpack how Apple faces challenges in China

  • Steven Sinofsky explores how Apple’s design and scale helped build China’s manufacturing dominance.

  • The episode reveals misjudgments about globalization and how Tim Cook reshaped tech through operations.

  • It examines Apple’s China reliance, global supply chain fragility, and emerging tech-policy-AI intersections.

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• Apple plans to launch premium-priced folding iPhones starting next year

  • Apple plans to release a folding iPhone next year, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.

  • Samsung Display may supply up to eight million foldable panels for Apple’s new device.

  • Key components like the hinge remain undecided; the phone is expected to have premium pricing.

• Ancestra reveals many flaws in the current AI-generated video technology

  • Eliza McNitt’s short film Ancestra used generative AI with Google DeepMind to create many shots.

  • The film explores a mother’s hope for her baby’s healing, blending real actors with AI visuals.

  • Ancestra highlights AI’s potential to transform filmmaking but raises concerns about displacing traditional creators.

• What happens when you give AI absolutely nothing to learn from

  • Terence Broad created AI art without training data by looping neural networks into recursive, self-generating systems.

    His work critiques the ethics of AI trained on others' content and explores pure machine creativity.

    Despite comparisons to Rothko, Broad’s focus is on uncovering process-driven expression, not reproducing known artistic styles.