The hottest Big Tech Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top U.S. Politics Topics

BREAKING: Expensive new evidence that scaling is not all you need

Marcus on AI • 10552 implied HN points • 14 Mar 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Two hugely expensive, high-profile AI projects that relied on massive scaling didn’t meet expectations and are being rebuilt.
  2. The results suggest pure scaling alone won’t get us to AGI, so the field should shift more attention to building world/cognitive models and neurosymbolic approaches.
  3. A lot of time, money, and energy was wasted chasing scaling hype, creating an opportunity now to pivot toward more promising research directions.

The whole thing was a scam

Marcus on AI • 18971 implied HN points • 28 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. A secret deal quietly favored one company over a rival, so public displays of support for the rival looked like theater.
  2. The government approved similar terms for a company with bigger political donations while rejecting another, which looks like favoritism or corruption.
  3. Even critics say the rejected company should get the same terms because fairness matters, and this episode suggests a shift from market competition toward rule by connections.

Jeff Bezos Just Taught Liberal Elites How Oligarchy Really Works

BIG by Matt Stoller • 67381 implied HN points • 06 Feb 26
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Big Tech
  1. A billionaire owner can save a newspaper one year and gut it the next, showing how wealthy owners can use media as a political or business tool and then discard journalistic capacity when it no longer serves them.
  2. Google’s adtech dominance and AI features have siphoned traffic and ad revenue from publishers, collapsing the business model that funded local and investigative reporting and forcing papers to depend on rich benefactors.
  3. This is part of a larger democratic problem: concentrated tech and wealth power is hollowing out institutions and jobs, and while antitrust and bargaining policies could help, political and corporate resistance has limited effective solutions.

Monopoly Round-Up: Why the "AI God" Narrative is Actually a Corporate Power Grab

BIG by Matt Stoller • 28534 implied HN points • 17 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. The idea that current AI is a godlike, sentient force is mostly hype and a marketing push to grab money, resources, and political protection.
  2. Big tech is racing to build personal AI agents that will control data and commerce. Without rules forcing those agents to act for users, companies can manipulate people and set prices to their advantage.
  3. AI is already being used to cut jobs, hike costs, and steal likenesses, so democratic regulation—like fiduciary duties for agents, limits on ad‑funding, and stronger copyright protections—is needed to protect people and markets.

Irony, Irony laced with Karma, and Terror

Marcus on AI • 9327 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. A recent tech blog post drew ridicule and shows how some commentary in the field can be overblown and ironic.
  2. A major AI company that pushed for broad copyright exemptions to train its models is now upset about others copying its IP, a hypocritical twist that feels like karmic irony.
  3. xAI reportedly gutted its safety organization to accelerate progress, and sidelining safety in a high-stakes AI race raises real and worrying risks.
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Will Google Become Our AI-Powered Central Planner?

BIG by Matt Stoller • 28075 implied HN points • 16 Jan 26
💼 Business Big Tech
  1. Google is combining its huge trove of user data with a partnership with Apple to make Gemini a deeply personal AI assistant, giving it unmatched reach and control over consumer information.
  2. Google plans to sell merchants AI tools that personalize offers and set prices for individual shoppers. That could enable opaque surveillance pricing, price discrimination, or automated price coordination across markets.
  3. Because antitrust enforcement has often failed, Google can repeat past monopolization tactics, and without strong remedies this consolidation could hurt competition, small businesses, and democratic market signals.

The rapid rise and slow decline of Sam Altman

Marcus on AI • 15848 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Sam Altman rose quickly to celebrity status but is now facing growing doubt as his big promises and technical vision haven’t delivered.
  2. OpenAI’s position is weakening because key products underperformed, the company isn’t profitable, and financing and public explanations have hurt its credibility.
  3. Competitors and customers are slipping away — companies like Google, Anthropic, and DeepSeek are taking market share, price wars are eroding margins, and a clear path to sustainable profits is missing.

OpenAI’s Latest Mega-Fundraise, Big Tech Earnings Week, Amazon Layoffs?

Big Technology • 6254 implied HN points • 26 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. OpenAI is pursuing a potentially historic $50 billion fundraise that would push its valuation into the hundreds of billions and is leaning on rapidly growing revenue and compute metrics to justify continued cash raises, but it's unclear how many more mega-rounds it can secure before an IPO forces public scrutiny.
  2. This week’s Big Tech earnings calendar is packed with major reports from companies across consumer, enterprise, and infrastructure sectors, and those results will shape market expectations for AI-driven growth and spending.
  3. Amazon is reportedly planning large-scale layoffs affecting many teams as it trims pandemic-era overhiring and bureaucracy, a move that’s raising morale concerns even though the company says the cuts aren’t simply because of AI.

The Worst Person in Tech

Marcus on AI • 10473 implied HN points • 07 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Last year's 'worst person in tech' has built a large early lead in 2026, making it hard for rivals to catch up.
  2. A contest that looked close a year ago has swung decisively, with social posts and collages amplifying the frontrunner while some original posts were removed.
  3. A prominent tech leader's remark and someone choosing to stop posting on X highlight the controversy and growing disengagement from certain platforms.

AI Davos: Four Reflections From The World’s Most Exclusive Tech Conference

Big Technology • 3502 implied HN points • 23 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. People are debating whether the AI surge is a bubble or just a strong tech investment cycle. Some parts of the industry look frothy and a correction and consolidation are likely, which will make the next few years volatile.
  2. The market for AI devices could be enormous — forecasts talk about billions of always‑with‑you agents in the form of glasses, rings, watches, or desk devices. These products will only take off if they prove more useful than an app on your phone.
  3. Big tech is racing to ship wearable AI products: Google is gearing up for a major push in AI glasses soon, and other firms, including OpenAI, are moving on device plans while pursuing large funding and scaling revenue.

Seven Big Predictions For Tech in 2026

Big Technology • 7130 implied HN points • 22 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. The AI ecosystem scaled dramatically last year, with massive investments and major moves from players like OpenAI and Google.
  2. A major AI lab could pursue an IPO in 2026, which would reshape funding and competition across the industry.
  3. Apple’s ability to keep its momentum and the emergence of a breakout consumer AI device are the key trends to watch next year.

A tale of two AI capitalisms

Marcus on AI • 11145 implied HN points • 25 Nov 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. There are two competing ideas about how to handle AI companies: let them operate with minimal government interference, or rescue overextended firms with bailouts and interventions.
  2. David O. Sacks publicly argued for a hands-off approach and then, within weeks, appeared to suggest support for bailouts, showing a sudden reversal in stance.
  3. Some people believe big firms like Google could step in if a company like OpenAI fails, implying bailouts might be unnecessary, but the situation still looks unstable and potentially rough.

Meta's Legal Team Abandoned Its Ethical Duties

After Babel • 1743 implied HN points • 20 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Meta’s in-house lawyers allegedly hid and destroyed research showing harm to children and used attorney-client privilege to suppress evidence, mirroring tactics once used by Big Tobacco. This behavior shows lawyers abandoning their duties to the court and the public in order to protect a powerful client.
  2. Existing accountability tools — like state bar investigations, judges piercing privilege, disbarment, and legislative reform of privilege rules — could and should be used to punish and deter such conduct. Holding individual lawyers and leaders responsible is presented as a necessary step to stop ongoing harm.
  3. If corporate lawyers are allowed to enable cover-ups, public trust in the legal system and the safety of children are at grave risk. Restoring and enforcing legal ethics is framed as essential to preserve the rule of law and prevent wealthy actors from corrupting justice.

Google Is Now the East India Company of the Internet

The Honest Broker • 38864 implied HN points • 21 Jan 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Google has become a powerful force in the digital world, much like the East India Company was for trade in the past. It controls key connections or 'links' that affect how users and businesses interact online.
  2. Just like the East India Company faced backlash for its ruthless business practices, Google is also experiencing growing resentment from users and governments who feel exploited and manipulated.
  3. The story of the East India Company's rise and fall serves as a warning for Google. Unchecked greed and ambition can lead to eventual downfall, and history shows that those who gain too much power often attract a pushback.

Big Tech's AI shock troops came for us

Disaffected Newsletter • 1278 implied HN points • 31 Jul 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Big Tech is using AI significantly, impacting jobs in various sectors. Many workers, including freelance writers, are losing their jobs because of AI advancements.
  2. The rise of AI poses challenges for those in industries reliant on human creativity and labor. It raises questions about the future of work as more tasks get automated.
  3. There are concerns about the influence of Big Tech, especially regarding political leanings and job security for workers in media and similar fields. The landscape is changing, and many feel it's not in their favor.

Which AI Titan should you root for?

Nonzero Newsletter • 440 implied HN points • 24 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. AI progress is accelerating rapidly, helped by code-writing tools that create a positive feedback loop and produce frequent model breakthroughs.
  2. Who wins the AI race matters because leading groups differ: some favor international scientific collaboration and pauses, others seek geopolitical or military advantage, and some prioritize commercial goals.
  3. Fast advances plus growing misuse risks (like cyberattacks and bioweapons) and weak global agreement on slowing development mean the stakes of leadership and regulation are very high.

Elon Musk’s terrifying vision for AI

Marcus on AI • 10908 implied HN points • 16 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Elon Musk's AI, Grok, is seen as a powerful tool for propaganda. It can influence people's thoughts and attitudes without them even realizing it.
  2. The technology behind Grok often produces unreliable results, raising concerns about its effectiveness in important areas like government and education.
  3. There is a worry that Musk's use of biased and unreliable AI could have serious consequences for society, as it might spread misinformation widely.

Who's Michael Shellenberger?

Emerald Robinson’s The Right Way • 5277 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Big Tech
  1. Michael Shellenberger was presented as an expert witness in government censorship without the necessary expertise.
  2. Shellenberger's varied career includes roles as a governor candidate, lobbyist, journalist, and professor.
  3. The House Committee on Government Censorship may be overlooking conservative voices censored by social media.

Apple’s $20 Billion Ticking Time Bomb

Big Technology • 5504 implied HN points • 13 Jun 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Apple relies heavily on payments from Google, which are about $20 billion a year. If these payments disappear, Apple's services revenue could significantly drop.
  2. The potential loss of Google's payments is a serious risk for Apple, especially since its services segment is its only growing revenue source right now.
  3. If the court decides to cut Google's payments, Apple may struggle to find a replacement income that matches the profits, which could lead to financial issues for the company.

The long road to cable

The Rectangle • 141 implied HN points • 13 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Tech companies keep 'reinventing' ordinary things and often make them worse by adding needless complexity, monetization, or gatekeeping.
  2. A dominant engineering and data-first mindset has spread beyond tech, turning messy human experiences into crude metrics and encouraging overconfident leaders to act outside their expertise.
  3. Platform consolidation risks recreating cable-style monopolies for entertainment and other services, which shows why we need more diverse perspectives to balance tech's influence.

2025, in summary

Altered States of Monetary Consciousness • 382 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
💼 Business Big Tech
  1. Big tech's automation drive has merged with reactionary politics, aligning corporate power with nationalist and deregulation agendas.
  2. Corporate commitments to diversity and sustainability were largely performative, as many firms dropped those promises under political pressure, revealing those values as aesthetic rather than structural.
  3. Generative AI is industrialising human creativity, making cultural production feel factory‑farmed and eroding the authenticity of creative works, while builders and firms are chiefly serving shareholders and power.

The China Chip Rorschach Test

Nonzero Newsletter • 598 implied HN points • 13 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Influential people are deeply split on how to handle AI: some push for rapid advancement, others want strict controls, and many treat it as a tech race with China.
  2. Serious AI risks — from engineered pandemics to loss of control — can only be addressed through broad international cooperation, so framing AI as a zero-sum competition with China makes safety harder, not easier.
  3. Corporate moves and incentives are reshaping the field: big deals, internal pressure at AI labs, and choices about training data all favor automation and could drive job losses and unexpected or misaligned model behavior.

✨ Two cheers for the 'San Francisco Consensus' on AI

Faster, Please! • 456 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. The "San Francisco Consensus" is Silicon Valley’s maximalist, upbeat story that AI will produce huge progress and abundance.
  2. The author urges a dual approach: hope AI breaks history while planning as if it won’t, meaning be optimistic about big gains but still prepare for limited change.
  3. Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt named this narrative, and it’s become a common view among pro-growth "Up Wingers" in the U.S. and around the world.

Carole Cadwalladr: The Entire Business Model of Silicon Valley Is Surveillance

God's Spies by Thomas Neuburger • 90 implied HN points • 14 Feb 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Big tech’s business model is based on mass surveillance and data mining, and that data can be used to manipulate public opinion and influence elections, which threatens democratic self-rule.
  2. Major technology companies are being embedded into government through “strategic partnerships” and large contracts, effectively making them instruments of state power and creating security and sovereignty risks.
  3. Governments and tech firms are forming many-to-many information-sharing relationships that seduce and assimilate companies into state functions. This process turns tech firms into ‘bricks’ in a corporate-state wall that expands surveillance and control.

PSA: Microsoft may be training on your private data without your knowledge

Marcus on AI • 4070 implied HN points • 26 Nov 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Microsoft might be using your private documents to train their AI without you knowing. It's important to check your settings.
  2. If you have sensitive information in your Office documents, make sure to turn off any options that share your data.
  3. Big tech companies are increasingly using sneaky methods to gather training data, so it's vital to stay informed and protect your privacy.

Facebook’s Fact-Checkers Changed the Way I See Tech—and Speech—Forever

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 3093 implied HN points • 07 Jan 25
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Big Tech
  1. Fact-checking on social media can drastically affect the visibility of certain stories. Sometimes, a story can go viral and then suddenly lose all traction because it's flagged as misinformation.
  2. There are alternative theories about major events, like Covid's origins, that may be dismissed initially but can gain credibility over time. It's important to keep an open mind to different viewpoints.
  3. The way tech companies manage information can shape public discourse and control which narratives are heard. This raises questions about free speech and the power of online platforms.

The end of optimization

The Future, Now and Then • 198 implied HN points • 09 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Big tech used to treat optimization as the core task, using data and engagement to constantly make products better. That era of relentless improvement has ended.
  2. Platforms now tolerate degraded user experiences in pursuit of profit and dominance — a shift called enshittification — and high-profile moves like Elon’s changes at Twitter helped prove owners can cut quality without losing control.
  3. The turn toward enshittification was driven by factors like runaway valuations, crypto and speculative hype, weakened regulation, and billionaire incentives; it probably won’t last forever and may end with a market or AI bubble collapse, but what comes next is uncertain.

Inflation, affordability, and the AI backlash

Alex's Personal Blog • 98 implied HN points • 13 Jan 26
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Apple picking Google to power its AI features concentrates distribution and AI-provider power, making it harder for smaller rivals to compete and raising antitrust concerns.
  2. Politicians are blaming data-center energy use for rising utility costs, and Microsoft is promising to reduce consumer impacts by funding infrastructure, paying full local taxes, and training local workers.
  3. Anthropic’s Claude Cowork moves AI from developer tools toward a personal, persistent assistant, but it’s very compute-heavy and currently limited to expensive plans until more capacity is brought online.

How BigTech Invested in AI Companies in 2023

AI Supremacy • 1022 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. BigTech, including companies like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, made significant investments in AI companies in 2023.
  2. Nvidia emerged as a leading investor in Generative AI in 2023, making diversified bets in the space and establishing a dedicated venture capital arm.
  3. Foundation models and development platforms were major beneficiaries of Big Tech's investment funding, with companies like Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Salesforce deeply involved.

The Future, Now and Then: 2025 in review

The Future, Now and Then • 82 implied HN points • 29 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. This year’s writing moved from long, idea-driven essays to shorter, immediate pieces, with a clear intention to take bigger swings and return to deeper work next year.
  2. Silicon Valley is powered by three kinds of money—government contracts, product revenue, and speculative finance—and an overreliance on speculation warps incentives and creates bubble risk that can hide weak fundamentals.
  3. Big techno-utopian projects often ignore political and institutional veto points, so grand visions like abundance or network-states tend to be undercooked and clash with real-world constraints.

Tech Oligarchs Have A Solution To The AI Bubble — You.

JoeWrote • 107 implied HN points • 17 Dec 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. The AI boom was driven by exaggerated promises and speculation, but the big societal breakthroughs haven’t materialized and many AI projects are unprofitable while causing real harms like higher energy bills and unsafe outputs.
  2. Tech giants are pivoting from grand future visions to selling AI as an everyday utility and entertainment tool, trying to grow user bases to justify sky-high valuations.
  3. Because the industry is concentrated among the very rich, there’s a real risk they’ll push for taxpayer-funded bailouts if the bubble bursts, and rising inequality means ordinary people would suffer most from the fallout.

Big Tech Myths And Facts: Vision Pro, Google Culture, Digital Ad Market Edition

Big Technology • 3878 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Big Tech companies are experiencing a mix of record revenue and deep layoffs as they navigate the costs of developing new technologies like AI and mixed reality.
  2. Apple may face challenges with the Vision Pro as it might not reach mass-market success until 2030 or beyond, despite initial hype.
  3. Google is acknowledging the need to address its slow-moving culture by simplifying its organizational structure and removing layers to improve efficiency.

Gemini: how did we end up here?

lcamtuf’s thing • 2652 implied HN points • 02 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. The development of large language models (LLMs) like Gemini involves mechanisms like reinforcement learning from human feedback, which can lead to biases and quirky responses.
  2. Concerns arise about the use of LLMs for automated content moderation and the potential impact on historical and political education for children.
  3. The shift within Big Tech towards paternalistic content moderation reflects a move away from the libertarian culture predominant until the mid-2010s, highlighting evolving perspectives on regulating information online.

OpenAI Is in Trouble (For Real This Time)

The Algorithmic Bridge • 392 implied HN points • 01 Jul 25
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. OpenAI is facing tough competition from Meta and Microsoft, which is creating tension and challenges for the company. It looks like these big companies are making moves to poach OpenAI's best talent.
  2. Historically, OpenAI has gone through multiple crises but has managed to bounce back each time. This current situation seems serious, but it's part of a pattern of troubles the company has faced before.
  3. There are concerns about OpenAI's leadership under Sam Altman. Some employees worry that a lack of open communication and differing opinions could hurt the company's ability to innovate.

Algorithms start out as magic. But then become captive to corporate interests.

Asimov’s Addendum • 19 implied HN points • 19 Aug 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Google has been found to have abused its power to control search engine results, limiting competition. This means they had an unfair advantage to keep other companies from competing effectively.
  2. Algorithms that start off as amazing tools can end up being exploited for corporate gain. The way Google uses its algorithms looks like magic at first but turns out to serve its own business interests.
  3. To foster fair competition in the tech industry, we need more transparency and rules about how algorithms work. This could lead to better choices for users and support new companies to grow.

Star Trek or Mad Max?

Diane Francis • 619 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Experts debate whether AI will lead to a better future like 'Star Trek' or a dystopian one like 'Mad Max.'
  2. Some say AI, like ChatGPT, doesn't really think or create but uses existing data, raising concerns about job losses and content theft.
  3. Regulation and accountability are important, as many believe tech companies should be held responsible for their actions instead of managing themselves.

Beyond Big Tech: The Reality Of Data Engineering Outside Silicon Valley

SeattleDataGuy’s Newsletter • 847 implied HN points • 14 Dec 24
🕹 Technology Big Tech
  1. Working in big tech offers many advantages like better tools and a strong focus on data. This environment makes it easier to get work done quickly and efficiently.
  2. Many companies outside big tech struggle with data because it's not their main focus. They often use a mix of different tools that don't work well together, leading to confusion.
  3. Without a strong data leader, companies may find it hard to prioritize data spending. If data isn't tied to profits, it's tougher to justify investing time and money into it.