WSJ Tech News Briefing
Episodes
Why More People Are Pivoting to Help Influencers on Social Media
20 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A growing number of people who once chased social media stardom are turning to new roles, helping others become influencers. And the opportunities for...
To Become a Tech Hub, Tulsa Recruits Ukrainian Workers
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oklahoma businesses are recruiting Ukrainians fleeing Russia’s invasion. They hope the new workers will turn Tulsa into a regional tech hub. WSJ imm...
The Unexpected Reason iPhones Dominate the Market
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 fa...
Artists Worry About Survival as AI Changes the Game for Creative Work
17 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The threat that technology will replace workers is something more people are grappling with due to the introduction of new tools powered by generative...
What’s Slowing Down Self-Driving Car Technology?
14 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 wh...
Virtual Reality Helps Trauma Patients Confront Fears
13 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Moms Push for New Laws Making Social Media Sites More Accountable
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Uber’s CEO Became a Driver and Learned a Lot
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 deli...
AI Hallucinations to Befriending Chatbots: Your Questions Answered
10 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
The Hottest Tech Topics Among Older Adults
07 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
How the CEO of OpenAI Is Navigating Development and Risk
06 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 te...
Should Digital Devices Be Given Genders?
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 expl...
Apple Tries to Improve Streaming for Classic Music Fans
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 is...
Artificial Intelligence 101: Why It’s Different This Time
03 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 wo...
U.S. Military Prepares for Space Warfare With New Tech
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 di...
Hospital ‘Black Boxes’: the New Tech in Operating Rooms
30 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hospitals are turning to new technology that allows them to record everything going on in the operating room. These new surgical “black boxes” off...
Samsung Is Betting on AI for Smartphone Innovation
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Innovation and new technology are often driving factors to convince customers to upgrade their smartphones. Samsung is looking to artificial intellige...
Uber Eats to Cut Thousands of Listings as It Moves to Declutter App
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Uber Eats plans to take down thousands of listings for online-only brands. WSJ restaurants reporter Heather Haddon joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss ho...
Online Publishers Want AI Chatbot Makers to Pay Up
27 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A battle between the makers of artificial intelligence chatbots and publishers of online content is brewing. Publishers say they should be compensated...
U.S. Lawmakers Grill TikTok CEO About China Ties and Security Risks
24 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Those Pesky Password Rules Are Actually a Security Risk, Experts Say
23 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cybersecurity researchers say systems that force users to change their passwords often actually could be creating security risks. But lots of companie...
How European Regulators Are Thinking About Emerging Tech
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As more new technologies like artificial intelligence and the metaverse become mainstream, how are European Union officials approaching regulation? Sp...
Skilled Workers Shortage Threatens Biden’s Plans For U.S. Chipmaking
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chipmaker Micron will have to overcome a massive shortage of skilled workers in order to open its planned semiconductor-manufacturing campus in the su...
Tech Execs and Lawmakers Build Anti-China Alliance
20 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Silicon Valley leaders and Capitol Hill lawmakers are developing an unusual bicoastal alliance . The group is pushing against China's presence in the ...
Could ChatGPT Help Land Your Next Job?
17 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
More job seekers are turning to artificial-intelligence chatbot ChatGPT for help improving their resumes. But some bosses are trying to figure out how...
For Chinese AI Chatbots, Politics Is Off-Limits
16 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
As companies all over the world race to develop their own versions of generative artificial intelligence chatbots, developers in China have a particul...
TikTok’s New Hyper-Realistic Effect Sparks Beauty Debate
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two new effects on TikTok can give users sculpted cheekbones, plumped lips, or a younger look with the push of a button. But this hyper-realistic imag...
Startups Look to Change After Silicon Valley Bank Collapse
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank has rattled the startup sector that was so reliant on it. Now venture investors are combing through the aftermath,...
How Silicon Valley Bank Collapsed
13 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Silicon Valley Bank shut down suddenly on Friday. The lender’s customer base was made up of many startups and venture-capital firms, particularly in...
Energy Breakthrough Opens Up Possibility for Better Battery Power
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A team of researchers from the University of Rochester think they have found the holy grail of energy transmission. And in the next decade, it could c...
Did Google’s Caution Give Microsoft a Lead in AI?
09 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google has been investing heavily in artificial intelligence and even had its own AI chatbot years before ChatGPT went viral. But inside the company, ...
Your Face Can Get You in the Door. Then What Happens to Your Data?
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Facial-recognition tech is being used more often. Supporters say it is a safe and convenient way to confirm identity. But skeptics say it possesses se...
As Twitter Slashes Staff, Silicon Valley Watches to See How It Works
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the company has made massive layoffs. Others in tech are watching to see how a significantly smaller staff is runni...
Qualcomm CEO Says AI and VR Are Future of Business
06 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chip makers, like Qualcomm, have been hit by the slowdown of smartphone sales. But the company's CEO says focusing on more sophisticated computing tas...
Tesla’s Ambitious Goals Come With a Big Price Tag
03 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tesla wants to become the world’s biggest car maker by volume. But at its investor day this week it offered little details on plans for new car mode...
Salesforce’s Family Mentality Hit by Pressure to Be More Profitable
02 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Software giant Salesforce grew massively during the pandemic and prioritized the well-being of its workers. But as economic conditions have changed, t...
Electric Vehicles Could Be Targeted by Hackers
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cybersecurity experts are raising the alarm about possible hacks of electric vehicles. What kinds of attacks are they concerned about and why do EVs p...
Social Media Platforms Roll Out Subscriptions, But Will Users Pay?
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook, Instagram and Twitter are among the social media platforms hoping their users will sign up for subscriptions. But will people want to pay fo...
Criminals Are Using iPhone Passcodes to Take Over Phones in Minutes
27 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A basic feature of iPhones helps criminals steal a victim's entire digital life, including photos and debit card information, in a matter of minutes. ...
Smartphones Emerge as Key Tool for War in Ukraine
24 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is already the most intensely documented war in history, thanks to smartphones. The devices are also playing a role in ...
Supreme Court Hears Cases That Could Reshape the Internet
23 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Two cases before the Supreme Court this week challenge a pillar of how the internet is run. At the heart of both is whether platforms like YouTube and...
Ransomware Payments Decline as New Cyber Defenses Take Effect
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hackers are seeing a decline in the ransomware payments they can extract from companies, as businesses take more precautions and authorities roll out ...
Tech Layoffs Put H1B Visa Workers on Deadline to Find New Jobs
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Layoffs sweeping the tech industry have not spared workers on temporary visas, known as H1Bs. They have just 60 days to find a new visa sponsored posi...
How Algorithms Play a Role in Child Sexual Exploitation on TikTok
17 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok’s popularity with young people and ability to know what users like has made it a growing venue for child sexual exploitation, according to la...
Canadian Creators Don’t Want to Be Labeled Canadian
16 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A new law set to pass in Canada would require platforms like Netflix, YouTube and TikTok to show a certain amount of domestic content. But some conten...
Virtual Reality Becomes Next Battleground for Social-Media Companies
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
ByteDance, the parent company of TikTok, is rapidly growing its share of the global market for virtual-reality headsets. That puts it squarely in comp...
How Dating Apps Find Your Next Valentine
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A growing number of people are meeting their long term partners on dating apps. But the technology that these apps use can feel as much of a mystery a...
Meta Revamps Its Metaverse App to Attract Younger Users
13 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Facebook parent Meta has struggled to attract users to Horizon Worlds, its metaverse platform. But the company has plans for updates that it hopes wil...
Twitter Looks for Super Bowl Win With ‘Fire Sale’ for Advertisers
10 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, the platform has struggled to retain advertisers. But the company is hoping to score points with steep discounts on...
Google Shows Off ChatGPT Rival
09 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Google showed off its latest artificial intelligence features at an event in Paris. WSJ tech reporter Sam Schechner joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss h...
Microsoft's New Bing Search, Now With AI From ChatGPT
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft is combining the artificial intelligence from OpenAI’s ChatGPT with its own search engine Bing. CEO Satya Nadella spoke with WSJ’s senio...
Smart Appliance Makers Want More People to Connect Their Devices
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The makers of internet-connected smart appliances, like washing machines and ovens, are betting big on these devices, hoping they will change the scop...
AI Is Already Transforming Healthcare
06 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The healthcare sector is already being transformed by the use of artificial intelligence. But what are the drawbacks to its use and what developments ...
Can TikTok’s Transparency Ease Lawmakers’ Concerns?
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok has taken another step to try to ease lawmakers' concerns about its ties to China. Its new transparency center lets visitors see how the app mo...
Microsoft’s Push to Become an AI Leader
02 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft is positioning itself to be at the forefront of artificial intelligence, spending billions to invest in OpenAI. But how does it plan to inco...
What the ‘Menswear Guy’ Tells Us About Twitter’s Future
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Twitter’s “For You” feed has been showing a lot of users posts from one men’s fashion commentator. But it isn’t because they all suddenly ca...
AI Could be Key to Facebook Parent Meta’s Turnaround
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, had one of its toughest years in 2022. It's facing fierce competition and a hit to its advertising...
In Africa, FTX Promised Stability and Swag
30 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Across Africa FTX used brand ambassadors and glitzy events to attract new users . Many customers saw cryptocurrency as a way to protect against inflat...
Tech to Block Scam Calls Still Defrauding Older Adults
27 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Phone scams may seem like a thing of the past, but nearly a quarter of older adults who reported losing money in a scam last year said it all started ...
Apple Avoids Layoffs Hitting the Rest of Tech, for Now
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Apple has so far been able to avoid the huge layoffs other big tech firms have announced. What is the iPhone maker doing differently than its counterp...
DOJ Slaps Google With Antitrust Lawsuit Over Its Digital Ad Business
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Justice Department has sued Google seeking to break up its digital advertising business. Google has had a foothold in nearly every part of the onl...
In the Battle Between Microsoft and Google, What Role Could AI Play?
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Microsoft is deepening its partnership with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT and Dall-E. That has investors and analysts speculating whether Microso...
China’s Tech Crackdown Winds Up
23 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Beijing appears to be nearing the end of a two-year crackdown on the county’s big tech companies. Some of China's most well-known and influential in...
Lasers Could Help Deflect Danger From Lightning Strikes
20 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A test of giant lasers shot from a mountaintop in Switzerland is helping scientists develop ways to guide lightning. It could be a first step in defen...
The 3-D Printing Revolution Is Quietly Under Way
19 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
3-D manufacturing was once only suited for creating prototypes and models. Now advances in the tech are leading to changes in manufacturing and quietl...
TikTok Offers More Transparency to Win Over U.S. Regulators
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
TikTok is trying a new tactic in its efforts to reach a deal with U.S. regulators that would allow it to keep operating in the county: more transparen...
Space Industry Races to Increase Launches and Defense Capabilities
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This year the space sector is expected to focus less on human space travel and more on government defense and satellite launches. But that doesn't mea...
How to Make 5G Feel Like Less of a Letdown
13 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cellular carriers advertised 5G as a game changer for connectivity. But for many of us, the promised changes and improvements are hard to notice. WSJ ...
Can Deepfakes Be Regulated? China Is Giving It a Shot
12 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
China is implementing new rules aimed at limiting the production of deepfakes, or artificial-intelligence-generated video, audio and pictures that imi...
To Boost EVs, New York Has to Decide Where to Put the Chargers
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One of the biggest challenges to getting more electric vehicles on the road is giving drivers a place to charge them. New funding from the federal gov...
Tech Layoffs Pile Up as Bosses Reverse Course
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a period of aggressive hiring to meet heightened demand for online services during the pandemic, tech companies are now laying off many of those...
How High-Tech Lobster Traps Could Help Save Whales
09 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Endangered whales in the Atlantic could be given a lifeline by the use of high-tech lobster traps that pose less risk to them. But getting the industr...
Best of CES: What Gadgets Stood Out at This Year’s Big Tech Show?
06 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
CES is known as a place where companies can show off boundary-pushing gadgets. This year, paperlike speakers, a robot pet and tools to keep us connect...
How to Declutter Your Inbox and Devices in 2023
05 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For a New Year’s resolution, many of us would benefit from decluttering our digital lives. But all those emails, photos and more can be overwhelming...
How Ukraine Digitized Its Forces on the Cheap
04 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Nearly a year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Kyiv’s fighting forces have managed to rapidly digitize, something the U.S. has spent decades an...
CES: How Will Gadget Startups Face Economic Challenges?
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The global trade show CES kicking off this week has been the place for startups to showcase their technologies to potential future partners and custom...
Blockchains Can Trace Carbon Credits, But Can They Improve the Market?
30 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The market for carbon credits has some big problems. The certificates that allow companies and governments to offset their emissions have been shown i...
Can Lab-Grown Meat Live Up to Its Climate Promises?
29 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
One way to reduce the greenhouse gases produced by the meat industry: cutting out the farm. Cultivating meat by growing cells without growing the whol...
Carbon Transformation: Could Your Next Outfit Be Made of CO2?
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A small group of so-called carbon transformation companies are gaining traction with investors by turning carbon captured from factories and the air i...
Could Underwater Data Centers Make Cloud Computing Greener?
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Cloud storage centers suck up a lot of energy. But when Microsoft tried putting data centers underwater a couple of years ago, it found the strategy g...
Next-Gen Climate Tech: Can It Live Up to Its Promises?
26 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
So much of what we do every day adds to our carbon footprint. And now some tech companies are looking beyond green energy to come up with novel soluti...
Boston Dynamics CEO on Robots of the Future
23 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Boston Dynamics is best known for its robotic dog Spot, which is used by police departments and warehouses to perform various tasks. But the company i...
NFT Artist Beeple on the Future of Digital Art
22 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The artist Mike Winkelmann, better known as Beeple, is one of the most valuable living artists. But now that demand for non-fungible tokens has cooled...
How the EU Took On Big Tech in 2022
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Regulators in the European Union have been taking more actions against big tech companies this year, aiming to protect data privacy and customer choic...
India’s Chip-Making Plans Face a Long Road Ahead
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
India is making an ambitious push into the advanced-semiconductors market as it looks to establish itself as a high-end tech manufacturing alternativ...
YouTubers’ Old Videos Could Earn Them Millions, With Strings Attached
19 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A number of investment firms are offering YouTubers big payouts for the revenue rights to their back catalogs. For some, the deals could be a way to i...
Could the Key to EV Adoption Be… Shorter-Range Batteries?
16 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Would you choose an electric car that charges faster even if it meant a more-limited driving range? WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims joins host Zoe...
Why More Shoppers Are Turning to Reddit for Holiday Gift Research
15 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This holiday season, as gift-buyers try to avoid fake reviews on e-commerce sites and influencers pushing their products, many are turning to Reddit g...
Nuclear-Fusion Breakthrough: How Long Until Limitless Clean Energy?
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Department of Energy has announced a major breakthrough in nuclear fusion, saying scientists achieved a fusion reaction that generated more e...
Open-Source Intel: Are U.S. Spy Agencies Falling Behind?
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
U.S. intelligence agencies’ use of publicly available data is outpaced by adversaries such as China and even some large companies, officials say. WS...
Tensions at Salesforce Rose Ahead of Co-CEO’s Departure
12 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The recent exit of Salesforce's co-CEO Bret Taylor wasn’t long planned, according to people familiar with the matter, who say it was fueled by tensi...
Google Merges Maps and Waze on Cost-Cutting Journey
09 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Google plans to combine its mapping units, Waze and Maps, as its parent company Alphabet looks for opportunities to increase efficiencies. How will it...
Clock Is Ticking for TikTok to Reach Security Deal With Washington
08 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For years U.S. officials have warned that TikTok poses a national-security risk because of its owner, China-based ByteDance. The social-media app and ...
What Is ChatGPT, the AI Chatbot That Everyone Is Talking About?
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
ChatGPT, Lensa and DALL-E are giving more people without computing skills the chance to interact with artificial intelligence. These AI programs that ...
How Spotify Wrapped Does Data Collection Without Being Creepy
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Spotify Wrapped is the streaming giant’s annual reveal about its users’ listening habits. It’s one of the rare times a digital platform tells it...
China Steps Up Internet Censorship in Response to Protests
05 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
China clamps down on virtual private networks and pressures tech companies to boost censorship. The moves follow widespread protests in the country. W...
Audio Tech in TVs Has Improved. So Why Do Shows Sound Muddled?
02 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re having trouble hearing the dialogue on your TV, it may not be you. As audio technology develops and directors make more creative sound cho...
Sam Bankman-Fried Paid Little Heed to Risk, Say Ex-Staff
01 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Early staffers at Sam Bankman-Fried’s first company, Alameda Research, say they quit over his approach to risk, compliance and accounting. How simil...
Cyber Insurers Consider: What Would a Catastrophic Hack Look Like?
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Insurance firms that cover cyberattacks are working out what to do in the event of a catastrophic hack, one that takes down a systemically important c...
Facebook’s Top Posts Were Trash. Here’s What It Did to Fix Things.
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this year Facebook parent Meta quietly formed a team to deal with an uncomfortable reality: the most popular posts on its platform were trash....