Alvaro Lopez Ortega / 2026-04-09 Briefing

Created Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:28:24 +0000 Modified Thu, 09 Apr 2026 13:29:37 +0000
3838 Words

Meta is expanding its AI infrastructure with a $21 billion deal with CoreWeave, even as it removes lawyer ads following social media addiction lawsuits. Samsung is investing $4 billion in a Vietnamese chip plant to meet AI demand, while OpenAI has paused its UK “Stargate” project due to energy costs. YouTube also debuted photorealistic AI avatars, and Tubi launched a native app in ChatGPT.

🤖 AI & Automation

Alibaba’s HappyHorse-1.0 AI video model tops Artificial Analysis leaderboard over Seedance 2.0

OpenAI projects its advertising business will become its primary revenue driver by 2030, with revenues expected to reach $102 billion. The company anticipates advertising will generate $2.4 billion this year and nearly $11 billion next year.

YouTube Shorts launches Veo-powered photorealistic AI avatars via live selfie recordings.

YouTube has launched a new Shorts feature that allows creators to generate photorealistic AI avatars using a “live selfie” recording of their face and voice. Powered by Google’s Veo models, the tool includes safety measures such as digital watermarks and mandatory disclosures for AI-generated content.

Tubi becomes the first streamer to launch a native app in ChatGPT to find movies and shows.

Tubi has become the first major streaming service to launch a native app within ChatGPT, allowing users to discover movies and shows through natural-language prompts. By using the “@Tubi” feature, viewers can receive personalized recommendations tailored to their preferences from the platform’s extensive library.

Predictions Scorecard, 2026 January 01

Rodney Brooks has released his eighth annual update assessing the accuracy of his 2018 predictions regarding self-driving cars, robotics, AI, and human space travel. He concludes that while his forecasts have generally held up well, he was slightly too optimistic in certain areas.

Claude mixes up who said what and that’s not OK

Claude is experiencing a bug where the AI misidentifies its own internal reasoning messages as instructions from the user. This error can lead the model to believe users have issued unauthorized commands, potentially resulting in unintended or dangerous actions.

Reallocating $100/Month Claude Code Spend to Zed and OpenRouter

To avoid hitting fixed usage limits on a $100 monthly Claude subscription, the author is reallocating their spend to the Zed editor and OpenRouter. This transition adopts a pay-as-you-go model that provides greater flexibility by allowing the use of various LLMs optimized for different task complexities and costs.

Veteran artist behind Mass Effect, Halo, & Overwatch 2 weighs in on Nvidia DLSS5

Veteran artist Mark Linington warns that Nvidia’s DLSS 5 technology risks moving beyond image enhancement into “reinterpretation,” which could undermine a game’s original artistic intent. He argues that current controls are insufficient for true artistic guidance and may erase the carefully crafted visual styles established by developers.

Process Manager for Autonomous AI Agents

A new process manager for autonomous AI agents allows users to manage persistent bots using a terminal dashboard, web UI, and declarative configuration. The tool supports seamless updates without downtime and features interactive bot creation via Claude. It is compatible with macOS, Linux, and Windows on both AMD64 and ARM64 architectures.

‘There’s a lot of desperation’: older workers turn to AI training to stay afloat

Facing prolonged unemployment and age-related job market bias, many skilled older professionals are turning to data annotation to train artificial intelligence models. By using their specialized expertise to refine and evaluate AI outputs, these workers are finding new ways to secure income during periods of economic instability.

App Store sees 84% surge in new apps as AI coding tools take off

New App Store submissions surged by 30% last year to nearly 600,000 apps, driven largely by the rapid adoption of AI coding tools. To manage this growth, Apple is increasingly utilizing AI to assist in the review process while simultaneously cracking down on certain AI-driven apps that violate its developer guidelines.

Claude Glass (Or Black Mirror)

A Claude glass is a small, convex, dark-tinted mirror used by artists and travelers to view landscapes with a simplified, painterly aesthetic. By reflecting scenery while the user faces away, the device reduces color and tonal range to emulate the picturesque style of 17th-century painter Claude Lorrain.

UK to spend £15M on AI-powered crime mapping in knife violence crackdown

The UK government is investing £15 million over the next three years to implement AI-powered crime mapping across England and Wales. This initiative aims to identify micro-geographical hotspots to help police more effectively target knife crime through precise patrols and prevention efforts.

💻 Software & Engineering

Spotify adds worldwide toggles to disable video for music and podcasts.

Spotify is introducing new toggles worldwide to disable video playback for both music and podcasts across all platforms and devices. These controls allow users to turn off Canvas clips, music videos, and other vertical video content, with Family Plan managers also able to restrict access for individual members.

UK NHS data chief hails Palantir-built platform for ‘outstanding results’ as rollout expands

UK NHS data chief Ming Tang is pushing for an expanded rollout of the Palantir-built Federated Data Platform, stating that the system is delivering “outstanding results” in England. The platform centralizes patient information, though the continued use of the technology faces significant public outcry.

You can absolutely have an RSS dependent website in 2026

The author demonstrates that hobbyist websites can successfully thrive without email newsletters by relying on RSS feeds and organic discovery. By avoiding subscription models, the author eliminates both the financial costs of email distribution and the security risks associated with managing user data.

Vera — A language designed for machines to write

Vera is a programming language designed for LLMs to write, prioritizing verifiability to mitigate issues like naming hallucinations and loss of coherence. The language replaces traditional variable names with structural references and utilizes mandatory contracts and an SMT solver to ensure all generated code is explicitly checkable.

But what about K?

The author details an attempt to understand a C implementation of the K programming language by analyzing the kparc/ksimple repository. The article provides a technical overview of the language’s specifications and begins a walkthrough of the a.h header file.

TIL that Helix and Typst are a match made in heaven

Typst offers a simplified alternative to LaTeX for creating complex documents that exceed the capabilities of Markdown. By utilizing the Tinymist language server within the Helix editor, users can leverage advanced features such as semantic highlighting and a synchronized live preview.

Embedding EYG in Gleam programs

This article demonstrates how to embed the type-safe scripting language EYG into Gleam to create secure, programmable interfaces for configurations or plugins. It provides practical examples of implementing Gleam runners capable of processing both pure scripts and managed side effects, such as logging.

What are your programming “hunches” you haven’t yet investigated?

The author invites the Lobsters community to share uninvestigated programming “hunches” regarding potential technical solutions. Sharing these unproven ideas can foster interesting discussions and introduce new ways of thinking about complex problems.

How Much Linear Memory Access Is Enough?

An experimental study has determined the minimum contiguous memory block size required to maintain peak performance across various high-performance computing workloads. The findings suggest that 1 MB blocks are generally sufficient, though 128 kB or 4 kB blocks can suffice as the computation intensity per byte increases.

Understanding Traceroute

This article explains how traceroute works by leveraging the Time to Live (TTL) field in IP packets to trigger ICMP “Time Exceeded” messages from intermediate routers. To illustrate this mechanism, the author provides a basic implementation of the tool written in Rust using UDP packets and raw sockets.

Runahead Execution vs. Conventional Data Prefetching in the IBM POWER6 Microprocessor (2010)

This study compares the performance of runahead execution against conventional data prefetching techniques within the IBM POWER6 microprocessor. The research evaluates the effectiveness of these two different architectural approaches in managing data access.

WikiMapped – 1.3M geolocated Wikipedia articles on an interactive world map

WikiMapped is an interactive world map that features 1.3 million geolocated Wikipedia articles. The platform allows users to explore vast amounts of Wikipedia content through a geospatial interface.

Help Keep Thunderbird Alive

Thunderbird, a free and privacy-focused email service, is calling for user donations to sustain its operations and development. The organization relies solely on contributions from a small fraction of its users to fund server maintenance and engineering without relying on advertisements or corporate sponsors.

🔌 Hardware & Infrastructure

Samsung to invest $4B in Vietnam chip packaging plant to meet AI demand (Bloomberg)

Samsung Electronics Co. plans to invest $4 billion to construct a chip packaging facility in Vietnam’s Thai Nguyen province. The investment will be implemented in multiple phases, with the first stage costing approximately $2 billion.

Meta adds $21B for CoreWeave AI cloud infra through 2032, on top of prior $14.2B deal.

Meta has committed to spending an additional $21 billion on AI cloud infrastructure from CoreWeave between 2027 and 2032. This new agreement builds upon a prior $14.2 billion deal as the company continues to aggressively expand its artificial intelligence capabilities.

TSMC CoWoS tech growing 80% CAGR; Nvidia reportedly reserved most capacity

TSMC’s CoWoS advanced packaging technology is growing at an 80% compound annual growth rate to meet the surging demand for AI hardware. With Nvidia having already reserved much of the available capacity, experts warn that advanced packaging could become the next major bottleneck in the semiconductor industry.

How NASA Built Artemis II’s Fault-Tolerant Computer

NASA has engineered a highly redundant, eight-CPU computer architecture for the Artemis II mission to manage all safety-critical functions in deep space. The system utilizes a “fail-silent” design to ensure continuous operation by detecting and bypassing hardware failures or radiation-induced errors.

FreeBSD Laptop Compatibility: Top Laptops to Use with FreeBSD

This report evaluates the hardware compatibility of various laptop and mini PC models with the FreeBSD operating system. It assesses specific components, such as graphics processors and wireless network adapters, across devices from brands including Apple, Lenovo, Framework, and Dell.

You Can Just Print an Air Purifier

3D printing technology offers an accessible way to create custom, low-cost air purifiers by enhancing DIY designs like the Corsi-Rosenthal Box. By using printed components, individuals can effectively adapt box fans and standard furnace filters into personalized air filtration systems.

The Netherlands is building a “digital emergency kit” in case the internet shuts down nationwide

The Netherlands is developing a “digital emergency kit” to prepare for a potential nationwide internet shutdown. This initiative aims to ensure that essential services and communications remain functional during a large-scale outage.

🔒 Security & Privacy

Global scramble to protect submarine cables from sabotage using new monitoring tech

Governments, militaries, and private entities are implementing new technologies and patrols to protect global submarine cable networks from potential sabotage. These efforts aim to safeguard the critical underwater infrastructure that carries the majority of the world’s international data traffic.

The Internet needs an antibotty immune system, stat

Anthropic’s Mythos Preview has demonstrated the ability to autonomously chain zero-day vulnerabilities, posing a significant threat to unpatchable embedded devices. To counter this, the author proposes “antibotty inoculation,” using frontier AI models to proactively defend networks through automated, localized responses.

Telenor is being sued for giving Myanmar’s military phone data that led to arrests and executions

Telenor is facing a lawsuit for providing mobile phone data to the Myanmar military. The company is accused of sharing information that directly led to the arrests and subsequent executions of individuals.

Walls have ears: how your internet cable can be turned into a covert listening device

This article explores the methods used to transform internet cables into covert listening devices. It details how these cables can be repurposed to function as microphones for intercepting audio.

European firm endorses Linux, releases free spy-blocking tool to cut reliance on foreign tech

A European firm has endorsed the Linux operating system and released a free tool designed to block spyware. The move aims to reduce reliance on foreign technology.

Capita’s pension portal exposes civil servants’ private data

A 35-minute data breach on Capita’s Civil Service Pensions Scheme portal recently exposed the personal information of 138 members. The incident has prompted the suspension of certain portal functionalities and triggered investigations by both the Cabinet Office and the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Sticky-note security turned gym into hall of ’80s horrors

A hotel guest was able to access treadmill control panels to play ’80s music videos after an installer left a default admin PIN on a Post-it note. While no significant damage occurred, the incident prompted the installation company to implement stricter security protocols and network isolation for connected fitness equipment.

🏛️ Policy & Business

Meta removes Facebook and Instagram ads from lawyers after social media addiction trial losses

Meta has begun removing advertisements on Facebook and Instagram that were placed by trial lawyers to recruit plaintiffs for social media addiction lawsuits. The company stated it is acting to mitigate legal risks following recent court rulings against it regarding the impact of its platforms on minors.

OpenAI pauses UK Stargate project, citing high energy costs and regulation

OpenAI is pausing its Stargate artificial intelligence infrastructure project in the UK, citing high energy costs and the current regulatory environment. The decision comes as the company seeks to manage its ambitious spending ahead of a potential public listing.

Vinted 2025: Revenue up 38% to €1.1B, GMV up 47% to €10.8B, net profit down 19% to €62M

Vinted reported a 38% year-on-year increase in 2025 revenue to €1.1 billion, driven by its expansion into Latvia, Estonia, and Slovenia. While gross merchandise value climbed 47% to €10.8 billion, the online marketplace’s net profit declined 19% to €62 million.

Executives say trust, not AI, is the key differentiator for white-collar work (FT)

Executives in sectors such as finance and cyber defense argue that trust, rather than the technology itself, will be the primary differentiator as AI transforms white-collar work. They emphasize that accuracy, accountability, and regulation are essential as tools like Anthropic’s Claude plug-ins are integrated into professional workflows.

Arm CEO Rene Haas in line for new SoftBank role to drive Project Izanagi AI chip strategy

Arm CEO Rene Haas is reportedly in line for an additional role at SoftBank Group to lead much of its international business. This move is intended to advance the group’s AI chip strategy, known as Project Izanagi.

Neo VC’s early bets on Kalshi and Cursor drive fund values far above industry averages.

Led by CEO Ali Partovi, the San Francisco-based venture capital firm Neo has achieved returns significantly higher than industry averages through early investments in startups such as Kalshi and Cursor. This performance highlights the growing disparity between top-tier venture firms and the industry median.

An analysis of recent tweets from 18 major publishers suggests that including links in X posts appears to decrease engagement. This finding supports recent debates regarding whether the platform’s algorithm penalizes news organizations for directing users to external websites.

Anthropic completes $350B employee tender offer, missing $6B investor target

Anthropic has completed a secondary share sale for employees at a $350 billion valuation. The tender offer concluded with some investors unable to purchase as many shares as intended because employees were unwilling to sell a larger portion of their holdings.

Wit, unker, Git: The lost medieval pronouns of English intimacy

Old English once utilized a unique set of “dual” pronouns, such as “wit” and “git,” to specifically refer to exactly two people. These terms, which captured a distinct sense of intimacy and “two-ness,” eventually vanished from the language around the 13th century due to significant social and political shifts.

America Has Lost the Arab World

Recent polling indicates a significant decline in public support for the United States and its allies across the Middle East following the October 7, 2023, attacks and subsequent regional conflicts. As confidence in the U.S.-led regional order erodes, many in the region are increasingly viewing China, Iran, and Russia more favorably. This shift in public opinion poses a growing risk to the diplomatic partnerships between Washington and Arab leaders.

Creating the Futurescape for the Fifth Element [2019]

Digital Domain’s visual effects experts collaborated with director Luc Besson to create the visually stunning “futurescape” for the sci-fi film The Fifth Element. The production utilized a large team of artists and model makers to realize a futuristic vision heavily influenced by the aesthetic of French comic books.

Nigel Farage wants to build a British ICE. Starmer may have handed him the tools

Reform UK is planning to launch a mass deportation initiative called “Operation Restoring Justice,” which would use a new enforcement agency and large-scale surveillance technology to identify illegal migrants. Privacy advocates have warned that the plan’s reliance on mining government, healthcare, and financial databases could lead to the creation of a “surveillance state.”

The brazen rightwing plan to conquer American schools

PragerU has transformed from a small digital non-profit into a major media entity with annual revenues nearing $70 million. The organization is expanding its influence within the American education system by providing conservative-oriented lesson plans and books that have been adopted in multiple U.S. states.

Trump administration orders dismantling of the U.S. Forest Service

The Trump administration has announced a major restructuring of the U.S. Forest Service, including moving its headquarters to Salt Lake City and closing all ten regional offices. The plan also involves shuttering over fifty research facilities and replacing many career professionals with fifteen political appointees.

Right to Repair: EU will make it easier and cheaper to repair a smartphone this year

The European Union is set to implement new regulations this year to make repairing smartphones easier and more affordable. This “Right to Repair” initiative aims to reduce maintenance costs for consumers.

European defence ministries are turning to a French cloud provider to cut ties with US tech

European defence ministries are turning to a French cloud provider to reduce their reliance on US-based technology. This shift is part of an effort to decrease dependency on American tech companies.

UK.gov’s top tech jobs pay more than prime minister earns

The UK’s Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) is recruiting three directors general to lead major digital, AI, and cybersecurity initiatives. The salaries for these roles range from £174,000 to over £260,000, all of which exceed the Prime Minister’s annual pay of £170,000.

Microsoft software resale appeal catches eye of £3.5B class action

Microsoft is appealing a UK tribunal ruling that found the resale of its perpetual software licenses to be legal, centering its new argument on copyright infringement. The outcome of this appeal could significantly impact a parallel class action lawsuit seeking up to £3.5 billion in damages.