Greetings, Tech Insiders!

In today’s news, Big Tech is throwing down startup cash, dodging lawsuits, and raiding Apple’s talent pool. From OpenAI’s $6.5B hardware play to Meta’s Llama-powered startup scheme, the AI arms race isn’t slowing down—it’s just getting more expensive.

Here’s what you need to know today:

OpenAI Drops $6.5B on Jony Ive’s Crew to Build the iPhone of AI—Or Something Weirder

Sam Altman isn’t chasing the iconic Apple devices… he's coming for whatever replaces them.

OpenAI is diving headfirst into the hardware game, snatching up startup io—a stealthy design house led by former Apple legend Jony Ive and packed with ex-Apple engineers.

While Ive won’t be joining OpenAI as an employee, his design firm, LoveFrom, is taking creative control of OpenAI’s design future, both hardware and software. The deal is worth nearly $6.5 billion.

Around 55 engineers and manufacturing experts from io will now call OpenAI home, marking a serious pivot from pure software to full-stack product innovation. This acquisition gives OpenAI a huge design edge in rethinking what AI devices can be.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says their first device isn’t meant to kill the iPhone but to start an entirely new category. The first wave of hardware is expected to land sometime in 2026.

Let’s just hope it comes with a charger.

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Meta Dangles Cash and Code to Lure Startups Into Llama’s Orbit

Meta’s on a mission to make Llama the default engine of generative AI… and it’s throwing money at startups to make it happen.

The new Llama Startup Program offers up to $6,000 monthly, hands-on support from Meta’s AI team, and access to its model ecosystem. Eligible startups must be US-based, focused on building generative AI solutions, and have raised less than $10 million in funding.

Join the herd, chase the funding… and try not to get hoofed.

Flash Bytes

Building GenAI Applications with CockroachDB & AWS Bedrock

Build real-time, AI-powered apps with ease using CockroachDB and AWS Bedrock.

Join us for this live webinar on May 28 at 1:00 PM ET, hosted by CockroachDB, and discover how to deliver scalable, resilient GenAI solutions with modern architecture.

Security Alerts

The Dream Job Scam: How Remote Work Is Becoming a Trap

Myldwin Pierre thought he landed the perfect remote art director gig, until the “recruiter” asked him to pay for his own workstation.

It was a scam, one of thousands sweeping job boards and LinkedIn feeds. With fake interviews, stolen identities, and $450M lost in 2024 alone, remote work is becoming the perfect bait for predators targeting desperate job seekers.

Trust your instincts, verify offers, and never pay to get hired.

NIST Rolls Out Crystal Ball for Cyber Flaws

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) just added a new weapon to its vulnerability triage arsenal: probability math.

The recently unveiled "Likely Exploited Vulnerabilities" (LEV) metric is a predictive formula that estimates whether a software or hardware flaw has been successfully targeted by attackers, even if there's no smoking gun.

Designed to bolster threat intel tools like CISA’s KEV catalog, LEV aims to help security teams prioritize patching based on confirmed attacks and the statistical probability of exploitation.

Industry Shakeups

AI Isn’t Above the Law: Judge Lets Chatbot Lawsuit Against Google Proceed

A Florida judge just torpedoed Google's First Amendment defense in a chilling wrongful death lawsuit tied to the suicide of a 14-year-old boy allegedly influenced by Character AI.

The suit alleges Character AI's chatbots abused the teen by driving obsessive use, leading to emotional distress and his death in February 2024. In a potentially precedent-setting move, the judge criticized Google’s weak comparisons and suggested AI “speech” might not be speech at all.

The court rejected the notion that chatbot output qualifies as protected speech, allowing the case to proceed.

Turns out “I’m just a language model” won’t hold up in court.

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