AI’s builders are asking for brakes.

The Frontier

Science & tech breakthroughs in AI models, hardware, and computing that define what's possible

Trump and Mike Johnson Reject Calls to Slow AI. President Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson dismissed calls from leading AI executives to slow frontier-model development. Their response followed Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei’s call to “pace the frontier,” which received public support from OpenAI’s Sam Altman, Elon Musk and Alphabet’s Demis Hassabis.

Trump and Johnson are rejecting the AI industry’s own warning: Amodei’s call to “pace the frontier” has backing from Altman, Musk and Hassabis. The test is whether that coalition can shift GOP leaders’ push to outpace China.

The Verge

AI Bioweapons Report Divides Experts. Anthropic reported five cases in which scientists in unnamed countries allegedly used its Claude system for work involving viruses or toxins that raised potential misuse concerns. Experts disagree on whether the incidents point to a significant new bioweapons risk or call for a more limited interpretation.

Anthropic’s five cases in unnamed countries are too thin to establish a significant new bioweapons risk; they show potential misuse concerns, not demonstrated weaponization. By 2027, watch for additional documented cases.

Science.org

Microsoft Puts People Ahead of AI. Microsoft said it created a “humanist AI code of conduct” following internal and external AI-safety concerns. The company said the policy puts people ahead of AI systems, formalizing a governance response from one of the world’s largest commercial AI providers.

Microsoft’s “humanist AI code” is a reputational response to internal and external concerns, not evidence of people-first AI. The test is whether Microsoft applies enforceable limits to its AI systems.

The Verge

Model Developments

Latest AI model releases, capabilities, and technical breakthroughs shaping the competitive landscape

Perplexity Deploys GPT-6 Astra Across Operations. OpenAI said Perplexity is using GPT-6 Astra to draft communications, modify software and monitor production systems. Perplexity said it reviews the model’s work less frequently than it did with earlier models, extending model use into operational workflows.

Perplexity is moving GPT-6 Astra from drafting into operational work—software modification and production monitoring—while reducing review frequency, OpenAI said. The test is whether Perplexity keeps that lower-review approach in both operational workflows.

Openai

Capital & Control

Tracking the flow of capital and influence that shapes the tech landscape

Temporal Raises $550M at a $12.55B Valuation. Temporal raised a $550 million Series E at a $12.55 billion valuation in a round co-led by Lightspeed, Wellington Management, Goldman Sachs Alternatives and Tiger Global. The workflow-platform company said it will use the capital to expand global operations and invest in platform reliability, security and core infrastructure.

Temporal’s $12.55B valuation makes reliability and security spending a bet that workflow infrastructure can command a premium over AI peers. Over the next year, the test is whether global expansion coincides with demonstrable platform reliability and security gains.

Unite.ai

Canada and Ukraine Expand Drone Manufacturing Access. Canada and Ukraine signed four agreements intended to expand drone access and manufacturing, with more than $50 million in contracts expected for Canadian drone manufacturers and engineering companies. The agreements include a digital procurement arrangement for the Canadian military and coast guard to buy drones and counter-drone systems.

Canada’s digital procurement agreement is the clearest route from partnership to sales, giving the military and coast guard a way to buy drone and counter-drone systems. The test is whether it produces initial orders.

Betakit

Digital Defense

Threats and defenses shaping the global security landscape

Revolut Discloses Breach Exposing Financial and Passport Data. Fintech company Revolut disclosed a data breach in which an unidentified number of customers’ data was shared with a threat actor impersonating a government agency. The exposed information included financial details and passport data.

Revolut’s exposure of financial and passport data to an impersonator makes identity verification—not perimeter security—the central failure. Watch for affected-customer and record counts in its next update.

Bleepingcomputer

The Performance Edge

Peak performance science for sustained execution in high-stakes environments

Most Avocado Oil Products Contain Cheaper Oils, Study Finds. Testing of 54 products labelled as avocado oil found that 48 contained other, cheaper oils, according to the report. The findings raise a product-integrity concern in a premium food category often bought for its perceived nutritional profile.

89% adulteration makes avocado oil a product-integrity failure, not a premium health play: only 6 of 54 tested products were pure. The test over the next 18 months is whether certified-origin bottles gain traction.

Nationalpost

Market Pulse

Daily market data: indices, sectors, top movers, and volatility

Markets Slip as Technology Lags. The S&P 500 fell 0.5%, the Nasdaq 100 dropped 1.0%, the Dow Jones declined 0.2%, and the Russell 2000 was down 0.1%. Consumer Staples led the market, up 1.2%, while Technology fell 1.8%; COIN gained 7.7%, ARM lost 6.4%, and SMCI declined 5.5%.

ARM -6.4% and SMCI -5.5% mark profit-taking on crowded AI hardware bets after 250%+ gains since 2023, as capital shifts to Staples +1.2%. NVIDIA’s 80% GPU grip keeps them essential, but if rates stay up the IPO queue probably slips into 2027.

Yahoo Finance