Shelly Palmer has been named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” and writes a popular daily business blog.
For your weekend reading pleasure, I offer a synopsis of interesting articles about AI you may have missed this week. As always, your thoughts and comments are both welcome and encouraged. -s
This Week's Most Interesting Stories
OpenAI has introduced Operator, an AI agent capable of autonomously performing tasks via a web browser. Initially available to U.S. users on ChatGPT's Pro plan, Operator automates tasks like booking travel and shopping. While promising, Operator has limitations and requires user supervision for sensitive tasks.
Read More · Shelly Palmer
OpenAI and Softbank have announced a $500 billion investment in AI data centers, starting with The Stargate Project in Texas. Key partners include Oracle, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Arm, with a focus on building AI infrastructure in the U.S. Microsoft updates its partnership with OpenAI, maintaining key agreements while adjusting capacity rights.
Read More · Shelly Palmer
Google quietly dropped another billion on Anthropic, pushing their total stake to $3B. Smart move. While Google has faced some challenges productizing their AI (except NotebookLM), Anthropic's been crushing it. The Claude-maker is pulling $1B annually and pioneering computer-control AI systems.
Read More · Shelly Palmer
On January 19, 2025, 170 million U.S. TikTok users woke up to a new world as ByteDance shuttered the app in compliance with PAFACA, which mandated a sale of its U.S. operations to a U.S.-based company by this date. By noon, President-elect Donald Trump said he planned to issue an executive order to allow time for ByteDance to work with the new administration on a long-term solution. This situation is dynamic, and I expect many twists and turns in the coming days. Let's look at how this could have played out for users, businesses, the creator community, and national security.
Read More · Shelly Palmer
On January 17, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld a federal law requiring ByteDance, TikTok’s Chinese parent company, to divest its U.S. operations. The clock was ticking—until President Trump stepped in with a last-minute executive order, extending the deadline by 75 days.
Read More · Shelly Palmer
Professor Shelly Palmer, a tech expert and the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s Newhouse School, discusses the latest developments surrounding TikTok. With TikTok at the center of political and technological debates, Shelly shares his perspective on whether U.S.-based tech giants, like Elon Musk, might make a move to acquire TikTok and what that could mean for the platform's future.
Read More · Shelly Palmer
About Shelly Palmer
Shelly Palmer is the Professor of Advanced Media in Residence at Syracuse University’s S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and CEO of The Palmer Group, a consulting practice that helps Fortune 500 companies with technology, media and marketing. Named LinkedIn’s “Top Voice in Technology,” he covers tech and business for Good Day New York, is a regular commentator on CNN and writes a popular daily business blog. He's a bestselling author, and the creator of the popular, free online course, Generative AI for Execs. Follow @shellypalmer or visit shellypalmer.com.
