WSJ Tech News Briefing

Plus: TikTok signs deal to create new U.S. joint venture. And Meta Platforms is developing a new image and video-focused AI model. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As we close out 2025, the IPO market is already heating up. And it's going to get hotter next year, with some major tech IPOs on the horizon. WSJ reporter Corrie Driebusch shares what's ahead. Plus, WSJ Heard on the Street columnist Dan Gallagher explains why Micron's blowout results could mean higher prices for anyone buying a new phone or PC next year. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: An Iran-linked hacker group targeted a former Israeli prime minister. And defense group Rheinmetall partners with satellite operator ICEYE to supply German armed forces with space reconnaissance. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Accenture sales rise on AI bookings. And DoorDash teams up with OpenAI to offer grocery shopping in ChatGPT. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: a star witness in FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried's criminal trial leaves prison early. And the Oscars are going to YouTube. Danny Lewis hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Shares of Chinese AI chip startup MetaX skyrocket on their first day of trading. And California gives Tesla 90 days to change its Autopilot advertising. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: The data-center boom is helping prop up the labor market. But AI bonds stay under pressure. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Invictus Growth Partners to acquire Informed.IQ, an AI-based fraud detection company. And PayPal applies to establish its own bank. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The estate of victim Suzanne Eberson Adams is suing OpenAI for wrongful death, alleging that ChatGPT played an active role in turning her killer, Stein-Erik Soelberg, against her. Wall Street Journal family and tech columnist Julie Jargon discusses the lawsuit. Plus, WSJ contributor Lisa Ward explains why you might be safer surfing the web on your phone rather than your computer. Belle Lin hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Ford to take $19.5 billion charge to write down EV investments. And Xerox seeks new debt financing backed by intellectual property. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: CEOs plan to keep spending on AI, despite spotty returns. And the maker of Roomba declares bankruptcy. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: The Trump administration conditionally approves plans for new cryptocurrency-focused national banks. And bond markets signal growing risk about a potential AI bubble. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Broadcom stock is poised for its largest drop since April. And OpenAI releases GPT-5.2. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SpaceX and Blue Origin are trying to move the trillion-dollar data-center boom into orbit, but getting there will take a whole lot of cash. Wall Street Journal reporter Micah Maidenberg lays out what's ahead in this new space race. Plus, WSJ reporter Ellen Gamerman explains what's next for Tilly Norwood, the AI actress who's shaking up Hollywood. Katie Deighton hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Ford Motor and SK Group end their partnership to produce EV batteries in the U.S. And regular companies are finally beating tech stocks. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Oracle stock is on pace for its worst day since January. And smartphone and laptop makers will face a squeeze from the renewed rise in memory prices, warns research firm TrendForce. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Investors bet that a higher bid for Warner Bros. is coming. And YouTube TV will offer cheaper, pared-down channel bundles. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Amazon and Microsoft are set to pour over $50 billion into India. And a new poll found CEOs are all in on AI. Danny Lewis hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Walmart's new AI era. And Canada ramps up its military satellite communications capabilities. Danny Lewis hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Anthropic and Accenture strike a three-year partnership to sell AI services to businesses. And the EU has opened an antitrust investigation into Alphabet's Google. Danny Lewis hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russian President Vladimir Putin has often proclaimed that the country must lead the world in artificial intelligence, yet the country is currently stuck on the sidelines as other nations pull ahead. Wall Street Journal foreign correspondent Georgi Kantchev explains why. Plus, the arrival of AI agents is transforming work already—debugging code, designing products, and delivering ROI. Steven Rosenbush, chief of the enterprise technology bureau, details how companies like Walmart and BNY are already seeing results. Julie Chang hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: NextEra Energy announces partnerships with Google Cloud and Exxon Mobile. And Apple's chips chief says he's staying put. Danny Lewis hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: IBM strikes $11 billion deal for Confluent. And President Trump says he will sign an executive order targeting state AI laws. Danny Lewis hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: The EU fines X $140 million over breaches of Digital Services Act. And shares of Moore Threads, a Chinese competitor to Nvidia, soars in its market debut. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Meta Platforms plans cuts to its metaverse division. And The New York Times escalates battle against Perplexity with new lawsuit. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

President Trump hopes to build factories around the country to power the manufacturing of AI components. Eliot Brown reports that SoftBank's Masayoshi Son is closing in on a deal that would help make that happen. Plus, Marc Vartabedian reports on why venture capitalists aren't taking AI startups at their word when it comes to revenue. Patrick Coffee hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Paramount raises concerns about Netflix's bid for Warner Bros. Discovery. And Snowflake stock drops. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: The European Union plans to launch a formal bidding process for AI gigafactories early next year. And Democratic lawmakers press tech companies about White House ballroom donations. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Micron will wind down its Crucial brand to focus on AI and data-center market. And as trade tensions with China mount, the EU launches a $3.5 billion plan to secure raw materials. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Svedka's first Super Bowl ad will be made primarily with AI. And Energy Secretary Chris Wright says the AI data-center boom will drive down power costs. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: EU court says Apple can face Dutch antitrust lawsuits. And the Trump administration will invest up to $150 million in chip startup xLight. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Apple revamps its AI team. And Samsung unveils its Galaxy Z TriFold smartphone. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many see Amazon as a reliable source of consumer goods from toilet paper to wireless headphones. But Sean McLain reports that the “everything store” is now betting that consumers will also pick up much bigger items when given the opportunity. Plus, Imani Moise reports on why fintech company Block is sharing its version of a credit store with customers. Patrick Coffee hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Shares of Shopify fall following outage. And bitcoin treasury company Strategy cuts outlook amid Bitcoin price drop. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Analysts say Chinese EV sales growth will likely slow. And Prysm Capital leads investment in Sokin, bringing the payments company's valuation to $300 million. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Foxconn secures approval to invest additional $569 million in Wisconsin. And stocks to watch: Dell, HP, Autodesk and Workday. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Italy's competition regulator expands its probe into WhatsApp-owner Meta over its AI chatbot policy. And Alphabet shares rose in premarket trading, while shares of Nvidia and AMD fell. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Warner Music Group signs deal with AI music-generator Suno. And SoftBank shares continue to drop. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Best Buy raises outlook as consumers shrug off tariff costs. And Chinese automaker BYD's European sales continue to grow. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Would you ditch your smartphone for a more minimalist one? That's the radical idea behind Light, a company founded on the belief that our constant fight for attention has turned smartphones into an addiction. At WSJ Tech Live, senior personal tech columnist Joanna Stern sat down with Light CEO Kaiwei Tang, along with vocal product fan, actor and producer Aaron Paul. Plus, as you prepare for holiday travel, we'll look at the flight tracking app that notifies fliers about delays and cancellations well before the airlines do. Our Science of Success columnist Ben Cohen tells us how Flighty works. Julie Chang hosts. Sign up for the WSJ's free Technology newsletter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: NASA and Boeing scale back Starliner missions. And chip and tech stocks rally. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Plus: Tech investor Prosus posts higher profit. And AI bonds add to pressure on the markets. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices