The Information's TITV Disney Invests $1B into OpenAI’s Sora, China’s AI Talent Wars, Oracle $10B Cash Burn | Dec 11, 2025
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Dec 11, 2025 Juro Osawa, Asia correspondent, reveals Tencent's aggressive poaching of ByteDance researchers as China's AI talent war heats up. Rishi Jaluria from RBC Capital Markets discusses Oracle's staggering $10 billion cash burn and the investor concerns surrounding its AI cloud expansion. Navin Chaddha of Mayfield introduces the concept of 'cognition as a service', highlighting potential new markets. Lastly, Sandy Hawkins, CEO of TalkShop Live, shares insights on live-stream commerce and how TikTok's strategies influence her platform's growth.
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Disney Deal Helps OpenAI More Than Disney
- Disney's $1B deal with OpenAI primarily advantages OpenAI by boosting Sora's value and shielding it from Hollywood criticism.
- Martin Peers warns Disney risks brand dilution and unclear financial upside from licensing characters for Sora videos.
China's AI Talent War Intensifies
- Tencent is aggressively poaching ByteDance researchers and sometimes doubling salaries to build AI research capability.
- Juro Osawa notes China produces large domestic AI talent pools from schools like Tsinghua, fueling intense local competition.
Mix Financing To Speed Cloud Capacity
- Consider diverse financing like leases, SPVs, and external investors to scale AI infrastructure quickly.
- Rishi Jaluria advises balancing speed versus long-term margins when choosing leasing over owning chips.