TechCheck

There's a race between the U.S. and China to find AI winners at the earliest stages, and so far the U.S. has been way ahead. But China is quickly closing the gap, with Chinese AI venture dealmaking at more than 70% that of U.S. this year - and we're only halfway through. Plus, where are the tech IPOs? Despite the AI hype, new AI unicorns seemingly daily, and investors unable to get enough of the few companies that are already public, tech IPOs have remained on the sidelines - and big names don't look ready to test the waters anytime soon. 

Data is the new gold in the generative AI race - and companies want to harness the power of their own data instead of giving it to ChatGPT or another software application. That idea may be behind a flurry of recent deals in the AI space. Plus, a panel of AI experts at the Aspen Ideas Festival, including Google DeepMind COO Lila Ibrahim, weigh in on whether they’re worried about how AI will impact misinformation in upcoming elections. 

Analysts have been warning of increased concentration in mega-cap tech for a while, with little impact on those names. Is it time now for a pullback? Plus, UBS downgraded Alphabet today to neutral from buy, saying the stock has limited upside and that it may not be the best way to capitalize on the AI wave.

Suppliers are now able to apply for funding under the Chips Act after the Biden administration broadened the companies that are eligible, 11 months after it became law. Plus, the CEO of Forge Global, a secondary marketplace where insiders can buy and sell shares of private companies, says AI names are still hard to buy.  

AWS is investing $100M in a center to help its customers use generative AI, in a push to keep up with rivals Microsoft and Google. Deirdre Bosa sits down with AWS CEO Adam Selipsky. Plus, the first of a five-day hearing between Microsoft and the FTC kicked off today, to determine the fate of a $69 billion deal to buy Activision in the U.S.

Alibaba announced this morning Chairman and CEO Daniel Zhang will be stepping down from the company, to be replaced with longtime Alibaba veterans Joe Tsai and Eddie Wu respectively. The installment of two Jack Ma insiders might indicate the tech billionaire is still calling the shots, despite disappearing from public eye the past few years after regulatory scrutiny. 

By now we've all heard of the Magnificent Seven - the handful of gargantuan tech stocks responsible for the majority of the market's gains. But we dug into the NEXT seven -- filled with legacy tech and AI-related names that are also seeing gains this year.  

Will Adobe earnings after the bell prove it's an AI winner or loser? Bears would argue popular models like Dall-E and Midjourney undermine the company, though bulls might say Adobe represents one of the best professional applications of AI. Plus, analysts have pegged Lyft as a potential acquisition target, with possible buyers including big tech companies like Google and Amazon, automakers, and private equity. 

Tech has come roaring back in 2023. And the biggest narrative this year – artificial intelligence. If it feels like a moment of gigantic hype – you wouldn’t be mistaken. But so was 1999. This week on TechCheck – comparing two moments of hype: the dot com bubble and AI mania. 

Intel is reportedly in talks with Softbank to be a strategic investor to anchor chip designer Arm’s IPO. It could be a way for Intel to work with big names like Apple, Amazon, and Meta and others on the back-end. Plus, the Chief Investment Officer of the nation’s second-largest pension fund cautions against the tech rally and warns that AI is overhyped.