The Comunicano for Monday June 23rd 2025

Magnificiant Monday

Let’s be clear: the AI race isn’t just a tech story anymore—it’s a geopolitical, cultural, and economic arms race. And today’s headlines prove that.

OpenAI’s quiet retreat from promoting its $6.5 billion deal with Jony Ive’s hardware startup? That’s not just a trademark skirmish. It’s a branding stumble that underscores the fragility of even the biggest moves in the spotlight of legal and reputational scrutiny. Yet the deal holds. That tells us this isn’t about regret—it’s about recalibrating narrative control. Classic crisis PR.

Meanwhile, Meta’s Zuckerberg is courting AI talent like it’s the NBA free agency window. Hundred-million-dollar packages, private lunches, personalized office redesigns—this isn’t recruiting, it’s seduction. But seduction without trust is just noise. His team’s internal dissonance, especially from Yann LeCun, shows that no amount of money substitutes for coherent vision.

Zoom out, and we’re seeing an AI divide more devastating than digital access ever was. While the U.S., China, and EU stack compute infrastructure like poker chips, more than 150 countries are left with IOUs and underpowered clouds. The gap isn’t just unfair, it’s destabilizing.

Then there’s Tesla. Robotaxis on the streets of Austin, priced at $4.20, a wink and a nudge from Elon, per usual. But behind the meme is a real push to normalize autonomy. Texas, with new permit laws on deck, is shifting from tech haven to traffic cop. Smart regulation at last.

And let’s not overlook the music industry. They’re not banning AI tracks—they’re tracking them, tagging them, and licensing them. This is infrastructure catching up to innovation, fast.

Each story is a glimpse of the same truth: tech is no longer a silo. It’s in our laws, our streets, our music, our geopolitics. And it’s moving faster than the systems meant to manage it.

The real race? It’s not about who builds first. It’s about who builds right. And, you’ll find them, always here, in THE COMUNICANO!!!

Andy Abramson

OpenAI Watch

OpenAI Pulls Promotional Materials Around Jony Ive Deal (TechCrunch)—OpenAI has quietly removed all references—including a high-profile video—from its website and YouTube promoting its recently announced acquisition of Jony Ive’s hardware startup, io, valued at nearly 6.5 billion dollars. The move follows a trademark lawsuit by a rival startup, iyo, that claims name confusion. Despite the takedown, OpenAI affirms the deal remains intact and is reviewing legal options. Read more here

ChatGPT vs Google Search Traffic (Social Media Today)—ChatGPT continues closing the gap with Google in user traffic, fueled by a surge in demand for direct, conversational answers. While Google still leads in overall search volume, new data shows ChatGPT drawing billions of monthly visits. This trend is reshaping content strategies, giving rise to "Generative Engine Optimization"—a shift where brands now optimize for AI-generated answers alongside traditional SEO. The infographic outlines how businesses adapt by expanding content formats—videos, podcasts, social posts—to stay visible in an increasingly AI-dominated discovery landscape. Read more here

Meta Watch

Zuckerberg Leads 100 Million Dollar AI Recruiting Blitz (WSJ)—Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg is personally leading a high-stakes recruitment campaign to build a new Superintelligence lab. He’s emailing candidates, hosting private lunches, and redesigning office spaces to attract top AI minds. Compensation offers reportedly reach as high as 100 million dollars per hire. The target list includes alumni from OpenAI, Scale, and Perplexity, but many remain wary, citing Meta’s past AI stumbles and conflicting internal philosophies, especially from chief scientist Yann LeCun. Still, Zuckerberg’s all-in approach suggests Meta is ready to outspend and outmaneuver rivals in the race to AGI.
Read more here

AI Watch

The AI Race Is Splitting the World Into Haves and Have-Nots (New York Times)—A new digital divide is reshaping geopolitics as countries with massive AI data centers surge ahead, while over 150 nations lack any computing power. The United States, China, and the European Union dominate, housing more than half the global capacity. Nations like Argentina and Kenya rely on makeshift labs or rented cloud compute, unable to compete with trillion-dollar tech investments. This split risks a future where only a few nations benefit from AI's economic and scientific potential. In response, countries like Brazil, India, and those in Africa and the EU are racing to build sovereign AI infrastructure before it's too late. Read more here

The Music Industry Builds Infrastructure to Track AI-Generated Songs (The Verge)—After AI-generated hits like “Heart on My Sleeve” mimicked artists like Drake and The Weeknd, the music industry is moving fast to identify and manage synthetic music. New tools from startups such as Musical AI and Vermillio analyze songs for AI-generated components and embed metadata for licensing before tracks are even released. Vermillio’s TraceID system flags synthetic vocals and melodies, helping with attribution. Platforms like YouTube, Deezer, and SoundCloud are rolling out AI detection tech, with Deezer reporting that 20 percent of uploads are fully AI-made. The industry is shifting from takedowns to managing AI music rights at scale. Read more here

WhatsApp Watch

WhatsApp Banned on House Staffers’ Devices (Axios)—The U.S. House has officially banned WhatsApp on congressional staffers’ government-issued devices due to cybersecurity risks. Officials cited concerns over WhatsApp’s data storage practices, which lack true end-to-end encryption for backups, and uncertainties around data privacy. The ban reflects a broader move by Congress to limit potentially insecure apps and AI services. Staff are being directed to use alternatives such as Microsoft Teams, Signal, iMessage, and FaceTime to maintain secure communications. Read more here

AV Watch

Texas Will Require Permits for Self-Driving Cars Starting in September (Engadget)—Starting September 1, 2025, Texas will mandate permits for fully autonomous vehicles, marking a regulatory shift under SB 2807 signed by Governor Abbott. The new law empowers the Texas DMV to oversee self-driving services, requiring companies to prove operational safety, carry proper insurance, and submit emergency response plans. Authorities can revoke permits if standards aren't met. The timing coincides with Tesla’s pilot robotaxi service in Austin, raising questions about compliance and oversight. After years of leniency, Texas is now signaling a more structured, safety-focused approach to autonomous vehicles. Read more here

Tesla’s Robotaxis Are Here: What You Need to Know (WSJ)—Tesla kicked off its autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas, deploying around 20 driverless Model Y EVs using its Full Self Driving (FSD) software, with safety monitors present in front seats. Rides start at a flat 4.20 dollars within a geofenced area—limited to two adult passengers. Tesla aims to scale the service to cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles and introduce purpose-built vehicles like the Cybercab and Robovan by 2026. CEO Elon Musk expects robotaxis could add 5 to 10 trillion dollars in value, even as skeptics question safety, competition, and regulatory hurdles. Read more here

Tesla launches robotaxi service in Austin (Financial Times)—Tesla quietly rolled out its first robotaxis in Austin on June 22, 2025, deploying around 10 Model Y vehicles with a human safety driver riding shotgun in geofenced zones and avoiding tricky intersections. CEO Elon Musk priced the service at a tongue-in-cheek flat rate of $4.20 and invited social media influencers to trial rides before broader availability. While Tesla targets 1,000 units within months and plans expansion to San Francisco and Los Angeles, skeptics highlight ongoing NHTSA investigations and question the camera-only system’s reliability—especially when compared to lidar/radar-equipped rivals like Waymo. A cohort of Texas Democrats has urged delaying the rollout until an autonomous vehicle permit law kicks in this fall. Tesla also launched a public sign-up site and a robotaxi app, though experts caution that scaling and surpassing Waymo won’t be easy. Read more here

Starlink Watch

China Strikes Hard: Satellite Beats Starlink With 2 Watt Laser (Daily Galaxy)—A Chinese geostationary satellite, orbiting at about 36000 kilometers, used a low power 2 watt laser to transmit data at a blazing 1 Gbps—five times faster than Starlink reportedly achieves. This milestone suggests laser communication methods may dramatically outperform existing radio based low earth orbit systems, though real world viability and battlefield implications remain uncertain. Read more here

Workplace Watch

Can Walmart Shed Its Discount Vibe? Its New Home Office Offers a Clue (New York Times)—Walmart is rebranding itself beyond “Everyday Low Prices” with a $multi-billion headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas, designed to woo tech talent and modernize its image. Featuring a hotel, food hall, and electric bikes, the 350-acre campus mirrors Silicon Valley perks to appeal to engineers and data experts who fuel its AI, drone, and e-commerce operations. At “Walmart Coachella” during Associates Week, execs promoted drone delivery and the sale of luxury items like Louis Vuitton. With e-commerce now profitable and driving two-thirds of projected growth, Walmart’s transformation hinges on its supply chain—and changing public perception. Read more here

The Holy Grail of Automation: Now a Robot Can Unload a Truck (The Wall Street Journal)—Warehouse robotics has finally tackled the last human frontier: unloading trailers. Ambi Robotics developed AmbiStack and Boston Dynamics unveiled Stretch, the latter using a flexible arm and vacuum gripper to lift up to 50-pound packages. DHL deployed seven Stretch units across three states, each handling about 580 cases per hour—nearly double a human’s output—with plans to add 1,000 more. Major logistics firms like UPS, FedEx, and Walmart are also increasing automation. Though challenges remain—such as handling thin packages—these systems improve efficiency and reduce injuries, while raising concerns about job loss among warehouse workers. Read more here

Dining Watch

OpenTable Says Diners Are Heading Back to Restaurants (NYTimes.com)—OpenTable reports a noticeable uptick in dining-out across the U.S., with reservation volumes nearing pre-pandemic levels—up nearly 80% since 2021. Dinner reservations during prime time are rebounding fastest in both mid-size metros and smaller communities, while big cities lag slightly. There's a growing trend of flexible dining hours and group bookings as people prioritize experiences. Restaurateurs are rethinking their reservation strategies—embracing walk-ins, timed seating, and dynamic pricing. This resurgence is bittersweet: it brings business but reignites staffing, cost, and supply-chain headaches. The optimism, however, is palpable.
Read more here

The Top 100 Restaurants in Las Vegas 2025 (Review‑Journal – Neon)
Las Vegas’s dining landscape is booming. The Las Vegas Review‑Journal’s Neon site released its second annual Top 100 list on June 20, 2025, spotlighting 110 standout venues—roughly a third on the Strip, the rest spread across the valley. This year’s list features broader global cuisine: Peruvian, Hawaiian, soul food, vegan, and more—with restaurants, wineries, distilleries, and bars enriching the mix. Ten legends earned spots in the inaugural "Hall of Fame." Newcomers include Il Chianti Italian (opening June 19 in southwest Vegas) and Scotch 80 Prime’s four‑course prix fixe. Las Vegas’s food scene is diversifying—boldly beyond buffets. Read more here