WSJ Tech News Briefing

Global regulators are concerned that if Microsoft acquires games publisher Activision Blizzard it could have an unfair advantage in the videogame industry, partly due to the popularity of Call of Duty. WSJ tech reporter Sarah Needleman joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what makes the Call of Duty franchise so successful. Plus, WSJ Pro reporter Brian Gormley discusses why patches that can deliver vaccines are attracting more investors. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A growing number of Fortune 100 companies are using generative artificial intelligence to write computer code. But chief information officers worry all these new lines of code could create problems. WSJ enterprise technology reporter Isabelle Bousquette joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss their concerns. Plus, a chatbot designed to help people with eating disorders doled out weight-loss advice. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon explains what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Facebook content moderators hired by a third-party contractor in Kenya are suing over working conditions. The contractor involved denies the allegations and Facebook parent Meta is arguing it shouldn’t be involved in the lawsuit. The outcome of this case and two others could have a profound impact on big tech and the industry’s outsourced workforce. WSJ South Africa-based business reporter Alexandra Wexler joins host Zoe Thomas to explain. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

AI developers and tech executives are warning that artificial intelligence could threaten human life as we know it. WSJ AI reporter Deepa Seetharaman explains what they’ve said. Plus, investors are not pumping the breaks on AI. Nvidia, which makes chips for the industry, joined the $1 trillion club this week. WSJ semiconductors reporter Asa Fitch joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss how the company became a key player in the sector. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The CEO of secure identity company Clear says in the future verifying your age, employment history, and even hotel booking will be much easier using biometrics. But that kind of tech, which can scan your face or fingerprint, raises lots of privacy questions. Clear CEO Caryn Seidman-Becker spoke with WSJ tech columnist Christopher Mims at the WSJ’s Future of Everything Festival. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How will generative AI tools, like ChatGPT, change the education system? That’s the question on a lot of parents' and teachers’ minds. At this year’s Future of Everything festival, the founder of Code.org talked about how the next generation of students will live and learn in an AI-enabled world. We bring you highlights from that conversation. Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Local and national governments in the U.S. and Europe want social media companies to do more to keep children off their platforms. Efforts to require age verifications come as evidence shows companies aren’t effectively enforcing their own policies, limiting what children see and do on social media. WSJ reporter Sam Schechner joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss the new laws and the challenges to implement them. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk opened up about his goals for Twitter, balancing advertiser concerns with his desire to support free speech and interviewing presidential candidates. He spoke at the Wall Street Journal’s CEO Council Summit with WSJ editor for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa Thorold Barker. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Until last year, an antiabortion group was using location data gathered from cellphones to send people who visited Planned Parenthood targeted advertising. WSJ reporter Byron Tau joins host Zoe Thomas to explain how the group got the information, the legality of these steps, and more about the group behind the effort. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A global scavenger hunt for classified documents is underway and it's pitting the U.S. government against online gamers. WSJ national security reporter Jessica Donati joins host Zoe Thomas to explain how the race to find secret military information began. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tesla’s CFO Zach Kirkhorn has a reputation for working quietly behind the scenes to execute Elon Musk’s vision for the electric carmaker. But as Musk’s attention gets pulled in several different directions, investors are focusing more on Kirkhorn and how he’s helping run the company. WSJ Tesla reporter Rebecca Elliott joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Montana’s Governor signed the county’s first statewide ban of TikTok on Tuesday. And calls are growing to ban the app nationwide. But a bigger worry for parents may be the dark content the app serves up to teens. TikTok says it has a content-moderation team of more than 40,000 people and removes posts that violate its community guidelines. However, a recent study shows teen users are still being shown a stream of content on self-harm, eating disorders, and suicide. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI the company behind ChatGPT, told lawmakers they should create licensing and safety standards for advanced artificial intelligence systems . But Congress has historically had a tough time when it comes to regulating technology. WSJ tech policy reporter Ryan Tracy joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what happened during the Senate subcommittee hearing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk is trying to run his social media company, Twitter, like his rocket company, SpaceX. WSJ aerospace reporter Micah Maidenberg joins host Zoe Thomas to explain the leadership structure and management choices at both operations. Plus, tech reporter Sarah Needleman discusses what the EU approval of Microsoft's plan to buy Activision Blizzard means for the deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Elon Musk has named a new CEO to replace him at Twitter. WSJ reporter Alexa Corse joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss why he chose an advertising exec. Plus, WSJ reporter Aaron Tilley explains why Apple is breaking its own rules for product debuts with the launch of a new headset. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A growing number of young people are being hit by online shopping scams that originated on social media. WSJ family and tech columnist Julie Jargon joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what victims have gone through and how to protect yourself. Plus, WSJ gaming reporter Sarah Needleman explains why designing for avatars may be the next style trend. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Google is making a show of force to its rivals in the hardware and artificial-intelligence sectors. At its developer conference, the company unveiled its new AI search feature and announced plans for other AI tools. WSJ Google reporter Miles Kruppa breaks down the announcements, and WSJ personal tech columnist Nicole Nguyen discusses Google’s new Pixel Fold. Zoe Thomas hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Billionaire Richard Branson founded Virgin Galactic nearly two decades ago. But despite sending him to the edge of space and selling tickets to would-be space tourists, the company has struggled to launch its commercial space flights. Now it says it's ready to do so. WSJ aerospace reporter Micah Maidenberg joins host Zoe Thomas to explain what’s behind the delay. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The potential of generative artificial intelligence has venture capitalists racing to invest. But in their rush to get in on the ground floor, are investors making the mistakes of the past? WSJ startups reporter Berber Jin joins host Zoe Thomas to explain. Plus, reporter Miles Kruppa discusses Google’s new approach to presenting search results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For at least a year, some employees at TikTok were able to access what they described internally as a list of users who watched gay content on the app, according to former employees. TikTok says it's changed the way it handles this kind of data. But this is an unusual practice among tech companies and it's adding to questions about the company's handling of user information. WSJ social media reporter Georgia Wells joins host Zoe Thomas to discuss what happened. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices