TechCheck

"Inside a secretive lab in Santa Barbara, California, scientists at Alphabet are working on one of the company's most ambitious bets yet. They're attempting to develop the world's most advanced quantum computers. Late last year, Google unveiled a breakthrough quantum computing chip called Willow, which it says can solve a benchmark problem unimaginably faster than what's possible with a classical computer. CNBC’s Deirdre Bosa gets an exclusive look inside Google quantum lab and explores whether Willow may give Google a chance to take the lead in the next technological era.

OpenAI is now trying to balance the interests of its biggest backers after the AI darling announced their restructuring plan to remain under non-profit control. We look at where that leaves its major investors like Microsoft and Softbank. 

One of AI's emerging superpowers is writing software, as shown by the rapidly climbing valuation of Anysphere, which makes one of the leading tools in the space. But now, we're also seeing big tech jump in, with Microsoft, Google, and Amazon all saying that 30% of their code is being written by AI. We dive into when we'll start seeing evidence of the boom impacting profits.

As Apple and Amazon mark the tail end of the big tech earnings season, megacaps are sending bullish signals about their ability to weather the tariff storm. Amazon's CEO said AI demand is growing triple digits while Apple shifts production to India and Vietnam. But it might also be too early to capture the full impact of macro uncertainties, and quarters ahead could be messier. 

AI stocks moving sharply higher after Meta and Microsoft posted strong results and doubled-down on AI spending plans. We dig into why the AI bull case may be more complicated than it seems. 

Early in the AI race, apps like Perplexity, Cursor, Sesame and Abridge were known pejoratively as “wrappers,” describing the way their either app or business was wrapped around existing AI models. Critics called them as second-rate middlemen, slapping an interface on someone else’s technology while companies like OpenAI, Google, Meta and Anthropic developed their own models. Now, that thesis is changing. Wrappers have changed the way Silicon Valley builds, ushering in the era of vibe-coding.

Shares of Nvidia under pressure after reporting that Trump administration officials are considering changes to chip export laws that would lead to country-by-country deals. We dig into how AI is getting caught in the crossfire of the trade war. 

The White House slamming Amazon today over reports that Amazon was considering showing the added price of tariffs next to products. We dig into how the spat highlights the cracks showing in the relationship between President Trump and big tech. 

Shares of Nvidia sliding today after reports that Chinese rival Huawei is developing a new AI chip. We dig into how the news is adding fuel to the debate in Silicon Valley over the best strategy in the AI arms race against China. 

Alphabet shares up after reporting stronger than expected Q1 results. We dig into how new numbers around Waymo showing the robotaxi company could most undervalued part of the tech giant.

Alphabet kicks off earnings season for the hyperscalers after the bell today. We dig into what investors are looking for, from ad revenue to color around capital expenditures.

Elon Musk reiterating his plan to launch paid, driverless Robotaxis in Austing by the end of June on the Tesla earnings call. We look at Musk’s robotaxi ambitions and why he believes Tesla has an edge on rival Waymo.  

Google back in court today for day two of the search remedies trial, where the DOJ is arguing that AI could help the tech giant expand its search monopoly. We look at how regulators are moving past playing catch-up with big tech, and going on the offense.

Tech stocks continuing their steep decline amid Monday’s selloff, with Nvidia down after reports that Huawei is planning mass shipments of its own AI chip. Plus, we look at reports that Amazon is joining Microsoft in pausing some data center leases, and what it means for the AI trade.  

Nvidia shares falling and dragging down the rest of semis after a surprise reveal of a $5.5 billion hit tied to China chip export controls. We look at why the restrictions may be the opening a Chinese rival needs. 

President Trump promising to expedite permits for Nvidia after the chip giant announced plans to build AI supercomputers in the United States. We look at how Jensen Huang and Mark Zuckerberg offer two very different case studies on how CEOs are gaming out the Trump 2.0 playbook. Plus, with Tariff uncertainty already impacting behavior, could we see an earnings mirage as big tech begins to report next week?

As big tech continues to feel the whiplash from Trump’s tariff policy, one pocket of tech has remained insulted. We look at the AI startups that are setting funding records and what they mean for Megacap tech. 

Tech COEs flipped the script for Trump 2.0 and played nice with millions in donations to Trump’s inauguration and visits to Mar-a-Lago. We look at why they are still waiting for a return on their charm offensive. 

Amazon CEO Andy Jassy affirming the company will continue it’s AI spend the day after Google CEO Sundar Pichai recommitted Google to $75 Billion in Capex for 2025. We look at what it means amid tariff whiplash and what Amazon’s 

Deirdre Bosa sits down with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian to talk the announcements coming out of Google Cloud Next and how the tech giant could leverage AI to navigate tariff uncertainty roiling the market.

Deirdre Bosa sat down with Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian to talk the announcements coming out of Google Cloud Next, and how the tech giant could leverage AI to navigate tariff uncertainty roiling the market.

Tech stocks tried to make a comeback Tuesday led by AI names. We look at how Trump’s tariffs could put a dent in plans for AI data center buildout.

Magnificent 7 stocks down again today as markets reel from President Trump’s tariff announcement. We look at how tariffs could hit the hyperscalers where it counts, threatening to dent multi-billion dollar data center plans. 

The Magnificent seven losing more than $800 billion in Market cap today as President Trump’s tariffs sparked a selloff on wall street. We look at what Megacaps are in the best position to weather the tariff fallout. 

Amazon and AppLovin are just two of the many names reportedly jumping in to try and buy TikTok as the deadline looms. We look at how no matter who buys TikTok, it could have a huge impact for competitor Meta and its AI strategy. 

OpenAI raising a record-setting $40 Billion in its latest funding round, and announcing a new open-weight model in the works. We look at what OpenAI stands to gain from its shift in strategy.  

In Silicon Valley calling a startup a "wrapper" used to be one of the worst digs you could make. But with increasing model commoditization and costs plummeting, it just might be time for Justice for the Wrappers. 

The European Union is set to fine Meta up to $1 billion for violating the Digital Markets Act, expected to come down before next week. The fines come despite Meta's changes of offering consumers the option of paying for an ad-free subscription or less personalized ads. Plus, Oracle is largely seen as the frontrunner to win the bid for TikTok, since Bytedance already relies heavily on Oracle's Texas servers to store customer data. We look at what's at stake and what an actual deal would look like. 

Robinhood made its name as the place to trade meme stocks. Now, it's looking to grow with its customers, launching a suite of new products aimed at the more mature, high net worth investor including wealth management, private banking and a low-cost, actively managed robo-advisor. 

After years on the sidelines, Apple is finally making a move in the data center race, according to Loop Capital. The shift could have implications for AI spending—just as Wall Street grows skeptical—while also reshaping its partnership with OpenAI and serving as a last-ditch effort to revive Siri. Plus, CNBC’s Kate Rooney reports on the rise of special purpose vehicles and private market access for smaller investors.

Google telling CNBC that practical quantum computing applications could be only 5 years away. We look at what the Quantum breakthrough would mean plus the announcements on Gemini 2.5 and Waymo’s expansion to Washington D.C. 

Alphabet’s $32 billion dollar acquisition of cyber security startup Wiz setting records. We look at why it could be a turning point for M&A markets. 

AI search startup Perplexity is in funding talks that would double the company’s valuation to $18 billion. We look at how the focus in AI is shifting from model makers to so-called AI “Wrappers.” Plus, Starlink is expanding into India, but its success lies in the hands of two billionaires. 

Apple’s reported shakeup among its AI leadership has intensified the spotlight on the ongoing AI talent wars among mega-cap tech companies. And Softbank’s acquisition of Ampere deepens CEO Masayoshi Son’s bet on data centers. It’s a strategic move in one of the hottest battlegrounds in tech: AI infrastructure. 

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang unveiled his vision and roadmap to physical AI at the company's GTC event... Describing the robots, self-driving cars, and workplace automation that he suggests might enter our lives sooner than we think. But it's a cut-throat race against China, which has already seen companies release commercialized robots that are more affordable and accessible.

Google parent Alphabet is sealing a $32 billion deal to acquire the cybersecurity startup Wiz.  We dig into the acquisition, which is Alphabet’s largest, and look at why the company is willing to pay a premium— nearly $10 billion more than last summer’s failed bid – to bolster its security technology in the face of advancing AI and cybersecurity threats

Google is now expanding access to its powerful AI image generation model. We look at the buzz, and dig into new developments that show AI giants are moving to practicality over power. 

Open AI is calling on the Trump White House to ban DeepSeek and other ‘PRC-Produced’ AI models. We look at how the Trump administration’s big tech policy could shape the future of American AI. Plus, a look inside Y Combinator’s newest batch of startups.  

Alibaba rolling out an updated version of its AI assistant that could be a boon to Apple’s China business if it rolls out on iPhones later this year. We look at the growing concern over Apple’s stumbles in bringing AI to iPhones. 

Google is rolling out its latest open-source model Gemma 3, capable of running on just a single GPU. We dig into the efficiency gains mean for the shifting AI trade. Plus the FTC is asking a federal judge to delay a September trial against Amazon, citing budgeting and staffing shortalls.