🕶️ Australia vs. Big Tech: $49.5M reasons to comply

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GPT-4o is getting a farewell tour while 70% of users swear it was “the one”, Emergent quietly sprints past $100M ARR in eight months, and Tiny Aya starts chatting in 70+ languages like globalization just got an API.

Infosys is doubling down on Claude-powered agents while the EU blocks built-in AI over data jitters—innovation and paranoia, holding hands. Meanwhile, it’s POs, not pity in climate tech, and yes, the under-16 offline era has officially entered the chat.

Tomorrow: Crash Course in Financial Modeling - online

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Seven bullets of updates

🪦 Users are mourning GPT-4o's retirement after 70% said it was their favorite AI model.
🚀 Eight months after launch, Emergent claims $100M+ ARR as demand surges among non-technical users.
🌎 Tiny Aya models now power AI conversations in 70+ languages, boosting global reach for multilingual apps.
🤖 Infosys will tap Anthropic's Claude to build enterprise-grade AI agents across its Topaz platform after recent IT-sector AI jitters.
🌳 London’s green belt faces pressure as locals fight proposals for 70-acre AI data centers near Potters Bar.
📱 Creators can now set their own monthly subscription prices on Snapchat, unlocking new ways to cash in on their audience.
🛡️ EU lawmakers’ devices now block built-in AI tools after a security review flagged risks of U.S. server data exposure.

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POs, not pity: a smarter way to fund climate tech

Photo by Keagan Henman on Unsplash

Climactic’s Material Scale helps climate-materials startups get through the risky stage between early funding and full production. It connects them with major brands—starting in apparel—that agree in advance to buy their materials at market prices. Based on those purchase commitments, the fund provides financing through loans plus small equity warrants, which means startups get the capital they need without giving up much ownership. Ralph Lauren is the first brand partner, Structure Climate is joining as General Partner, and the first investments will come from an ~$11 million SPV, with plans to grow much larger. No deals have closed yet.

In simple terms, this is purchase-order-backed funding for hard-tech startups. Startups gain revenue visibility without heavy dilution, brands lower the risk of adopting new sustainable materials, and investors earn loan interest plus potential upside. Key risks to watch include whether startups can scale manufacturing on time, reliance on a small number of buyers, and possible repayment issues if projects are delayed.

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AI Slop Might Save the Internet (seriously)

What’s true on the internet anymore? 🧠
From Yellow Journalism to AI-generated “news anchors,” trust in media has collapsed — and artificial intelligence might be our only shot at fixing it. This episode traces how truth broke online and explores how tools like C2PA and ChatGPT could actually help rebuild it.

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The under-16 offline era has entered the chat

Photo by Alexis Brown on Unsplash

Australia set the pace with the first nationwide ban on social media for under‑16s in Dec 2025 (WhatsApp, YouTube Kids exempt), and noncompliant platforms face penalties up to $49.5M. A wave of governments—Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Malaysia, Slovenia, Spain, the UK—are countries lining up to follow in 2026.

For founders: growth hacks meet chaperones. Age checks, teen‑safe defaults, and limits on compulsive features could become table stakes, raising infra costs and dampening teen‑driven virality.

Stakes: higher CAC from verification friction; smaller teen ad pools; compliance fragmentation (15 vs 16 thresholds). Upside: demand for privacy‑preserving age‑verification, “teen mode” tooling, and family‑centric products.