Katharine Schwab
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kschwab.bsky.social
Katharine Schwab
@kschwab.bsky.social
2.9K followers 260 following 11 posts
Tech editor @Forbes
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Reposted by Katharine Schwab
rashis.bsky.social
AI language learning app Speak has crossed $100 million in annualized revenue. Founded by former Thiel fellows Connor Zwick and Andrew Hsu in 2016, the company is up against better-known rival Duolingo as it enters the U.S. market.
www.forbes.com/sites/rashis...
How AI Language Learning App Speak Is Taking On Duolingo
Founded by former Thiel fellows, AI language tutoring app Speak started its journey in Seoul, South Korea. But as it enters the U.S. market, it’ll have to compete with popular apps like Duolingo.
www.forbes.com
November 12, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
pheebini.bsky.social
Have you been using #Sora? Some back-of-napkin math suggests OpenAI is spending more than a quarter of what it’s making to power its AI slop factory. There are also potential silver linings (more training data + future tax savings). My latest for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Here’s How Much Cash OpenAI Is Burning On AI Video App Sora. What It Means
Some back-of-napkin math suggests OpenAI is spending more than a quarter of what it’s making to power the AI slop factory.
www.forbes.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
rashis.bsky.social
OpenAI has gone wild with compute deals this year, committing to spend far more than its balance sheet can currently sustain. So who takes the fall if it can’t pay?

Latest for @forbes.com with @pheebini.bsky.social and @richardnieva.bsky.social.

www.forbes.com/sites/rashis...
Here’s What Happens If OpenAI Can’t Pay For Its $1.4 Trillion AI Deals
OpenAI has gone wild with compute deals this year, committing to spend far more than its balance sheet can currently sustain. So who takes the fall if it can’t pay? It won’t be Altman.
www.forbes.com
November 7, 2025 at 6:04 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
aohnsman.bsky.social
NEW: Elon Musk's $1 trillion plan: The case for magical thinking #Tesla www.forbes.com/sites/alanoh...
Elon Musk’s $1 Trillion Pay Plan: The Case For Magical Thinking
Big funds, advisory firms and the Pope oppose the exorbitant plan. Approval means shareholders think the polarizing, distracted CEO can top past successes with an AI-powered strategy.
www.forbes.com
November 5, 2025 at 9:51 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
richardnieva.bsky.social
New: I profiled Sierra, the $10B AI customer service startup from Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor, which wants to make AI agents the primary way businesses interact with customers. For the piece, I talked to their old bosses, Mark Zuckerberg and Sundar Pichai www.forbes.com/sites/richar...
Inside OpenAI Chairman’s $10 Billion AI Customer Service Startup Sierra
Bret Taylor and Clay Bavor had leadership roles at the world's biggest tech companies. Now they’re in the startup trenches, using AI agents to help companies interact with their customers.
www.forbes.com
November 5, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
rashis.bsky.social
NEW: Former xAI researcher Eric Zelikman is in talks to raise $1 billion at a $5 billion valuation to build AI models that are better at collaborating with humans. The startup is called Humans&. With Anna Tong and @iainmartin.bsky.social.

www.forbes.com/sites/annato...
xAI Researcher In Talks To Raise $1 Billion For New Frontier Lab Humans&
Founded by former xAI staffer Eric Zelikman and early Googler Georges Harik, the new lab is building models that are better at interacting with humans.
www.forbes.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:09 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
ebakerwhite.bsky.social
New from me: TikTok ignored repeated questions about whether and how they share data with ICE. Also, earlier this year, they quietly updated their policies about what happens when law enforcement asks for your data. 1/

www.forbes.com/sites/emilyb...
TikTok Won’t Say If It’s Giving ICE Your Data
Changes to TikTok's policies make it easier for the company to share users’ personal information with governments. TikTok did not respond to questions about the changes.
www.forbes.com
October 21, 2025 at 6:25 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
aohnsman.bsky.social
NEW: Rivian's had a tough few years in the volatile, but CEO RJ Scaringe is betting its new R2 electric SUV will mark a big growth phase.
“I'm very, very biased, but I think R2 is going to drive a step-change in overall EV adoption” #electricvehicles #Rivian www.forbes.com/sites/alanoh...
RJ Scaringe Is Betting His New Electric SUV Will Make Rivian The Next Tesla
The Rivian founder and CEO expects its small SUV R2, priced from $45,000, to be fully competitive with Tesla’s top-selling Model Y when sales begin early next year.
www.forbes.com
October 20, 2025 at 4:15 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
rashis.bsky.social
Older adults across the country are turning to AI companions to help deal with loneliness. We visited a senior care facility in the Bronx and spoke with residents about their experience speaking to AI bots. With @richardnieva.bsky.social.
www.forbes.com/sites/rashis...
Lonely Seniors Are Turning To AI Bots For Companionship
The AI boom has brought with it a new crop of startups looking to build a business on an urgent but vaguely dystopian idea: solving loneliness among the elderly.
www.forbes.com
October 20, 2025 at 2:13 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
amyfeldman7.bsky.social
My latest @forbes.com daily cover profiles startup Leo Cancer Care, which is transforming cancer radiation treatment with a simple idea: having patients sit up instead of lying down. Now hospitals are buying dozens of its chairs.

www.forbes.com/sites/amyfel...
How A High-Tech Chair Could Revolutionize Cancer Radiation Therapy
Startup Leo Cancer Care is transforming proton radiation treatment with a simple idea: having patients sit up instead of lying down. Now hospitals that include Stanford and McLaren are lining up to bu...
www.forbes.com
October 16, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
richardnieva.bsky.social
I chatted with AMD’s senior vice president of AI about the company’s massive deal with OpenAI, and how AMD’s software efforts played a part in scoring the agreement.
www.forbes.com/sites/richar...
How AMD’s AI Software Helped It Score The Multi-Billion Dollar OpenAI Deal
Chips aren’t the only star of the massive agreement. AMD’s software efforts have slowly turned it into a more formidable competitor to Nvidia.
www.forbes.com
October 9, 2025 at 3:35 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
amyfeldman7.bsky.social
This week’s key CDC immunization advisory meeting—packed with RFK Jr.’s hand-picked advisors—seems poised to put further restrictions on key vaccines.

@thealexknapp.bsky.social and I look at the risks to public health and vaccine makers for @forbes.com

www.forbes.com/sites/alexkn...
Vaccines Are A Hard Business. RFK Jr.’s CDC Is Making It Even Harder
This week's key CDC meeting—packed with RFK Jr.'s hand-picked advisors—seems poised to put further restrictions on key vaccines, harming both public health and vaccine makers.
www.forbes.com
September 17, 2025 at 1:00 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
thomasbrewster.bsky.social
🚨NEW🚨 ICE is preparing for an "upcoming agent hiring surge," contract records show.

It's ordered armor, Glocks, and AI surveillance drones from Skydio.

The $2.2bn Silicon Valley drone maker sold 20 drones to CBP too.

Its AI can latch onto a target and follow.

www.forbes.com/sites/thomas...
ICE Preps For New ‘Hiring Surge’ With AI Drones, Armor And Weapons
Contract records show ICE is arming its new agents with military-grade gear, from Silicon Valley’s autonomous drones to Glock handguns.
www.forbes.com
September 10, 2025 at 4:01 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
iainmartin.bsky.social
Jared Kushner has cofounded an AI startup, Brain Co, with VC Elad Gil and Luis Videgaray, the former Mexican foreign minister, to help corporates and government deploy AI www.forbes.com/sites/giacom...
Meet Jared Kushner’s New AI Startup, Brain Co
Kushner teamed up with prolific solo investor Elad Gil and Luis Videgaray, the former Mexican foreign minister, to launch Brain Co., which helps businesses and governments apply AI to their operations...
www.forbes.com
September 10, 2025 at 11:26 AM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
jeremybogaisky.bsky.social
Elon Musk's mammoth $17 billion purchase of spectrum from EchoStar will only pay off if SpaceX can launch a new generation of satellites on its mega-rocket Starship.
www.forbes.com/sites/jeremy...
SpaceX's $17 Billion EchoStar Deal Won’t Work Without Starship
The spectrum SpaceX is buying could let it beam full 5G service from space to cell phones. But that depends on it launching more powerful satellites with a rocket still in development.
www.forbes.com
September 9, 2025 at 9:52 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
forbes.com
ICE is using a controversial spy tool to locate smartphones, court records show.
How ICE Is Using Fake Cell Towers To Spy On People’s Phones
ICE is using a controversial spy tool to locate smartphones, court records show.
www.forbes.com
September 9, 2025 at 3:55 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
pheebini.bsky.social
The listing comes as #OpenAI gears up for an astronomical employee share sale that could make many in OpenAI’s ranks rich enough to afford the mansion.

Scoop for @forbes.com:

www.forbes.com/sites/phoebe...
Sam Altman Is Selling His Most Valuable Known Property
The listing comes as OpenAI gears up for an astronomical employee share sale that could make many in OpenAI’s ranks rich enough to afford the mansion.
www.forbes.com
September 8, 2025 at 10:46 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
thomasbrewster.bsky.social
NEW - ICE has given Clearview AI its biggest federal deal to date, with a contract worth up to $10 million.

It'll be used for investigating assaults on agents as well as CSAM.

Meanwhile, ICE has just bought a bunch of Greykey tools for searching Android and iPhones.

www.forbes.com/sites/thomas...
ICE To Pay $10 Million For Clearview Facial Recognition To Investigate Agent Assaults
ICE handed the controversial facial recognition company its biggest federal contract to date as it continues its illegal immigration crackdown.
www.forbes.com
September 8, 2025 at 7:10 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
richardnieva.bsky.social
I profiled Mercor, which is gunning to make a move in AI data training, especially after Meta’s deal with Scale AI. “It just doesn't happen too often in startups where your biggest competitor gets torpedoed overnight,” Mercor’s cofounder says. www.forbes.com/sites/richar...
AI’s Next Job? Recruiting People To Train More AI
Mercor, debuting on the Forbes Cloud 100 list, built an AI recruiter to interview job candidates. Then it discovered a cash cow: finding humans to train AI models.
www.forbes.com
September 3, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
richardnieva.bsky.social
For our 10th annual Cloud 100, AI is unsurprisingly dominant. OpenAI and Anthropic took the top two spots, and Cursor parent Anysphere made a strong debut in the top 10. www.forbes.com/lists/cloud1...
Forbes Cloud 100 2025 List - Largest Cloud Computing Companies Ranked
The tenth annual Forbes Cloud 100 list ranks the top private cloud computing companies — this year dominated by AI.
www.forbes.com
September 3, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
thomasbrewster.bsky.social
NEW - Here's my magazine profile on Flock Safety, the $7.5bn surveillance juggernaut that local and federal cops have been using to monitor Americans.

I got a look at its car surveillance tech in action, as well as its new drones, and Nova, its police intelligence platform that's caused a stir.
September 3, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
iainmartin.bsky.social
Nathan Xu's AI-powered note-taking gadgets have found a fast growing audience. Since launching in 2023, Xu has sold over 1 million such devices to doctors, lawyers, and other overworked folks with long days and short memories.
www.forbes.com/sites/iainma...
ChatGPT-Powered AI Notetaking Startup Plaud Is Already Profitable
Nathan Xu’s Plaud has sold more than 1 million AI recording devices that transcribe and summarize the busy days of doctors, lawyers and business people.
www.forbes.com
September 2, 2025 at 5:09 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
alexrkonrad.bsky.social
Tech legend Jack Dangermond founded Esri in 1969. Now 80 years young and with a net worth of $10B+, he's still "all in" on his company and global mission.

@upstarts.bsky.social spent an hour with Jack this week for one of our best interviews yet, full of lessons on startup-building and life.
Esri Founder Jack Dangermond's 'Secrets' To Building A Legendary Business
The 80-year-old software billionaire shares startup and life lessons that have kept him "all in" while running a high-impact global business for 50+ years.
www.upstartsmedia.com
August 28, 2025 at 2:27 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
ebakerwhite.bsky.social
Intel has been touting partnerships with sanctioned Chinese surveillance firms as Trump announces that the USG is taking a stake in the company:

www.forbes.com/sites/emilyb...
Intel Worked With Chinese Firms Sanctioned For Enabling Human Rights Abuses
As the U.S. government takes a 10% stake in Intel, Forbes has learned the tech company partnered with sanctioned Chinese surveillance firms Uniview, Hikvision and Cloudwalk.
www.forbes.com
August 26, 2025 at 4:20 PM
Reposted by Katharine Schwab
alexrkonrad.bsky.social
Scoop: Meta has held talks with Midjourney about a partnership including a potential acquisition, among several previously-unreported AI video startups it's met recently, sources tell me at @upstarts.bsky.social.

Midjourney's been busy, too, pitching an API.

www.upstartsmedia.com/p/meta-talks...
Scoop: Meta Held Talks With Midjourney As Part Of Video AI Talent Search
Meta has talked deals with Midjourney and video AI startups including HeyGen and Krea as part of its researcher talent hunt, sources tell Upstarts, while Midjourney has pursued other partnerships.
www.upstartsmedia.com
August 22, 2025 at 8:33 PM