Monica Melton

Monica Melton hosting a stage at AfroTech 2025 wearing a black dress with blue flowers.

It was an honor to host at #AfroTech2025 and share the stage with brilliant engineers, programmers and leaders.
Thank you to the folks that continue to create a welcoming environment for Black technologists. 🫶🏾

Oracle and OpenAI's second Stargate data center in Texas will be powered off the grid Vantage Data Centers and Voltagrid are the developers of a data center and natural gas plant for the new Stargate site in Shackelford County.

Vantage Data Centers and Voltagrid are the developers of a data center and natural gas plant for the new Stargate site in Shackelford County.

Meta's chief AI officer addressed layoffs in its Superintelligence Labs unit. Read his full memo. Meta lays off 600 employees in its Superintelligence Labs division.

Meta lays off 600 employees in its Superintelligence Labs division.

An ex-Microsoft scientist is building an AI startup to change how companies handle work visas Priyanka Kulkarni's "exhausting" and "confusing" experiences as an employee on an H-1B visa inspired her to launch her startup, Casium.

Priyanka Kulkarni's "exhausting" and "confusing" experiences as an employee on an H-1B visa inspired her to launch her startup, Casium.

$1.65 trillion chip giant Broadcom cuts staff in units like sales and accounts Broadcom cuts staff in sales and account management roles. The chip giant has been capitalizing on the AI boom.

Broadcom cuts staff in sales and account management roles. The chip giant has been capitalizing on the AI boom.

Scale AI quietly agreed to settle multiple lawsuits from its California contractors Scale AI agreed to settle four California lawsuits alleging illegal underpayment and misclassification. A judge will review the deal in December.

Scale AI agreed to settle four California lawsuits alleging illegal underpayment and misclassification. A judge will review the deal in December.

Meta balked at turning over AI chatbot records in lawsuit, setting up court fight Meta faces a legal battle in New Mexico over AI chatbot records in a child safety lawsuit, as the state demands key internal documents.

🚨 A legal-y scoop: New filings show Meta is fighting to block AI chatbot documents and whistleblower testimony in a major child-safety case heading to trial in New Mexico. www.businessinsider.com/meta-legal-b...

AI data centers are driving up electricity bills. Energy-saving hacks might not help lower them. Data centers are driving up consumers' electricity costs, but experts say energy conservation hacks won't lower bills much. Here's what to do instead.

Data centers are driving up consumers' electricity costs, but experts say energy conservation hacks won't lower bills much. Here's what to do instead.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang says the company will continue to sponsor H-1B visas and cover fees. Read his memo to staff. In an internal message, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang reiterated his support for Trump's H-1B changes and shared personal reflections on immigration.

In an internal message, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang reiterated his support for Trump's H-1B changes and shared personal reflections on immigration.

OpenAI's new chip deals raise a tough question: Where will all the power come from? OpenAI and AMD signed a deal for 6 gigawatts of compute. Now, they'll just need to get the electricity power it.

OpenAI and AMD signed a deal for 6 gigawatts of compute. Now, they'll just need to get the electricity power it.

This $855 million acquisition could be a boon for Trump's lofty Golden Dome project Firefly Aerospace acquires defense analytics firm SciTec for $855 million for an edge in defense tech and Trump's Golden Dome project

Firefly Aerospace acquires defense analytics firm SciTec for $855 million for an edge in defense tech and Trump's Golden Dome project

Perplexity is making its AI browser Comet, previously $200 per month as part of Perplexity Max, free for all, with rate limits (Charles Rollet/Business Insider)

Main Link | Techmeme Permalink

Inside the anti-'woke' revolt that has American troops in its crosshairs Trump vowed to banish 'woke.' Now, the culture wars are infiltrating the military and spreading paranoia among American troops

1/ Anti-'woke' veterans who wield leaked screenshots are thrusting cancel culture deep into the US military, adding to strains at an unprecedented moment. www.businessinsider.com/inside-anti-...

After a Reddit user took a dig at Harvey, Harvey's CEO fired back — and brought receipts The question of whether lawyers are really using Harvey has ramifications for its employees and investors — and the dozens of competitors in its wake.

The question of whether lawyers are really using Harvey has ramifications for its employees and investors — and the dozens of competitors in its wake.

A major Silicon Valley medtech company just announced it was pausing H-1B hires Intuitive Surgical is best-known for building surgery robots. It just froze offers to H-1B candidates due to President Donald Trump's new policy.

🚨 Scoop with @charlesrollet.bsky.social: Intuitive Surgical, a $150-billion Silicon Valley medtech company with 13,000 employees, has paused job offers to all candidates who need H-1B sponsorship because of the recent Presidential proclamation. www.businessinsider.com/intuitive-si...

Trump's H-1B overhaul could kneecap startups in the talent wars. Startup founders are worried that changes to the H-1B visa program could make it even harder to compete with bigger companies in the talent wars.

Startup founders are worried that changes to the H-1B visa program could make it even harder to compete with bigger companies in the talent wars.

Meta just missed a senator's deadline for submitting records about its AI chatbot policies for kids Sen. Josh Hawley's office says Meta hasn't complied with its request to hand over records on how its AI chatbot interacted with children.

Sen. Josh Hawley's office says Meta hasn't complied with its request to hand over records on how its AI chatbot interacted with children.

Confusion and chaos: Trump's $100K H-1B visa fee rocks Silicon Valley's hiring machine Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee sparked chaos in Silicon Valley, sending shockwaves through the tech industry as companies scrambled to adjust to costly new regulations.

🚨 48 hours of chaos. A scramble for flights. Tech workers walking off planes. Immigration lawyers working nonstop. The White House’s $100K H-1B fee threw Silicon Valley into turmoil overnight.

Big new feature from me + my dream team at @businessinsider.com www.businessinsider.com/trump-h-1b-v...

Confusion and chaos: Trump's $100K H-1B visa fee rocks Silicon Valley's hiring machine Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee sparked chaos in Silicon Valley, sending shockwaves through the tech industry as companies scrambled to adjust to costly new regulations.

Trump's $100,000 H-1B visa fee sparked chaos in Silicon Valley, sending shockwaves through the tech industry as companies scrambled to adjust to costly new regulations.

India says Trump's H-1B visa changes could have 'humanitarian consequences' The Indian government said Trump's new H-1B visa fees could hinder talent mobility and impact Indian families.

The Indian government said Trump's new H-1B visa fees could hinder talent mobility and impact Indian families.

Meet the non-tech companies cashing in on the AI data center spending boom As data center spend nears $1 trillion, vendors like Rolls-Royce, Caterpillar, Schneider Electric, and Vertiv are poised to benefit.

As data center spend nears $1 trillion, vendors like Rolls-Royce, Caterpillar, Schneider Electric, and Vertiv are poised to benefit.

Meet Silicon Valley's new AI startup whisperer Menlo Ventures' Deedy Das is stepping up to partner just as venture capital demands sharper technical chops.

Menlo Ventures' Deedy Das is stepping up to partner just as venture capital demands sharper technical chops.

Scale AI is being investigated by San Francisco labor regulators Scale AI says it's cooperating with the probe. The startup relies on an army of workers it considers contractors.

Scale AI says it's cooperating with the probe. The startup relies on an army of workers it considers contractors.

Top OpenAI exec dishes at a Goldman Sachs conference. Here are all the numbers. OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar shares revenue numbers, user numbers, usage rates, and more at a Goldman Sachs conference.

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar shares revenue numbers, user numbers, usage rates, and more at a Goldman Sachs conference.

Meta is paying contractors up to $55 an hour to build AI chatbot characters Meta invests in AI chatbots by hiring contractors for markets like India and Indonesia, as privacy and policy scrutiny escalate.

🚨 Scoop: Meta is paying contractors up to $55/hr to build AI chatbot characters for India, Indonesia, and Mexico. Applicants need 6 years of character-creation experience. In Indonesia, two of the most popular bots are “Lonely Woman” and “Deviant Male.” www.businessinsider.com/meta-hires-c...

Leaked Microsoft pay data shows how much hundreds of employees report making in AI, cloud, and other teams Business Insider analyzed a spreadsheet some Microsoft employees are using to share their compensation. The data reveals pay ranges for engineers.

Business Insider analyzed a spreadsheet some Microsoft employees are using to share their compensation. The data reveals pay ranges for engineers.

Coming soon to a data center near you? Nuclear reactors Aalo Atomics raises $100 million to mass-produce nuclear reactors to power data centers amid the growing energy demand from AI.

Aalo Atomics raises $100 million to mass-produce nuclear reactors to power data centers amid the growing energy demand from AI.

Freight management startup GoodShip raises $25 million to overhaul shipping with AI. Read the pitch deck. Freight management startup GoodShip has raised $25 million in Series B funding to overhaul the trillion-dollar shipping industry with AI.

Freight management startup GoodShip has raised $25 million in Series B funding to overhaul the trillion-dollar shipping industry with AI.

A fundraising memo for Palmer Luckey's new crypto bank says the quiet part out loud A fundraising memo touted Luckey's "political network" and a cofounder's "unique connectivity to regulators" like Jonathan Gould.

NEW: tech billionaire Palmer Luckey's "political network" and a cofounder's "unique connectivity to banking regulators" were pitched to investors in his new bank, Erebor, as reasons why they'd get a banking license in just 6 months

www.businessinsider.com/palmer-lucke...

YC founders are getting younger and feeling the pressure YC founders are younger than ever and face faster, and higher expectations in the age of AI, recent participants told Business Insider.

YC founders are younger than ever and face faster, and higher expectations in the age of AI, recent participants told Business Insider.