Daily dispatch

May 2, 2026

Issue filed May 2, 2026 · 24 headlines · By Oz Gultekin

Daily dispatch for May 2, 2026. 24 headlines from labour, tech, and policy feeds, rewritten by hand for the class war in progress.

№ 01 The Verge

Pentagon strikes classified AI deals with OpenAI, Google, and Nvidia, but not Anthropic

The Pentagon has signed classified AI agreements with OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Nvidia, xAI, and Reflection. Anthropic was excluded after the Defense Department deemed it a supply-chain risk.
№ 02 The Guardian

Pentagon inks deals with seven AI companies for classified military work

The Pentagon reached agreements with seven AI companies including OpenAI, Google, and Nvidia for classified military applications. Anthropic was notably excluded from the deals.
№ 03 The Guardian

Judge cuts off Musk’s AI doomsday talk as his testimony ends in OpenAI case

A judge curtailed Elon Musk's testimony about AI dangers during his cross-examination in the OpenAI lawsuit. The trial continues with more witnesses expected to take the stand.
№ 04 The New York Times

Musk vs. Altman: What Is This Really About?

Elon Musk's landmark trial against OpenAI's Sam Altman examines the origins and mission of the AI company. The case centers on disputes over OpenAI's founding principles and direction.
№ 05 MIT Tech Review

Musk v. Altman week 1: Elon Musk says he was duped, warns AI could kill us all, and admits that xAI distills OpenAI’s models

In the first week of his trial against OpenAI, Elon Musk testified that Sam Altman deceived him into funding the company. He also acknowledged that his xAI startup used OpenAI's models.
№ 06 TechCrunch

Did you know you can’t steal a charity? Don’t worry. Elon Musk will remind you.

Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI centers on the company's conversion to a for-profit model. Emails, texts, and tweets are surfacing in court as evidence in the ongoing trial.
№ 07 TechCrunch

Musk v. Altman is just getting started

Elon Musk spent three days on the witness stand in his lawsuit against OpenAI. The trial is revealing emails, texts, and documents from the company's early days.
№ 08 The Verge

Elon Musk had a bad week in court

Elon Musk's testimony in his lawsuit against OpenAI did not go well for the plaintiff. Legal observers suggest he is unlikely to prevail in the case.
№ 09 The Verge

Live updates from Elon Musk and Sam Altman’s court battle over the future of OpenAI

The trial between Elon Musk and Sam Altman over OpenAI's future began in April 2024. Musk alleges the company abandoned its mission to benefit humanity in favor of profit.
№ 10 The Verge

All the evidence revealed so far in Musk v. Altman

Evidence in the Musk v. Altman trial includes emails, photos, and corporate documents from OpenAI's earliest days. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang provided the company with an in-demand supercomputer.
№ 11 TechCrunch

Pentagon inks deals with Nvidia, Microsoft, and AWS to deploy AI on classified networks

The Pentagon signed new AI deployment deals with Nvidia, Microsoft, and AWS for classified networks. The agreements follow the Defense Department's dispute with Anthropic over usage terms.
№ 12 The Verge

Christian content creators are outsourcing AI slop to gig workers on Fiverr

Gig workers on Fiverr are using generative AI to produce content for Christian creators at low cost. The practice reflects how AI has transformed freelance creative labor.
№ 13 Financial Times

Pentagon signs new military AI deals with Nvidia, Microsoft and Amazon

The Pentagon signed new military AI contracts with Nvidia, Microsoft, and Amazon. The deals follow a clash with Anthropic over terms for using its Claude model.
№ 14 The Guardian

‘Awkward and humiliating’: UK job hunters share frustration with AI interviews

Nearly half of UK job seekers have experienced AI interviews, according to research from Greenhouse. Many candidates describe the process as awkward and humiliating.
№ 15 The New York Times

Elon Musk’s A.I. Claims of Danger Face Limits in OpenAI Trial

Elon Musk's warnings about AI posing existential dangers to humanity may not be heard by jurors in his OpenAI lawsuit. The judge has limited the scope of such testimony.
№ 16 The Verge

Elon Musk confirms xAI used OpenAI’s models to train Grok

Elon Musk testified that his xAI startup used OpenAI's models to train Grok through model distillation. The practice allows larger AI models to teach smaller ones.
№ 17 VentureBeat

Salesforce rolls out new Slackbot AI agent as it battles Microsoft and Google in workplace AI

Salesforce launched a rebuilt Slackbot AI agent capable of searching enterprise data and drafting documents. The tool is now available to Business+ and Enterprise+ customers.
№ 18 The New York Times

Why So Many People Already Own Shares of Elon Musk’s SpaceX

Many people already own shares in Elon Musk's SpaceX through special purpose vehicles before any major initial public offering. The structure allows broader investor participation.
№ 19 The Verge

The craziest part of Musk v. Altman happened while the jury was out of the room

During the Musk v. Altman trial, testimony from Musk's finance manager Jared Birchall may have damaged the plaintiff's case. Legal observers suggest potential procedural errors occurred.
№ 20 VentureBeat

Claude Code costs up to $200 a month. Goose does the same thing for free.

Claude Code costs up to $200 per month, but Goose offers similar AI coding capabilities for free. The pricing has sparked criticism among software developers.
№ 21 Financial Times

The physical world strikes back

Geographic and military realities shape global affairs more than digital technology does. The Iran conflict demonstrates the enduring importance of physical geography.
№ 22 Financial Times

English councils to trial Google AI tool to speed up planning decisions

English councils will trial a Google AI tool to make recommendations on planning applications. The system will advise whether to grant or refuse development projects.
№ 23 Financial Times

Paranoid parenting in the age of AI

Parents cannot insulate their children from AI through education choices alone. The technology's influence on society is too pervasive to avoid entirely.
№ 24 TechCrunch

Meta buys robotics startup to bolster its humanoid AI ambitions

Meta acquired humanoid robotics startup Assured Robot Intelligence to strengthen its AI models for robots. The purchase supports the company's ambitions in embodied AI.

Headlines