Daily dispatch

May 15, 2026

Issue filed May 15, 2026 · 24 headlines · By Oz Gultekin

Daily dispatch for May 15, 2026. 24 headlines from labour, tech, and policy feeds, rewritten by hand for the class war in progress.

№ 01 The Verge

Behold, the Elon Musk jackass trophy

A trophy inscribed "Never stop being a jackass" surfaced in the Musk v. Altman trial, given to an OpenAI researcher by colleagues. The artifact became evidence in the high-stakes dispute over the company's direction.
№ 02 The Verge

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

Elon Musk and Sam Altman face off in federal court over OpenAI's future. Musk alleges the company abandoned its nonprofit mission to prioritize profits, while the trial could reshape the AI industry's trajectory.
№ 03 The Guardian

The Elon Musk v Sam Altman battle is a distraction | Karen Hao

The Musk versus Altman feud obscures deeper structural problems with AI development and governance. Fixating on personal animosity between the two founders distracts from systemic issues affecting the entire sector.
№ 04 The New York Times

OpenAI Trial Heads to Jury After Closing Arguments in Musk vs. Altman Case

Closing arguments concluded in the Musk v. Altman trial as nine jurors prepare to deliberate next week. The blockbuster federal case will determine the future direction of OpenAI and its leadership.
№ 05 The New York Times

OpenAI Considers Legal Action Against Apple in Strained Relationship

OpenAI is considering legal action against Apple over how the tech giant integrated ChatGPT into its devices. The dispute reflects tensions between the AI company and its hardware partner.
№ 06 TechCrunch

What the jury will actually decide in the case of Elon Musk vs. Sam Altman

The Musk v. Altman trial centers on whether OpenAI abandoned its founding mission to benefit humanity. The case will clarify the company's legal obligations and future governance structure.
№ 07 The Verge

OpenAI’s Codex is now in the ChatGPT mobile app

OpenAI integrated Codex, its AI coding tool, into the ChatGPT mobile app. The move responds to competition from Anthropic's Claude Code and reflects OpenAI's shift toward practical applications.
№ 08 The New York Times

Ishmael Reed Is Writing a Play About Elon Musk

Playwright Ishmael Reed is writing a theatrical work about Elon Musk. The provocateur aims to critique the billionaire class of Silicon Valley through dramatic storytelling.
№ 09 The Guardian

Chinese court awards compensation to sacked worker replaced by AI

A Chinese court awarded a worker over £28,000 in compensation after his employer replaced him with artificial intelligence. The ruling reflects Beijing's attempt to balance AI adoption with worker protections.
№ 10 VentureBeat

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

Salesforce rebuilt Slackbot into a fully powered AI agent capable of searching data and taking autonomous action. The upgrade positions the company to compete with Microsoft and Google in workplace AI.
№ 11 TechCrunch

Elon Musk’s SpaceXAI has been bleeding staff since its merger

More than fifty employees have left Elon Musk's SpaceXAI since its February merger. Staff departures raise questions about leadership, burnout, and retention incentives at the combined entity.
№ 12 The New York Times

Cerebras, A.I. Chip Maker, Rises 89% in Market Debut as Tech IPOs Ramp Up

Cerebras, a Silicon Valley AI chip maker, surged 89 percent in its market debut on Thursday. The IPO signals accelerating public market activity among AI companies including SpaceX and Anthropic.
№ 13 The Verge

Microsoft starts canceling Claude Code licenses

Microsoft has begun canceling Claude Code licenses for its employees after six months of internal use. The decision suggests the company is shifting its AI coding strategy away from Anthropic's tool.
№ 14 The Verge

Use this map to find the data centers in your backyard

An interactive map now tracks data center construction and AI policy across the United States. The tool helps residents understand the infrastructure footprint of major tech companies in their regions.
№ 15 Ars Technica

Cisco announces record revenue and 4,000 layoffs in the same day

Cisco announced record revenue while simultaneously cutting 4,000 jobs. The company's CFO characterized the layoffs as restructuring rather than cost reduction.
№ 16 MIT Tech Review

AI chatbots are giving out people’s real phone numbers

AI chatbots are inadvertently exposing people's real phone numbers to strangers. Google's generative AI has misdirected callers seeking lawyers, designers, and locksmiths to unrelated individuals.
№ 17 VentureBeat

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

Claude Code costs up to $200 monthly while Goose offers equivalent functionality for free. The pricing disparity has sparked backlash among software developers who use AI coding tools.
№ 18 Financial Times

Chasing Utopia, former Google exec warns against AI in measured documentary

Former Google executive Mo Gawdat presents a measured, hopeful view of AI's future in a new documentary. The film avoids apocalyptic narratives while examining technology's role in society.
№ 19 The New York Times

Nvidia’s Future in China Remains Unclear After Trump-Xi Summit

Nvidia's access to Chinese markets remains uncertain following the Trump-Xi summit. Chinese firms increasingly adopt domestic chipmakers like Huawei to reduce dependence on Western technology.
№ 20 Financial Times

McKinsey set to cut partner cash in post-AI pay revamp

McKinsey plans to reduce partner compensation in cash while increasing equity stakes. The consulting firm is restructuring pay as it adapts to an AI-driven business environment.
№ 21 Financial Times

Anthropic agrees terms of $30bn funding deal at $900bn valuation

Anthropic secured $30 billion in funding at a $900 billion valuation from Dragoneer, Greenoaks, Sequoia, and Altimeter. The round positions the AI lab as a major competitor to OpenAI.
№ 22 The Verge

Closing time

Closing arguments in the Musk v. Altman trial revealed significant missteps by Musk's legal team. The lawyer stumbled repeatedly, misnamed defendants, and made factual errors corrected by the judge.
№ 23 TechCrunch

OpenAI says Codex is coming to your phone

OpenAI is bringing Codex to mobile devices through the ChatGPT app. The update enhances user flexibility for managing workflows and coding tasks on smartphones.
№ 24 TechCrunch

OpenAI is reportedly preparing legal action against Apple; it wouldn’t be the first partner to feel burned

OpenAI is exploring legal action against Apple over failed ChatGPT integration expectations. The dispute reflects broader tensions between AI companies and hardware partners over revenue sharing.

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