WSJ Tech News Briefing The Wall Street Journal

This week, companies that make artificial intelligence tools including Open AI, Google and Meta agreed to incorporate new safety measures to protect children from exploitation and plug holes in their current defenses. A new alliance, led by a nonprofit called Thorn, is leading the charge. WSJ tech reporter Deepa Seetharaman tells host Alex Ossola about the problem, and how technology might help solve it. Plus, have you noticed that those online Captcha prompts to prove you’re human are getting harder? WSJ reporter Katie Deighton tells us how they’re trying to stay ahead of the bots.



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Plus: Meta reports record first-quarter sales. And Google has delayed its timeline for eliminating cookies. Alex Ossola hosts.



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As the demand for artificial intelligence grows, so does the need for more facilities to power it—namely, data centers. Data centers can take years to build because they require particular conditions, including cooling centers, ample electricity and real estate. Now, because of the AI boom, there’s a shortage of some of the key elements that data centers need. WSJ reporter Tom Dotan tells host Alex Ossola about what this means for the future of AI. Plus, startup Exowatt was created to power data centers via solar energy, and it’s already raised millions from investors. WSJ climate finance reporter Amrith Ramkumar talks about how the technology works.



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Plus: IBM nears an acquisition of cloud software provider HashiCorp. And Ericsson lays off more than 200 employees in China. Alex Ossola hosts.



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The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, or NCMEC, wasn’t created to serve as the nation’s central system for detecting child exploitation online, but for the past 25 years, that’s what it’s done. A WSJ analysis and a Stanford report found that the nonprofit is contending with outdated technology and legal constraints as the number of reports soars. WSJ technology reporter Jeff Horwitz tells host Alex Ossola why change might be on the way. Plus, WSJ Heard on the Street columnist Dan Gallagher talks about what analysts are looking for in Meta’s first-quarter earnings tomorrow.



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Plus: Sam Altman invests in a startup intended to provide clean energy to data centers. And Disney’s chief technology officer departs. Alex Ossola hosts.



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