Tim Harford / Financial Times:
A working paper uses an LLM to analyze X's political discourse, finding that anger is by far the most common emotion expressed by US users, especially those 65+  —  There is a gap between the calm, rational decision-makers we often aspire to be and the overwrought, sentiment-tossed creatures we often are.

Bloomberg:
Chinese regulators killed the Manus template by blocking Meta's $2B takeover in a 54-character decree, creating an uncertain era for China's growing AI industry  —  The AI startup Manus, once hailed as a breakthrough that would challenge Silicon Valley's dominance, is turning into a cautionary tale …

Reuters:
Cognizant agrees to acquire Astreya, which helps manage data center infrastructure, AI lab environments, and enterprise networks, for ~$600M, set to close in Q2  —  Cognizant Technology (CTSH.O) has agreed to buy Astreya, an IT services and technology provider focused on AI infrastructure …

Bloomberg:
Indonesia sentences eFishery founder Gibran Huzaifah to nine years in prison, concluding a $300M scandal that destroyed one of Southeast Asia's top startups  —  Indonesia handed eFishery founder Gibran Huzaifah a nine-year prison sentence on Wednesday, concluding a high-profile $300 million financial scandal …

Isabelle Bousquette / Wall Street Journal:
Cash-rich AI startups fuel a boom in Manhattan's commercial real estate market; many offices have more vacant desks than workers, as startups prepare to scale  —  AI firms are rushing to grab Manhattan's most coveted office space, but desks outnumber employees.  Some grow into them; others just want room to think.