In partnership with

Sign Up - Linkedin

It’s Friday! 🎉

By Monday, a new administration will take the reins, bringing with it fresh tech rules, crypto executive orders, and a wave of new emotions. The first 100 days often define an administration's direction, and the countdown begins Monday.

In this edition, we’ll explore the anticipated changes, examine how tech leaders may pose risks to democracy, and highlight the top trends and news shaping the future. Let’s dive in!

• Biden Delays TikTok Ban, Leaves Decision to Trump.

• Are Tech Oligarchs Threatening Democracy?

• 🧰 AI Tools

• New Administration Prepares Crypto Executive Order.

• 📰 News and Trends.

10x Your Outbound With Our AI BDR

Imagine your calendar filling with qualified sales meetings, on autopilot. That's Ava's job. She's an AI BDR who automates your entire outbound demand generation.

Ava operates within the Artisan platform, which consolidates every tool you need for outbound:

• 300M+ High-Quality B2B Prospects

• Automated Lead Enrichment With 10+ Data Sources Included

• Full Email Deliverability Management

• Personalization Waterfall using LinkedIn, Twitter, Web Scraping & More

Book a demo and supercharge your sales team.

Biden Delays TikTok Ban, Leaves Decision to Trump.

The Biden administration announced it will not enforce the TikTok ban set for Sunday, deferring the decision to the incoming Trump administration. The ban, tied to national security concerns over TikTok’s Chinese ownership, could impose billions in fines on companies like Apple and Google if the app remains accessible.

Officials cited the transition of power and a federal holiday as reasons for the delay. President-elect Trump has vowed to explore ways to keep TikTok operational under U.S. ownership. The Supreme Court’s pending ruling could still impact the ban’s future.

Our Partners:

• RemoteBase - Hire the top 1% of tech talent in the world. We have a thorough multi-step vetting process, that gives you a strong internal community of Front-End, Back-End, Full-Stack, and Dev-Ops engineers. Our clients are matched with the required engineering teams within 24 hours.

• OpenVC University - Jumpstart your AI career in 100 days with OpenCV University’s AI Challenge – master AI, Computer Vision, and Deep Learning with a 35% discount!

• FRENZ Brainband by Earable - Silence your thoughts and drift into a deeper sleep. —AI-powered, scientifically-backed sleep tech transforming restless nights into restful slumber. Exclusive savings with code 'celis'!*

Let's Become Partners.

Are Tech Oligarchs Threatening Democracy?

In his farewell address, President Joe Biden cautioned against the growing power of tech leaders, warning of a "tech industrial complex" threatening democracy. He criticized misinformation on social media and the rollback of fact-checking, calling it an “avalanche of lies for power and profit.”

Biden’s concerns likely target figures like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg, highlighting the dangers of concentrated wealth and influence. The warning comes as these tech CEOs prepare to attend President-elect Trump’s inauguration, signaling their increasing political sway.

How Tech Controls Governments and Society?

1. Lobbying Power
   Top tech firms spend billions influencing policies on privacy, antitrust, and AI. Amazon and Alphabet alone spent over $20M each in lobbying in 2024.

2. Control of Data Centers
   With governments reliant on cloud services from AWS, Google, and Microsoft, tech companies gain leverage in critical infrastructure and cybersecurity.

3. Acquiring Competitors
   Tech giants eliminate rivals and dominate markets by acquiring startups, as seen with Microsoft’s Activision deal and Amazon’s iRobot purchase.

4. Shaping Public Opinion
   Social media platforms control news algorithms, influencing elections and suppressing dissent. Meta’s rollback of fact-checking highlights this risk.

5. Political Influence
   CEOs like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos fund campaigns and align with leaders to secure favorable policies, deepening their political ties.

6. AI Domination
   From job automation to predictive policing, tech companies control AI tools shaping societal structures, raising ethical and privacy concerns.

7. Weakening Regulations
   Tech lobbying delays antitrust and privacy laws, leaving consumers vulnerable and regulators struggling to keep up.

8. Economic Leverage
   Tech’s dominance in national economies makes governments hesitant to regulate, fearing job losses and market instability.

Unchecked, this influence threatens democracy and competition, underscoring the need for stricter accountability.

📰 AI News and Trends

• ChatGPT now lets you schedule reminders and recurring tasks (TC)

• Shield AI in talks to raise from Palantir at $5B valuation (Investing)

• AFP Partners with Mistral AI to Deliver Trusted, Real-Time News Insights (AFP)

• Microsoft bundles Office AI features into Microsoft 365, raises prices (TheVerge)

• AI researcher François Chollet founds a new AI lab focused on AGI (TC)

• Nvidia releases more tools and guardrails to nudge enterprises to adopt AI agents (TC)

🌐 Other Tech news

• Red Note hires English moderators amid TikTok’s U.S. uncertainty (Wired)

• and Duolingo sees 216% spike in US users learning Chinese amid TikTok ban and move to RedNote (TC)

• Apple in talks with Barclays, Synchrony to replace Goldman in credit card deal (Reuters)

New Administration Prepares Crypto Executive Order.

The upcoming administration’s forthcoming executive order on cryptocurrency, expected by Jan. 20, aims to clarify federal policy on digital assets. Feasible actions include designating crypto as a national priority, forming advisory councils, and directing agency reviews. However, more ambitious measures, such as halting litigation or creating a national Bitcoin reserve, would require Congressional approval.

The order is expected to leverage existing agency frameworks, potentially fostering greater regulatory coordination and signaling the administration’s approach to the crypto industry. The scope and impact of the order remain uncertain, but it may redefine federal interactions with digital assets.

🧰 AI Tools

Download our list of 750+ Tools free here.