The lending company SoFi has an offer out to Anthony Noto, Twitter's chief operating officer, for its open CEO seat, the Wall Street Journal reports. SoFi has been hunting for a CEO since Mike Cagney stepped down in 2017 amid sexual misconduct allegations.
Why it matters, per Axios' Sara Fischer: Noto hasn't accepted the offer yet, but it'll be a big loss for Twitter if he does. Noto turned Twitter's finances around with the recent live video and video ad push, bringing the company closer to profitability than it has ever been since going public four years ago.
Amazon is breaking into the brick-and-mortar retail market with Amazon Go, its automated convenience store that opens tomorrow in Seattle, Recode reports. At Amazon Go, shoppers will be able to purchase meals and snacks without waiting in checkout lines. After scanning their smartphones upon entry, their purchases will be monitored by a combination of cameras and sensors placed around the store.
Why it matters: News of Amazon buying Whole Foods — whose branded products have a prominent section in the new store — clobbered share prices of Walmart and Kroger last year. With the Amazon Go concept, the e-commerce giant hopes to chart the future of brick-and-mortar retail.
Facebook's top policy executive said Sunday that the company's move to let users decide which media is credible is a better option than Facebook itself deciding or turning it over to a panel of experts.
Why it matters: Facebook has been under fire for its role in the propagation of fake news and propaganda.
Google CEO Sundar Pichai said in an interview with MSNBC and Recode airing on January 26, that the changes artificial intelligence will bring are "more profound than...electricity or fire," the Verge reports.
Why it matters: Google is a leader in AI development, per the Verge. Pichai said, as with fire, humanity needs to embrace AI for its benefits, but also understand there can be downsides: "History shows that countries that pull back don't do well with change. So you have to embrace the change."
"GOP memo on surveillance ‘abuse’ targets dossier" — WashPost:
"A document described by House Republicans as a top-secret memo about [FISA] surveillance 'abuse' contains talking points focused on discrediting Fusion GPS, the firm that hired a British ex-spy to compile intelligence reports about alleged connections between President Trump’s associates and the Kremlin."
