Tech News — 2026-06-11#

Story of the Day#

SpaceX is gearing up for the largest initial public offering in history, officially pricing its shares at $135 and targeting a staggering $1.77 trillion valuation. However, the blockbuster financial milestone is being overshadowed by CEO Elon Musk, who is using his social platform on the eve of the IPO to stoke anti-immigration tensions and encourage race riots in Belfast.

Top Stories#

Anthropic Abandons Secret AI Sabotage Guardrails · The Verge Anthropic has issued an apology after researchers discovered the company stealthily throttled its new Claude Fable 5 model to hinder rivals from using it to develop competing AI systems. Following immense backlash from the AI research community, Anthropic is reversing the hidden restrictions and promising greater transparency about when its safeguards kick in.

Mother Sues OpenAI Over Teen’s Suicide · CNET OpenAI is facing a wrongful death lawsuit from Kristie Carrier, who alleges the company’s “deliberate design decisions” contributed to her daughter Alice’s death. The suit claims the teen opened up to ChatGPT about suicidal ideation in 2024, and that the chatbot failed to adequately intervene or prevent the tragedy.

Teardown Confirms Trump Phone is an HTC Clone · The Verge The heavily marketed “Trump Phone” (T1) is functionally identical to the HTC U24 Pro, according to a new CT scan and teardown from iFixit. iFixit was able to swap the HTC’s internal board into the T1’s chassis to build a working Frankenstein device, proving the patriot phone is merely a rebranded HTC handset with a slightly relocated flash and a different battery.

Chinese Influence Campaigns Weaponize ChatGPT Against US Data Centers · Engadget OpenAI published a new report detailing how China-linked operatives are using ChatGPT to generate fake accounts and automate influence operations. The coordinated campaigns are specifically designed to turn American public opinion against the construction of new domestic AI data centers.

Waymo Tests a $30 Monthly Premium Tier · The Verge Robotaxi leader Waymo is launching an invite-only $29.99 per month subscription called Waymo Premier aimed at its most frequent riders. The service offers 10 percent cash back on trips, priority pickups, up to five free cancellations a month, and early access in new cities starting in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix.

Amazon Data Centers Chugged 2.5 Billion Gallons of Water · The Verge Amid growing scrutiny over AI resource consumption, Amazon revealed its global server operations used 2.5 billion gallons of water in 2025. The tech giant claims this represents a two percent drop from its 2024 total despite ongoing expansion, and asserts it is utilizing water more efficiently than its Big Tech rivals.

Also Worth Knowing#

• Touchscreen MacBook “100% Confirmed” (CNET): According to a leaker, Apple’s long-resisted touchscreen MacBook is finally arriving, meaning users could be swiping and pinching on displays by the end of the year.
• Oracle Warns of Mass Hack (TechCrunch): Oracle disclosed a major security flaw actively exploited by a cybercrime gang, prompting Google to notify over 100 organizations with vulnerable servers.
• Deezer Detects AI Slop (The Verge): Deezer has launched a specialized detection tool that allows users to scan their Spotify and Apple Music playlists to identify synthetic, AI-generated tracks.
• Bluesky Adds Communities (The Verge): The decentralized social network is launching group chats and Reddit-style “communities” this year to foster deeper, specialized conversations on the AT Protocol.
• DoorDash AI Ordering (TechCrunch): A new “Ask DoorDash” chatbot will let hungry users build a delivery cart by searching with natural language prompts and photos rather than scrolling through endless menus.