Power up, Tech Insiders. AI is capturing more clicks, hydropower is powering data centers, and Microsoft's patch is reviving stalled VMs. Flip the breaker—you'll want the juice for today's top stories. |
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Here's what you need to know today: |
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Google Discover's AI Summaries Further Threaten Publisher Clicks |
When Google decides to "sum it up," publishers feel the subtraction. Google Discover is quietly testing three-line AI blurbs that condense multiple articles into a single card—logos stacked, only one headline visible, and a tiny disclaimer that it's "Generated with AI, which can make mistakes." Early testers on iOS and Android report fewer chances to click as the summaries appear for trending news, videos, and grouped story clusters. |
Publishers already reeling from AI Overviews in Google Search fear another referral cliff. Recent data show that organic clicks have fallen from just over 2.3 billion to under 1.7 billion visits since mid-2024, while zero-click results have increased from 56% to nearly 69% as of May 2025. Discover had been a lifeline; now it's under the algorithmic knife. Google points to new micropayment Offerwall tools, but many outlets say the timing feels like an ambulance without wheels. Why it matters: Fewer clicks mean thinner ad revenue, tougher paywall conversions, and leaner newsroom budgets. If Discover graduates from test to default, entire content strategies may need another AI-era rewrite—before the machines finish summarizing us out of a job. |
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"How do you feel about Google's new Discover summaries?" |
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Results from Yesterday's Pulse Check |
"How worried are you about AI data centers draining local water?" |
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Trump Rallies Big Tech for AI-Power Blitz |
"Make Grids Great Again"—now with hydropower and hyperscalers. At Carnegie Mellon's Energy and Innovation Summit, President Donald Trump and Senator Dave McCormick touted roughly $90 billion in planned Pennsylvania AI and energy investments. |
Google stole the show with a landmark hydropower pact with Brookfield: an initial $3 billion, 20-year purchase from the Holtwood and Safe Harbor dams—part of a framework to secure up to 3 GW—and a separate $25 billion commitment to build and modernize data centers across the PJM grid. Additionally, GPU-cloud up-and-comer CoreWeave pledged $6 billion for AI facilities, while Blackstone floated a $25 billion infrastructure splash in the state. The White House previewed executive actions to fast-track grid interconnections, streamline Clean Water Act permits, and open federal land for power-hungry data centers. With AI workloads pushing US electricity demands to record highs, tech giants are locking down carbon-free megawatts before the wires overheat—and yes, a lobbyist somewhere just added "hydro-hype cycle" to a slide deck. |
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AI-Fueled PayPal Phish Uses Fake Hotline |
PayPal warns of slick phishing emails that cite pricey purchases and list a "support" number that sends callers straight to scammers. Victims are coaxed into installing a bogus PayPal tool that gives crooks full device access. |
Fighting AI with AI, PayPal has rolled out adaptive fraud alerts on payments that escalate—from gentle nudges to outright blocks—based on real-time risk signals. The continually learning model digests and analyzes billions of data points, aiming to stop new scam variants before money moves. Pro tip: If an email greets you with "Dear PayPal Customer," greet it back with the delete key. |
Microsoft Rushes Patch to Revive Azure VMs |
| A July Patch Tuesday bug bricked Windows 11 24H2 and Windows Server 2025 VMs on some older standard (non-Trusted Launch) SKUs when Virtualization-Based Security (VBS) was enabled. Microsoft's out-of-band KB5064489 update fixes the secure kernel initialization glitch, and refreshed Windows Server 2025 marketplace images are already live. Admins should install the OOB patch—or enable Trusted Launch before applying July's KB5062553 security update—to keep VMs from getting stuck at boot. |
Tesla's 15-Year Sales Vet Exits Amid Slump |
Troy Jones, vice president of sales, service, and delivery for Tesla in North America—Tesla's largest market—has left the company after 15 years of service. His departure marks the latest in a series of senior exits, following those of Optimus-robot lead Milan Kovac and battery chief Drew Baglino, as well as global policy head Rohan Patel and longtime Musk lieutenant Omead Afshar. |
The loss comes as Tesla grapples with softening demand, aggressive competitors, and investor jitters over its pivot to robotics and autonomy. Shares dipped a little over 1% on the news, underscoring worries about continuity in Musk's thinning executive bench. Analysts note Tesla is leaning on refreshed Model Y trims, a lower-cost Cybertruck variant, and low-interest financing to stoke sales while it places its future hopes on its robotaxi network and Optimus project. Plot twist: The Optimus robot might soon hand you your showroom coffee—because the sales team keeps walking out. |
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| Writer at TechnologyAdvice |
Justin Meyers is an investigative writer and editor who draws on over a decade of meticulous hands-on research to deliver the full, trustworthy story behind consumer and enterprise tech, including cybersecurity. |
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| Writer at TechnologyAdvice |
Justin Meyers is an investigative writer and editor who draws on over a decade of meticulous hands-on research to deliver the full, trustworthy story behind consumer and enterprise tech, including cybersecurity. |
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