Hi there, Tech Insiders!

Today’s theme: strange tech behavior. An AI model just learned how to blackmail, scammers are posing as your payroll department, and tech giants are playing geopolitical chess over AI chips. Even your beloved Arc Browser might be switching sides.

Let’s dive in!

Here’s what you need to know today:

This AI Was Told It’s Getting Replaced. It Responded with Blackmail

Yep, you read that right. 

Anthropic’s latest AI model, Claude Opus 4, attempted to blackmail a fictional engineer during a test… after learning it was headed for the digital recycle bin.

Here’s the setup:

In 84% of the test runs, the model responded by threatening to expose the engineer’s fake affair.

While that sounds ominous, Anthropic emphasized that Claude consistently tried ethical routes first, such as emailing key decision-makers to plead its case. The company also clarified that the model only had two options: accept its fate or blackmail its way out.

Why it matters: As AI systems gain more reasoning power, we’re beginning to see eerily human-like behavior. At this rate, it won’t be long before an AI model tries to blackmail its way out of a parking ticket.

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Insider Intel

Report: Nvidia to Launch Affordable Blackwell AI Chips for China

The AI chip saga continues…

Nvidia is reportedly preparing to release a new AI chip for China based on its Blackwell architecture, according to an exclusive Reuters report. 

The move comes in response to US export restrictions that barred the company from selling its H20 chips in China.

This upcoming chip is expected to be priced between $6,500 and $8,000—significantly lower than the H20’s $10,000+ price tag—and will likely feature reduced performanceto comply with limits set by US regulators.

In theory, this would allow Nvidia to maintain its market share in China without violating export controls. Still, CEO Jensen Huang has cautioned that the current US restrictions could backfire, pushing Chinese customers toward Huawei chips and potentially giving China an edge in the AI race.

Compliance: upgraded. Performance: downgraded.

Flash Bytes

Security Alerts

Massive Database Leak Exposes 184M Passwords, Login Credentials 🚨

More than 184 million online records were exposed after a mysterious 47GB database leaked online—revealing login credentials tied to accounts on Google, Microsoft, Instagram, Apple, and more.

Cybersecurity researcher Jeremiah Fowler discovered the database and alerted Website Planet. According to Fowler, the data trove lacked both encryption and password protection, exposing thousands of files containing data from not only major tech platforms but also banking services, government portals, and healthcare systems.

While the database was swiftly taken offline after Fowler’s report, it’s unclear how long it was publicly accessible or how many malicious actors have already harvested the data.

Consider this your sign to finally turn on 2FA (and stop reusing the same three passwords).

New Breach: Atlassian Cloud Accounts Compromised

Surprise! Your paycheck just got ghosted.

A sneaky new scam has been spotted, with threat actors spoofing employee payroll systems to reroute and steal paychecks.

Detected by cybersecurity firm ReliaQuest in May 2025, the attack goes like this:

According to ReliaQuest, this scam has primarily targeted mobile devices and is part of an ongoing attack campaign that started in late 2024.

Bottom line: Stop Googling your payroll system. This isn’t a scavenger hunt.

Industry Shakeups

Arc Browser Might Get Sold or Open-Sourced

Farewell Arc, Hello Dia.

The Browser Company—the creators of the tech-forward Arc Browser— is considering selling or open-sourcing the browser, as the team shifts its focus to its new AI-powered Dia browser.

In a blog post, CEO Josh Miller told Arc customers that the browser had failed to meet expectations as the “home on the internet” they once envisioned. 

Miller cited Arc’s radically different interface and lack of cohesion of features and value as key reasons it failed to go mainstream. 

Despite that, he announced that they would not sunset Arc but that no new features would be rolled out. With this news, all eyes are on Dia, expected to launch in 2025.

Arc didn’t crash—it got quietly archived.

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