20 May 2026
‘Solve all diseases,’ you say?
This is Optimizer, a weekly newsletter sent from Verge senior reviewer Victoria Song that dissects and discusses the latest gizmos and potions that swear they’re going to change your life. This week’s issue is a special early edition tied to The Verge’s Google I/O coverage. You can expect our next issue at its usual time next Friday. Opt in for Optimizer here.
20 May 2026
The SpaceX IPO filing has arrived
SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk 24 years ago, has finally made its IPO filing public . The hefty filing, posted after markets closed Wednesday, shows a company that has developed far beyond its initial pursuit of reusable rockets — although its long-term mission to create a multi-planetary species remains intact.
20 May 2026
SpaceX confirms plans for an IPO that could make Elon Musk a trillionaire
SpaceX confirmed plans to sell shares of its stock to the public for the first time, according to a securities filing Wednesday outlining the company’s fundamentals. The initial public offering (IPO) could make CEO Elon Musk the world’s first trillionaire, a milestone that underscores the extraordinary wealth the tech industry has amassed over three decades.
20 May 2026
Meta begins job cuts in Israel as global layoffs in the name of AI mount
Dozens of Meta Israel employees received dismissal notices on Wednesday, as the US tech titan embarked on a wave of layoffs aimed at trimming 10 percent of its global workforce to offset investing billions of dollars toward AI infrastructure.
20 May 2026
The 5 Google I/O Announcements That Actually Matter
AI was front and center in nearly every announcement at Google I/O, but some features are more useful than others.
20 May 2026
Meta begins to lay off 10% of its workforce as AI investments surge
Notices started going out to employees on Wednesday morning as Meta begins laying off 8,000 employees, or 10% of its workforce, while pouring billions of dollars into AI.
20 May 2026
Robotics Benchmark Stumbles in Moonwalk Test
The Michael Jackson Moonwalk robotics benchmark continues to test the limits of current artificial intelligence and robotics technologies according to recent commentary from The Rundown AI. This entertaining yet technically demanding challenge reveals how far humanoid robots have come in replicating iconic human dance moves while underscoring remaining gaps in balance control and fluid motion…
20 May 2026
OpenAI takes the lead in AI IPO horse race: 'Getting to public markets first is very important'
Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI Inc., during a media tour of the Stargate AI data center in Abilene, Texas, US, on Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2025. Kyle Grillot | Bloomberg | Getty Images
20 May 2026
Jeff Bezos Tells Workers to ‘Be So Happy’ They’re Being Given the Gift of AI
Jeff Bezos says utopia is right around the corner; we should just keep pushing and, importantly, keep funding companies like the ones he runs.
