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The AI factory era begins and Altman is scanning eyeballs now
Noel Moldvai
May 01, 2025
TL;DR. AI infrastructure and identity are back in the spotlight. Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says every company will need an “AI factory,” promising American jobs in the process. And Sam Altman? As if he doesn’t have his hands full with OpenAI shenanigans, he just launched a U.S. crypto startup that scans your eyeballs. Seriously.
Nvidia CEO says all companies will need “AI factories”
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicts that all American companies will become AI factories—integrating chips, software, and infrastructure to produce both goods and intelligence. He emphasized this shift would create skilled U.S. jobs, bolster onshore manufacturing, and require national support. Huang also avoided commenting on chip export restrictions to China.
Figure AI sent cease-and-desist letters to secondary markets brokers
Figure AI, reportedly the most sought-after private stock, has issued cease-and-desist letters to brokers marketing its shares without authorization. This crackdown follows its massive valuation jump to $39.5B. Some say the company aims to suppress secondary trades below its target valuation, while others argue active trading can boost primary round interest.
Sam Altman’s eye-scanning crypto project launches in the U.S.
World, Sam Altman’s identity-verified crypto startup, has launched in the U.S. after scanning 11 million irises globally. The project uses physical Orbs to confirm "humanness" and will debut a Visa-backed payments card. Despite global backlash over biometric data, World insists its tech is private and aims to stop AI bots from mimicking humans.
The role of tokenization in secondary markets
The hype for tokenization in secondary markets has reached a boiling point. Last year, Moody's called the concept — which describes converting ownership of assets into blockchain-stored tokens — a "revolutionary process" for alternative assets markets. Deloitte added that it could "reshape private asset funds."
So why hasn’t it boiled over?
Quick Takes
Cheerio! Until next week.
-Noel