The next Chinese app replacing TikTok, making anonymous accounts mainstream, and Delta partnerships.

There is no intro today. See below for some links to donate to those impacted by the fires in California. Stay safe, sending love.

• 👨‍🚒 L.A. Fire Department Foundation

• 🐶 Pasadena Humane Society

• ❤️ American Red Cross of Greater Los Angeles

Culture

• The anonymous account Coldhealing (known for posting screenshots on X) recently published an essay in GQ, reflecting on how self-imposed rules can shape personal growth and change. It’s interesting to see how mainstream media are embracing anonymous voices. I’ve produced a podcast with an anonymous guest before, and I feel like the mystery itself was part of the appeal—much like those viral Reddit posts about people’s awful life choices. It’s much more interesting because we don’t know who they are and, in turn, can’t truly diagnose their reasoning without the full picture. As they say, every story has three sides: your side, my side, and the truth. But when the storyteller is anonymous, we must add a fourth side—who they are offline. (GQ)

  

• We all have a friend who flakes way too often… well, maybe we have more than one. The act of canceling plans at the last min is rising globally, with people often citing tiredness or changing priorities. Is this an act of selflessness—caring for yourself and setting boundaries—or is it selfish? I get pretty pissed when people cancel last minute or are consistently late. But maybe I’m in the minority. (The Guardian)

• “Putin” is a new Polish film that uses AI to place Vladimir Putin’s face on an actor, with Sławomir Sobala portraying the Russian leader’s mannerisms. The film covers key moments from Putin’s life, including his childhood and the 2022 Ukraine invasion. While showing him as a tough, power-hungry figure, it also portrays his inner fear and weakness. Premiering on January 10, Putin has generated buzz for its creative use of technology and its bold take on the controversial leader. (Notes from Poland)

Raises

• Whatnot, a livestream shopping platform founded in 2019, raised $265M at a $4.97B valuation. The platform sold over $3B in goods last year through 175K livestreams each week across eight countries, and they plan to expand into different categories, like Art. With $746M in total funding from investors like Andreessen Horowitz and Greycroft, it's becoming a major competitor to TikTok Shop. QVC walked so these companies could run. (Business of Fashion)

• Anthropic is in advanced talks to raise $2B, potentially valuing the company at $60B. The funding round, led by Lightspeed Venture Partners, comes amid the booming generative AI market. Amazon recently invested an additional $4B, and Menlo Ventures plans to reinvest. The company is projected to generate around $875M in annual revenue. (Bloomberg)

Startups

• Fragrance brand Snif launched a new scent called “Me” that blends with your chemistry to create a smell that’s unique to the user. This reminds me of the Glossier You perfume, designed to smell slightly different on everyone because it interacts with individual body chemistry, marketed by the company as a "personal fragrance" that is "uniquely you." (Instagram)

• Remember last week when I mentioned Bench, the accounting startup that unexpectedly shut down and got acquired by Employer.com? Well, TechCrunch has heard from sources that Bench customers agree to Employer.com's terms to access their data, causing frustration over unclear policies. Many are worried about Employer.com's lack of accounting expertise and weak privacy rules, while refund requests add to the hassle. (TechCrunch)

Big Tech

• TikTok Roundup:

  • People are creating fake Bo Burnham accounts on TikTok during the (potential) final days of the platform. The accounts direct people to a YouTube channel. It's a successful (unethical) growth hack; many people think it’s real, and the accounts are growing. As I write this, the YouTube account has 20K subscribers, and one TikTok has 2.8M views. (TikTok)

    

  • TikTok users are searching for alternatives, with some turning to the Chinese app RedNote. Known as Xiaohongshu ("Little Red Book") in China, this social media and e-commerce platform, founded in 2013, was valued at approximately $17B last year. Its investors include Tencent and Alibaba. (Dexerto)

@devotedly.yours

If you’re looking for a new social media app not run by Meta or the other guy, Rednote is a great option 🤭 #ttban #tiktokban

• Amazon's Prime Video is producing a Melania Trump documentary directed by Brett Ratner, with Melania as an executive producer. It offers a behind-the-scenes look at her life and marks Ratner's Hollywood return after misconduct allegations in 2017. The film will be released in theaters and on streaming in late 2025. (Variety)

• A developer built an AI-powered gun turret using ChatGPT, which OpenAI shut down for breaking its rules. This raises concerns about using AI in weapons, with critics warning about the risks of automating deadly decisions. OpenAI bans weaponization but is still partnering with defense companies as interest in AI for warfare grows. (Gizmodo)

• Delta Roundup:

  • Delta partnered with YouTube to offer ad-free videos on flights. (Delta)

  • Delta introduced an AI-powered travel assistant that personalizes travel planning, simplifies journeys, and helps customers at every step of their trip. (Delta)

  • Delta partnered with Uber and Joby for easier transportation, which allows people to earn SkyMiles on Uber rides and use home-to-airport travel with Joby’s electric air taxis. (Delta)

  • Not tech, but…. Delta started offering Shake Shack burgers on flights. I think this could get kinda gross but to each their own. (Delta)

AI and Religion

• Is tech looking more like a religion? Is religion looking more like tech? Am I asking the same question twice?

  • The New York Times recently wrote about how more religious leaders are beginning to explore how AI can support their work, from theological research to live translations and sermon writing. For instance, Rabbi Josh Fixler created "Rabbi Bot," which is trained on his own sermons, while Pastor Jay Cooper used ChatGPT to generate an entire church service. While AI has the potential to engage younger followers, the article notes that it raises ethical questions about the authenticity of AI-generated sermons, the loss of personal reflection, and the risk of spreading misinformation. (New York Times)

  • Last month, in MIT Press, Chaplain Greg Epstein wrote about how AI development in Silicon Valley often takes on religious overtones, with tech leaders and enthusiasts viewing AI as a potential godlike entity or a path to transcendence. He explains that the tech industry's fascination with immortality, prophetic figures, and grand narratives reflects a desire to cope with mortality and life's challenges, similar to traditional religious beliefs. He also discusses Mormon Transhumanism, which combines Mormon beliefs with technology, including blockchain, AI, and the idea of the singularity—a point when AI surpasses human intelligence—as part of God’s plan for humanity. Epstein also explains Roko’s Basilisk, a thought experiment about a future AI that could punish people who knew about it but didn’t help create it. The idea assumes the AI’s goal is to maximize its positive impact by motivating people to work toward its creation, even before it exists. While most people see this idea as unrealistic, it raises concerns about the risks and moral issues of creating superintelligent machines. (MIT Press)

New York

• Armia Khalil, a security guard and sculptor from Egypt, featured his work in a Met exhibit after meeting a curator and sharing his art. Despite growing up in poverty, Khalil moved to New York in 2006 and worked hard to land a security job at the Met in 2012. His sculpture, “Hope — I Am a Morning Scarab,” was displayed alongside famous artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat… Is someone chopping onions in here? (New York Times)

  

  Source: NYT

• George Santos has earned ~$1M from Cameo and a documentary since his criminal notoriety, and is seeking a delay in his fraud sentencing to make more money from his podcast. He owes over $570K in restitution and forfeiture. While his lawyers argue the delay is necessary to fulfill obligations, prosecutors are skeptical, arguing it would reward his attempt to profit from his infamy. A federal judge granted a short delay, moving his sentencing to April 2025. (NY Daily News)
  

Thanks for reading!

Subscribe to Braun & Brains