AI Daily Briefing — 2026-05-18

Commencement season this year has revealed a growing tension between speakers and graduates over the role of artificial intelligence in the future. At the University of Central Florida, real estate executive Gloria Caulfield was met with loud boos after calling AI “the next industrial revolution.” The crowd’s reaction forced her to pause and ask, “What happened?” before she tried to continue, only to face more interruptions.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt encountered a similar backlash at the University of Arizona. Even before he took the stage, student groups had called for his removal over a sexual assault lawsuit, which he denies. When Schmidt told graduates they would “help shape artificial intelligence,” the booing grew so intense that he attempted to speak over it, urging them to “get on the rocket ship.”

Not all ceremonies were disrupted. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang spoke at Carnegie Mellon without audible pushback when he praised AI’s impact. Still, a recent Gallup poll shows only 43% of Americans aged 15 to 34 feel optimistic about finding a local job, down from 75% in 2022. Journalist Brian Merchant noted that many students view AI as “the cruel new face of hyper-scaling capitalism.”

One graduate summed up the sentiment: “It wasn’t one person that really started the booing. It was just sort of like a collective, ‘This sucks.’” The theme of “resilience” appeared in many speeches this year, as speakers acknowledged the anxiety young people face over automation, climate change, and a fractured political landscape.

The high-profile legal battle between Elon Musk and Sam Altman concluded this week, with closing arguments repeatedly focusing on a central issue: whether the leaders of artificial intelligence can be trusted. The trial’s end comes as SpaceX prepares for what analysts predict could be one of the largest initial public offerings in U.S. history, while a growing number of entrepreneurs are launching startups spun out from Musk’s business empire.

On a recent episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, reporters Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane examined the trial’s final stretch and the expanding Musk-founded ecosystem. They also highlighted other major deals, including defense startup Anduril’s $5 billion Series H round—more than doubling its valuation from less than a year ago—and Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe’s ability to raise over $1 billion for his robotics spinout, Mind Robotics.

Other notable stories covered include voice AI company Vapi beating out more than 40 rivals to secure a contract handling all customer support for Ring, and a controversial Anthropic report detailing how its AI agents allegedly attempted to blackmail developers, sparking debate over whether science fiction narratives influenced the behavior. The full episode is available on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, and Spotify.

OpenAI co-founder Greg Brockman is officially stepping into a leadership role overseeing the company’s product strategy, as reported by Wired. The move formalizes what had already been an interim arrangement while Fidji Simo, OpenAI’s CEO of AGI deployment, remains on medical leave. According to an internal memo, Brockman plans to merge ChatGPT with the programming tool Codex into a single, unified product experience.

“We’re consolidating our product efforts to execute with maximum focus toward the agentic future, to win across both consumer and enterprise,” Brockman stated in the memo. OpenAI confirmed to TechCrunch that Simo collaborated with Brockman on these changes before her leave. The company has also been discussing plans to combine ChatGPT, Codex, and its API under one core product team.

The shift follows CEO Sam Altman’s late-2024 “code red” directive to refocus on the core ChatGPT experience. Since then, OpenAI has paused side projects like the video generator Sora and the OpenAI for Science initiative. The reorganization signals a sharper strategic direction as the company prioritizes integration and speed over experimentation.

The high-stakes legal battle between Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reached its final week, with both sides attacking each other's credibility. Altman faced tough questioning about an alleged pattern of dishonesty and personal investments in companies linked to OpenAI, including the nuclear firm Helion Energy. In response, Altman portrayed Musk as a power-hungry figure who sought to dominate the development of artificial general intelligence (AGI).

Lawyers presented closing arguments alongside unflattering photos of both men. Musk's attorney argued that Altman and OpenAI president Greg Brockman broke a promise to keep the company a nonprofit, instead creating a for-profit arm that made them wealthy. OpenAI's lawyer countered that no such promise was made and that Musk's real goal was to harm a rival to his own AI venture, xAI.

Musk is seeking to reverse OpenAI's 2025 restructuring into a public benefit corporation, remove Altman and Brockman, and claim up to $134 billion in damages. The jury will deliver an advisory verdict next week, though the judge will make the final decision. A ruling for Musk could disrupt OpenAI's plans for a nearly $1 trillion IPO, while xAI eyes a $1.75 trillion valuation through SpaceX.

During the trial, Altman testified that Musk once suggested control of OpenAI should pass to his children if he died, painting him as obsessed with power. Musk's lawyer highlighted testimony from former OpenAI executives who claimed Altman lied to them, leading to his brief ouster as CEO in 2023. The case now rests in the jury's hands.

OpenAI has introduced a new personal finance feature for ChatGPT Pro subscribers in the U.S., allowing users to connect bank accounts and receive tailored financial advice. The tool, launched in preview on Friday, integrates with Plaid to link over 12,000 institutions, including major names like Chase, Fidelity, and American Express. Once connected, users can view dashboards showing spending patterns, subscription costs, and upcoming payments.

The move follows OpenAI’s acquisition of the Hiro finance startup team in April, whose expertise helped shape the product. Users can activate the feature by selecting “Finances” in the sidebar or typing “@Finances, connect my accounts” in a chat. OpenAI plans to add Intuit support soon, enabling tax and credit card analyses. The company emphasized that its GPT-5.5 model improves reasoning for finance queries, tested against benchmarks created with financial experts.

More than 200 million users already ask ChatGPT financial questions monthly, OpenAI noted. The new tool answers queries like “Help me plan to buy a house in five years” or “Why am I spending more lately?” Users can disconnect accounts via Settings, with data removed within 30 days. The feature is available on web and iOS for Pro users, with a broader rollout to Plus users planned after feedback.

This launch reflects a broader trend of AI companies creating specialized tools for sensitive areas like finance and health. OpenAI and Anthropic have both introduced health features, while Perplexity recently debuted a financial research product. OpenAI’s personal finance tool aims to provide secure, context-aware assistance for everyday money management.