Reminder: I optimized this newsletter for subscription. If you’re reading this on my blog or Medium (via website or email), please subscribe at https://www.sandlertechworks.com/ for the best user experience (and to get it in a timely fashion).
While I focus on Technology, Innovation, and Publishing, because I have a platform, I also flag items that I think are important. I also try to include some resources & opportunities. Please let me know what you think.
Technology
IAC Inks AI Deal with Microsoft for People Inc.
It is no secret that publishers face an existential threat from the rise of artificial intelligence. IAC, the conglomerate run by mogul Barry Diller, is looking to hedge its bets in the still nascent world of AI. IAC is banking on AI to lift the fortunes of People Inc. (formerly Dot Dash Meredith), which accounts for nearly 73% of its overall sales.
https://www.barrons.com/articles/iac-stock-price-earnings-barry-diller-microsoft-copilot-84f4b170
Entrepreneur magazine publisher sues Meta over AI training
The Anthropic Class Action Settlement: What You Need to Know Right Now
Google’s first AI-generated TV ad
The ad was created by the Google Creative Lab, with the internal marketing group coming up with the concept “before deciding to create it with Veo 3 and other AI tools.”
https://9to5google.com/2025/10/31/google-ai-tv-ad/
Study claims 9% of US newspaper articles at least partly AI generated
YouTube’s AI ‘likeness detection’ tool is searching for deepfakes of popular creators
https://www.theverge.com/news/803818/youtube-ai-likeness-detection-deepfake
Amazon sues AI startup over browser’s automated shopping and buying feature
Amazon accuses Perplexity of covertly accessing customer accounts and disguising AI activity as human browsing.
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/nov/05/amazon-perplexity-ai-lawsuit
OpenAI signs massive AI compute deal with Amazon
OpenAI signed a 7-yr, $38B deal to buy cloud services from Amazon Web Services to power ChatGPT & Sora. It gives OpenAI access to hundreds of thousands of Nvidia graphics processors to train & run AI models
https://arstechnica.com/ai/2025/11/openai-signs-massive-ai-compute-deal-with-amazon/
Microsoft Neocloud Deals Cross $60 Billion in AI Spending Frenzy
Microsoft commits >$60B to neocloud data center cos. $23B going to British startup Nscale to give them access to about 200K of Nvidia GB300 chips at sites in UK, Norway, Portugal, & Texas.
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-neocloud-deals-cross-60-164701908.html
I Test Drove a Flying Car. Get Ready, They’re Here.
Dan Neil takes a test flight of the Pivotal BlackFly, a series-produced electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle made for consumers
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/cars/i-test-drove-a-flying-car-get-ready-theyre-here-257b0ecf
Journalists going solo on Substack at risk from hackers
New found independence for journalists comes with cybersecurity concerns
https://pressgazette.co.uk/newsletters/journalists-going-solo-on-substack-at-risk-from-hackers/
Publishing & Media
Amazon Launches AI Translation Service for Self-Published Authors
https://www.techbuzz.ai/articles/amazon-launches-ai-translation-service-for-self-published-authors
Conde Nast Folds Teen Vogue Into Vogue Site
Teen Vogue’s website will be absorbed by Vogue.com, and Teen Vogue’s top editor will leave the company.
Gannett Unveils Rebrand as USA Today Co
https://www.adweek.com/media/gannett-rebrands-usa-today-co/
McClatchy Axes National News Operations
McClatchy has eliminated its entire real-time news operation and shuttered its Washington DC bureau.
https://www.status.news/p/mcclatchy-layoffs-dc-bureau
When We Devalue Art (Books!) We Devalue the Future
https://lithub.com/when-we-devalue-art-books-we-devalue-the-future/
Resources & Opportunities
Words as Weapons: Women, Online Abuse, & the Fight for Digital Safety
11/12 5:30-7:30pm at Penguin Random House, 1745 Broadway, NYC.
$15 for members; $20 for non-members. All are welcome.
Includes wine and light bites.
When women in media are harassed online, it’s not just “trolling.” It’s political. It’s targeted. & it’s working—forcing women to self-censor or log off altogether. Enough! Join Women’s Media Group to reclaim your voice & power.
https://www.womensmediagroup.org/event-6393924
Live Performance of “If Beale Street Could Talk” with Literature to Life
11/15 2pm Girls Write Now NYC
Join WMG member Elise Thoron for a performance and discussion of If Beale Street Could Talk, put on by her company, Literature to Life. James Baldwin’s story about abiding love in the face of injustice remains disturbingly poignant sixty years after it was first published. Told from the perspective of its young heroine, this is the story of one family’s fight for justice in a society where institutional discrimination has the power to destroy lives, a theme that resonates today with audiences from all walks of life. If Beale Street Could Talk will be performed by Channie Waites, and was adapted and directed by Elise. This event will be held at Girls Write Now, which is a scholarship partner of WMG. Space is limited.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6384992
Bursting the Blue-Red Bubbles
12/4 at noon. Lunch included. Red Rooster Harlem (the acclaimed Marcus Samuelsson restaurant), NYC. $85 members | $95 non-members.
Join WMG for a powerful and timely conversation with Karine Jean-Pierre, former White House Press Secretary and author of the highly anticipated memoir, Independent: A Look Inside a Broken White House, Outside the Party Lines. The discussion will be moderated by Natasha S. Alford, Senior Vice President at TheGrio.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6406290
WMG Member Social with WMG Co-Presidents
12/16 6:30-7:30 p.m. ET. WMG members only. FREE (Zoom)
Join WMG Co-Presidents Jodi Brockington and Jane Wesman for a virtual Member Social, a community-building celebration for all WMG members. We strongly encourage members based outside of New York to join us. This isn’t just another Zoom meeting; it’s a chance to pause, connect, and invest in your professional community. We’ll begin with a warm welcome from WMG’s leadership, then move into facilitated breakout sessions where you’ll introduce yourself, highlight a current goal or challenge, and meet peers whose skills or interests might align with yours. Afterwards, we’ll bring everyone back together for a wrap-up where we’ll share resources, upcoming WMG programs, and ways to stay engaged—whether you’re seeking a mentor, offering support to someone else, or exploring a new idea. The result? A stronger connection to WMG’s thriving network and fresh momentum for your next act in media.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6429132
The Art of Being Irreplaceable: Creativity in the Age of AI
1/22, 12:00-1:00 p.m. ET. Free for WMG members; $15 for non-members (Zoom)
Are you afraid that AI is going to take your job? Yes—we all are! Yet one truth remains: artificial intelligence can mimic style, but it can’t replicate soul. Join Women’s Media Group for a thought-provoking session with award-winning author Jane K. Cleland, whose new book, Beat the Bots: A Writer’s Guide to Surviving and Thriving in the Age of AI, offers a roadmap for writers determined to stay both relevant and inspired. Guided by acclaimed publishing expert Jane Friedman, Cleland will share practical exercises to nurture imagination, spark original thinking, and resist creative conformity. Expect practical creativity boosters, encouragement to take risks, and a renewed sense of purpose in your storytelling journey. It’s not about resisting technology—it’s about harnessing what only humans can do.
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6429044
WMG Comedy Night: Smart Laughs, Big Energy
1/27 6pm (VIP Reception) | 7:15 pm General Admission
Get ready for a night of fearless, full-throttle comedy with Women’s Media Group, celebrating women who rule the mic and the moment. Featuring Sarah Cooper, Ophira Eisenberg, and Phoebe Robinson — plus more comedians to be announced — this live show brings together some of the funniest and most fearless voices in entertainment. Bring friends, bring your sense of humor, and get ready to laugh, connect, and unwind with WMG. Reserve your spot today — general admission seats will go fast!
https://womensmediagroup.org/event-6425404
Indie Author Day 2025
11/14 free.
https://indieauthorday.com/blog/join-us-for-indie-author-day-2025-schedule-of-events/
Fine Arts Word Center Visual Arts & Writing Fellowship
Lenfest Expert Network
A new pro-bono service connecting local news organizations with experienced consultants who provide tailored expertise.
https://www.lenfestinstitute.org/institute-news/lenfest-expert-network-consulting-announcement/
Want to read my old newsletters or subscribe? Go to my blog here.