💰 OpenAI’s Unprecedented $1.5M Pay Packages
OpenAI is paying about $1.5 million per employee in stock compensation in 2025, according to investor materials. The payouts far exceed pre-IPO norms at past tech giants, even after inflation. The spending reflects intense competition for elite AI talent. Stock compensation now consumes roughly 50% of OpenAI’s revenue, raising sustainability questions.

🍏 Apple’s Patient AI Bet May Pay Off
Apple’s restrained AI spending could look smart in 2026 as skepticism grows around massive AI investments. A revamped Siri, expected in spring, is set to be more conversational and task-capable. Apple may rely on Google’s Gemini, signaling belief that large language models are becoming commoditized. With over $130B in cash and control of the iPhone ecosystem, Apple retains strategic flexibility as rivals face rising costs.

⛈ America’s Edge Is Chaos
Marc Andreessen of Andreessen Horowitz argues the U.S. should not copy China’s centralized model. Instead, he says America’s core advantage is its messy, competitive, entrepreneurial system. Andreessen urges leaning harder into innovation, creativity, and startups. He frames decentralization not as a weakness, but as a strategic strength in global competition.

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Claude Code and Opus 4.5 are transforming programming, with AI now writing, reviewing, and shipping most code as human developers shift toward orchestration, taste, and design.

The Recap: New York Times reported that U.S. stocks ended the year near forecasts largely because a narrow group of artificial-intelligence-focused companies powered gains. The S&P 500 rose more than 17% in 2025, with rate cuts from the Federal Reserve and heavy investment in AI infrastructure offsetting trade shocks and economic anxiety. The concern for 2026: the rally is increasingly concentrated, leaving markets vulnerable if AI enthusiasm cools or the economy weakens.

Highlights:

Forward Future Takeaways:
AI didn’t just boost a few stocks in 2025 — it masked broader market fragility by concentrating gains in a handful of mega-cap companies. That concentration raises systemic risk: if AI investment slows or earnings disappoint, the downside could ripple far beyond tech. → Read the full article here. (Paywall)

Venture capital investors increasingly expect artificial intelligence to reduce human labor needs as early as 2026, according to a recent TechCrunch survey of enterprise-focused VCs. The concern is grounded in existing data: a November study from MIT estimated that 11.7% of jobs are already technically automatable with current AI tools, while companies are citing AI when cutting entry-level roles.

Several investors predict enterprise budgets will shift away from hiring and toward AI systems, with some anticipating layoffs and workforce reductions. Others caution that AI may also be used as a convenient explanation for cost-cutting decisions driven by broader business pressures. → Read the full article here.

True Ventures co-founder Jon Callaghan says smartphones may no longer be central to daily computing within five years—and possibly obsolete within a decade. The firm is actively investing around that belief, arguing phones are an inefficient interface for interacting with increasingly capable AI systems.

Instead, True is backing alternative, more “natural” interfaces, including a voice-activated ring called Sandbar designed to capture thoughts on demand. Callaghan’s view reflects a broader bet that future value will come from new human–computer behaviors, not just faster models or bigger infrastructure. → Read the full article here.

🍌 Google Reveals Nano Banana Prompt Trends: In 2025, users loved AI images of fake dogs, outfit try-ons, childhood mashups, hair changes, and made-up holidays—showing how playful, personal AI tools went mainstream.

💗 AirPods Pro 3 Add Heart Tracking: Apple’s latest earbuds monitor heart rate via built-in sensors, log data in Health, close Activity rings without a Watch, and activate easily in iPhone settings.

🤖 Choosing the Right AI Chatbot: A new guide urges workers to pick chatbots by task fit—not hype—showing how writing, research, and coding each demand different features to avoid everyday AI failure.

⚠️ AI Enters Dating Apps: New guidance warns users that AI-driven matches and advice may feel personal but rely on opaque data and biases—so stay skeptical, protect privacy, and double-check recommendations.

🧠 ChatGPT Android Gets Real Thinking Mode: OpenAI added true Auto, Instant, and Extended Thinking options to Android, giving Plus users deeper reasoning on mobile—matching desktop features for complex questions.

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Matthew Berman & The Forward Future Team

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