OpenAI Open Responses 👨‍💻, Sam Altman's brain interface 🧠, software's YouTube moment 💻

OpenAI has invested in CEO Sam Altman's brain-computer interface startup. Merge Labs is dedicated to bridging biological and artificial intelligence ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌  ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Sign Up |Advertise|View Online TLDR Together With TLDR 2026-01-16 TLDR is hiring a Curator for TLDR IT! (TLDR Curator, ~5 hrs/week) We are launching a brand new newsletter covering IT and enterprise tech. We already have 500,000+ subscribers waiting for the first edition. We need a domain expert to curate and write the daily summaries. If you want to be the voice of the IT industry, please send your resume or LinkedIn to itcurator@tldr.tech! 📱 Big Tech & Startups OpenAI invests in Sam Altman's brain computer interface startup Merge Labs (5 minute read) OpenAI has invested in CEO Sam Altman's brain-computer interface startup, Merge Labs. Merge Labs is dedicated to bridging biological and artificial intelligence to maximize human ability. It intends to develop entirely new technologies that connect with neurons using molecules instead of electrodes to transmit and receive information using deep-reaching modalities like ultrasound. OpenAI believes that brain-computer interfaces will create a natural, human-centered way for anyone to seamlessly interact with AI. Apple is Fighting for TSMC Capacity as Nvidia Takes Center Stage (11 minute read) TSMC's CEO recently told Apple executives that they would need to acquiesce to the largest price rise in years. Apple once held a dominant position on TSMC's customer list, but it is now fighting for production capacity. Its chip designs are no longer guaranteed a place among TSMC's almost two dozen fabs. TSMC's largest client is now likely Nvidia. 🚀 Science & Futuristic Technology Tesla releases rare look at its lithium refinery, confirms production start (4 minute read) Tesla's massive lithium refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, has officially started production. The company has released a new video, available in the article, showing off the new site. Tesla's process is acid-free and produces a benign co-product that can be used in concrete mixes. The process is more sustainable than traditional methods and eliminates hazardous byproducts. NASA's first medical evacuation from space ends with on-target splashdown (6 minute read) Four astronauts returned to Earth early after one of the crew members encountered an unspecified medical issue last week. They splashed down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego at 08:41 UTC on January 15. Officials have not identified whose health was in question or what was afflicting the ailing crew member. The medical issue did not appear to affect the crew's return to Earth, and they exited the spacecraft appearing in good health and good spirits. 💻 Programming, Design & Data Science Open Responses (2 minute read) Open Responses is an open-source spec for building multi-provider, interoperable LLM interfaces on top of the original OpenAI Responses API. It is multi-provider by default and extensible without fragmentation. Useful for real-world workflows, Open Responses can be used to build agentic systems without rewriting the stack for every model. Examples of projects built with Open Responses are available in the thread. Beyond Senior: Consider the staff path! (17 minute read) The staff engineering job isn't for everyone. It is totally fine to stay at Senior or move into management. It's worth considering a path toward Staff, as it is a fulfilling role. This post takes a look at what it takes to get promoted to Staff and what the role entails. 🎁 Miscellaneous Software's YouTube Moment is Happening Now (7 minute read) The barriers to video creation collapsed in the 2000s when everyone got a camera in their pocket and platforms like YouTube changed what could qualify as entertainment. YouTube has now evolved into a media ecosystem where it is as common for entertainment to come from independent creators as from traditional broadcasters. Software is following the same path. AI has massively democratized leverage and productivity for creative people. Taiwan will invest $250 billion in US chipmaking under new trade deal (5 minute read) The US and Taiwan have reached a trade agreement to build chips and chip factories on American soil. Taiwanese chip and technology companies will invest at least $250 billion in production capacity in the US. The Taiwanese government will guarantee $250 billion in credit for these companies. The US will limit tariffs in Taiwan to 15% and commit to zero tariffs on generic pharmaceuticals, their ingredients, aircraft components, and some natural resources. ⚡ Quick Links The SaaS Selloff: AI and Interest Rates (9 minute read) The price of time and labor has changed, and the software stack is getting rebundled. Why Senior Engineers Let Bad Projects Fail (14 minute read) You want to be strategic about where you spend your credibility. Using AI as a Design Engineer (10 minute read) AI can help you get things done faster than ever, and you can experiment with more than ever, but outsourcing your thinking can hurt you in the long run. Morphing Icons with Claude (4 minute read) While Claude can build genuinely impressive architectures, it can't tell when something looks wrong. Apple's Google Gemini Deal Could Be Worth $5 Billion (2 minute read) Apple's Gemini deal is comparatively conservative compared to other companies' AI spending. How I'd build a platform in 2026 (11 minute read) A look at how to build a multi-tenant platform where users have customization, ownership, and the freedom to build out what they want. Love TLDR? Tell your friends and get rewards! Share your referral link below with friends to get free TLDR swag! https://refer.tldr.tech/7c97ce4b/ Track your referrals here. 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