Stories from San Francisco · United States

A concession worker at a San Francisco Giants game shared a unique method for eating the popular 'shwar bomb' dessert: break off the crust, place ice cream inside, and eat it like a sandwich. The dessert is a hit among fans.

Max Altman, a co-founder of OpenAI, reportedly left the organization's board in 2017 after a disagreement over leadership of a new commercial entity. The company was initially founded with benevolent purposes, aiming to prevent a dystopian future. The case concerns the statues of the company and the roles of the two men in the tech industry. Dario Amodei, creator of Anthropic, left OpenAI in 2020 alongside his sister. The departure occurred because he no longer identified with the goals of OpenAI. The source noted his resistance to the company's potential use of tools for mass surveillance by the Pentagon or the US military. A non-profit foundation will remain at the top, but its control is being altered. The jury's decision in a related case will be advisory, with the judge having the final say.

A district in San Francisco, once a vibrant hub for 50,000 people with discos, bars, and cafes where people met and fell in love, is now silent. The area's lively atmosphere has ceased, leaving it quiet. San Francisco is not a major nightlife city, with many venues closing by 2 AM. Events in the city often take place during the day or early morning. Open-air events are a growing trend.

A shooting described as the worst in Canadian history has occurred at a school. While chat logs between ChatGPT and the shooter are not yet public, the safety team reportedly wanted to alert authorities. Alert authorities suggest the lawsuits are. Families of victims from a mass shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, are filing lawsuits against OpenAI in a California court. A lawyer for the families stated they are seeking accountability regarding the company's reporting obligations. A person fired a weapon at a victim during a street fair in Santiago, according to Prosecutor Esteban Silva. The victim is currently in serious condition and undergoing surgery at Hospital Padre Hurtado. Police are investigating the circumstances of the attack. The lawsuits represent families of six deceased victims and one seriously injured 12-year-old survivor, Maya Gabala.

Microsoft has released Phi-3 Mini, the first in a new family of small language models (SLM) designed for high performance. The model aims to provide efficient AI capabilities on smaller hardware footprints. This release marks a strategic move into the growing market for lightweight, specialized artificial intelligence. This follows previous iterations including versions 5.1, 5.2, and 5.3. In testing, the model achieved scores comparable to or higher than Google Gemini 3.1 Pro and Anthropic Cloud Opus 4.7 in certain areas. The release is described as a super-compatible application capable of facilitating financial transactions and spending. Analysts suggest that OpenAI's growth strategies could become a model for other major AI nations and companies. The discussion focuses on whether these strategies involve external control or regulatory pressures.

AI company Anthropic has expanded its Claude assistant by adding personal app connectors for services including Spotify, Uber Eats, Instacart, and TurboTax. This move aims to position Claude as a central AI operating system by allowing direct interaction with user data across various platforms. The update follows similar integration steps taken by competitors like ChatGPT. Anthropic's Claude AI can now connect directly to Adobe Photoshop, Blender, and Ableton.

The Cybersecurity Excellence Awards winners were announced during the RSA Conference, highlighting a major industry shift toward AI-driven security solutions. The focus on AI indicates that automated threat detection and mitigation are now the primary priorities for security professionals. The awards recognized various achievements in the cybersecurity sector.

Renowned composer and music director Michael Tilson Thomas has passed away at the age of 81. He served as the long-time music director of the San Francisco Symphony. His death marks the loss of a significant figure in the classical music community. A memorial interview regarding his career is scheduled for later this week on Forum. He had been battling brain cancer since 2022. Tilson-Thomas presided over the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra for 25 years. The source described him as one of the most visionary visionaries of American music. His work was noted for transforming natural imagery into sound.

OpenAI has officially released its GPT-5.5 model, marking a significant advancement in large language model capabilities. The release follows intense anticipation within the technology sector regarding the next generation of generative AI. Analysts suggest this release could shift the competitive landscape of the artificial intelligence industry. OpenAI and Anthropic claim their most powerful AI models are now capable of building themselves. This development increases concerns regarding a lack of transparency as models become more powerful. The source noted that the federal government currently does not require transparency for these processes. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, reportedly expressed fear and anxiety regarding the concentration of power in AI. In early April, Altman's home in San Francisco was targeted in two separate attacks within one week.

AI startup Anthropic reported an annualized revenue run rate of $30 billion as of April 2026, a significant increase from $9 billion at the end of 2025. This growth follows the launch of Claude Code, which contributes approximately $2.5 billion to the company's annual recurring revenue. The surge highlights the rapid commercial scaling of major artificial intelligence providers. This figure surpasses OpenAI's reported $24 billion revenue.