Tech today spans labor, geopolitics and the human cost behind innovation. OpenAI chief Sam Altman is tempering one of Silicon Valley’s loudest warnings, saying AI has not yet produced the white-collar “jobs apocalypse” many feared, even as he leaves the door open to future disruption. In China, though, AI is being treated less as a workplace tool than a strategic asset, with reports that top researchers at private firms face tighter overseas travel controls as Beijing tries to protect sensitive know-how. The global stakes are underscored by fresh U.S. strikes on Iranian targets described as defensive, landing awkwardly alongside Donald Trump’s claim that nuclear talks are progressing. And beyond the tech sector’s hard edges, culture and public life intruded too: jazz giant Sonny Rollins died at 95, and Metallica used its UK tour to rally fans to donate blood.