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John Thornhill

@johnthornhill.bsky.social
908 followers 296 following 102 posts

Founder of Sifted, the FT-backed startup covering European tech. Tech columnist Financial Times and host of Tech Tonic podcast www.ft.com/john-thornhill

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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
"Wes can’t live, if living is without EU." 👏 @stephenkb.bsky.social wins today's headline contest atop his indispensable political newsletter Subscribe here: www.ft.com/newsletters?...
ft.com
Newsletters
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 19/05/2026
Great scoop from Madhumita Murgia @financialtimes.com as.ft.com/r/4934fdc7-a...
as.ft.com
Google DeepMind’s Demis Hassabis emerges as early Anthropic investor
Nobel laureate’s protégés are raising billions and spreading his influence across the AI industry
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 03/05/2026
Extraordinary story on Ukrainian drone pilots. Outstanding reporting from @christopherjm.ft.com as.ft.com/r/03ef8e3b-6...
as.ft.com
‘I’m fighting two wars. One against the Russians. And one inside myself.’
A drone pilot and her all-women unit are waging a new kind of warfare on Ukraine’s eastern front
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Reposted by John Thornhill
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 24/04/2026
Google to invest up to $40bn in Anthropic ft.trib.al/bNxoQyK
ft.trib.al
Google to invest up to $40bn in Anthropic
Search giant increases its financial backing to help the AI lab add computing power to run its models
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
Interesting @financialtimes.com interview with Republican senator Josh Hawley Without legislation, “I think it [AI] will evolve in a way that benefits the billionaires who control it, and will be severely detrimental potentially to just about everybody else.” giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
Top Republican pushes party to shun $300mn AI lobby
Senator Josh Hawley warns of ‘political cost’ if Washington fails to rein in Big Tech and artificial intelligence
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 21/04/2026
Impressive trolling: Google Docs autocorrects Apple's new boss John Ternus into... John Tetanus 👀
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 17/04/2026
This was fun and timely. Dario Amodei talks about Mythos (and much else besides) as.ft.com/r/e33cbc23-6... Anthropic chief Dario Amodei: ‘I don’t want AI turned on our own people’
as.ft.com
Anthropic chief Dario Amodei: ‘I don’t want AI turned on our own people’
The tech entrepreneur on Claude Mythos, repercussions from the Pentagon dispute — and his message for the super-rich
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 30/03/2026
My review of The Infinity Machine, Sebastian Mallaby's fascinating biography of Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis. The book explores the tensions between scientific discovery and commercial competition. A lot rests on how that one plays out @financialtimes.com giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/...
giftarticle.ft.com
The Infinity Machine — a deep dive into the mind of Demis Hassabis
Sebastian Mallaby’s compelling biography of the DeepMind co-founder traces his life’s mission to create artificial general intelligence
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Reposted by John Thornhill
The DSR Network @thedsrnetwork.bsky.social · 29/01/2026
Is the U.S.-China AI rivalry a zero-sum game? @caiwei.bsky.social @johnthornhill.bsky.social and @djrothkopf.bsky.social explore where China currently holds the edge—and why "us versus them" fails to capture the complexity of the AI landscape. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/d... youtu.be/s7I9rE2192c
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Reposted by John Thornhill
Jack Stilgoe @jackstilgoe.bsky.social · 30/01/2026
Interesting piece from @johnthornhill.bsky.social, with some thoughts from me
ft.com
Want to solve deepfakes? Ask citizens what to do
Assemblies can bridge the gap between people being treated as voters and consumers
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Reposted by John Thornhill
Shannon Vallor @shannonvallor.bsky.social · 20/01/2026
Can’t wait for this amazing evening of conversation on 11 Feb at @technomoralfutures.bsky.social, on AI Narratives & Counternarratives with @abeba.bsky.social @amoorelouise.bsky.social, FT’s @johnthornhill.bsky.social & our own Alex Taylor. Join online or in Edinburgh - register to hold your space!
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
The @financialtimes.com Person of the Year: Jensen Huang as.ft.com/r/37f152d2-a...
as.ft.com
FT Person of the Year: Jensen Huang
[FREE TO READ] The Nvidia chief executive has been the driving force behind the massive AI boom that has the capacity to reshape the global economy
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Reposted by John Thornhill
A Reader of the FT @a-reader-ft.bsky.social · 12/12/2025
Nick Clegg takes on venture capital role alongside Meta AI scientist Yann LeCun-Clegg told the FT conference that Europe had a “very, very profound dilemma, which is that we’re not only completely dependent on… www.ft.com/content/98cf... @melissahei.bsky.social @financialtimes.com
ft.com
Nick Clegg takes on venture capital role alongside Meta AI scientist Yann LeCun
Former lobbyist and UK deputy prime minister joins London-based Hiro Capital
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 09/12/2025
Interesting take from @kaifulee.bsky.social The US closed AI ecosystem = Apple iOS The Chinese open system = Google Android Both can win in different ways as.ft.com/r/079d7dc7-3...
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 08/10/2025
An exciting day ahead! #SiftedSummit
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 06/10/2025
"America has become one big bet on AI," writes Ruchir Sharma. Better not go wrong.... on.ft.com/3KUg7z8
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 03/10/2025
Terrific piece on @alphaville.ft.com by Sinead O'Sullivan: "Winners emerge from redundancy, not efficiency." on.ft.com/4gTUz1M
on.ft.com
In space, nobody can hear you budget
SpaceX and Blue Origin are no more efficient at building spacecraft than NASA. But that’s not the point of them
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 23/09/2025
Is AI revolutionising the workplace? Maybe not (yet). “When we spoke to executives, they would often say the internal tool was very successful... But when we spoke to employees, we found zero usage.” @melissahei.bsky.social @chriscook.news @claradoodle.bsky.social on.ft.com/4pBm97R
on.ft.com
America’s top companies keep talking about AI — but can’t explain the upsides
[FREE TO READ] FT analysis of hundreds of filings suggest the S&P 500 businesses are clearer about the risks than benefits
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 08/09/2025
Investment in European defence tech is surging on.ft.com/4mOJ5yz More here from the @financialtimes.com Tech Tonic podcast: podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/f...
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 06/09/2025
Kicking off the Tech Tent with Sarah Wynn-Williams interviewed by Murad Ahmed at FT weekend festival
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 03/09/2025
Punchy interview with LocalGlobe's Saul Klein on the meh-ness of unicorns, the importance of ARR and the need for UK institutional investors to get serious about tech (see below) sifted.eu/articles/sau... @amyrlewin.bsky.social @sifted.eu
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
The most read column in the @financialtimes.com over the past month was my piece on the coming AI crash channeling the thoughts of @carlotaperez.bsky.social As always, there are some great - and varied - comments from FT readers 👀 😵‍💫 on.ft.com/45SXanu
on.ft.com
Brace for a crash before the golden age of AI
[FREE TO READ] History teaches that tech revolutions follow a predictable cycle of installation followed by creative destruction
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 31/08/2025
Interesting Nick Clegg comments on the conformity of Silicon Valley www.thetimes.com/uk/politics/...
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
And the best Google killer in AI search is… Google (according to this @washingtonpost.com study) www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2...
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Reposted by John Thornhill
Robin Wigglesworth @robinwigglesworth.ft.com · 27/08/2025
Janet Yellen: "The independence of the Federal Reserve is not some technocratic nicety. It is the bedrock of US economic stability and global leadership. Trump’s effort to tear it down for personal gain is reckless, corrosive, and profoundly un-American." www.ft.com/content/d2ea...
ft.com
Trump’s attack on the Fed threatens US credibility
History teaches us that chaos follows when leaders undermine the independence of central banks
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Interesting reading from @dealroom.bsky.social on the top performing VCs in Europe dealroom.co/power-law-in...
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 27/08/2025
Shocking. Someone bet big on Taylor Swift's big news. h/t @johnauthers.bsky.social www.bloomberg.com/opinion/news...
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 20/08/2025
Who has the better model - China's engineering state or America's lawyerly society? Both have their strengths and weaknesses as Dan Wang explores in his provocative new book Breakneck. My @financialtimes.com review below on.ft.com/45p1Q5w
on.ft.com
Breakneck — why China’s engineers beat America’s lawyers
[FREE TO READ] Dan Wang’s compelling and provocative book explores both the merits and the madness of China’s engineering state
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 14/07/2025
Victor Riparbelli CEO of @synthesia.io speaks for many European founders: “I love Europe and I want Europe to succeed. I could have moved my company to the US. We’ve kept it here, and we want to keep it here but man, they’re not making it easy.” @martincoulter.bsky.social sifted.eu/articles/syn...
sifted.eu
Synthesia CEO Victor Riparbelli: ‘I'm very good at slapping stuff together’
The boss of one of Britain’s hottest AI startups on hype cycles, EU red tape and his passion for electronic music.
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 13/07/2025
The US US discovered debt as a natural resource around 2000, and has been exporting it ever since. Excellent article by @bhgreeley.bsky.social on.ft.com/40NNZmt
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 05/07/2025
Excellent essay by @peterfrankopan.bsky.social
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Extraordinary graphic showing the distributional impact of the “big, beautiful bill.” on.ft.com/46mGdn6
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Pay inflation in the AI sector on.ft.com/44hZhjK
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 01/07/2025
Several of Europe's leading entrepreneurs and investors urge the EU to 'stop the clock' on sweeping new rules on AI in an open letter published by @sifted.eu sifted.eu/articles/ai-...
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
Bit of a stretch for the British govt to call its industrial strategy a "turning point". But it might be useful nonetheless The plan will see an extra £6.6bn invested in VC funds and startups by 2030 and a £54m AI talent scheme @kainicolschwarz.bsky.social @sifted.eu sifted.eu/articles/uk-...
sifted.eu
What the UK’s industrial strategy means for startups
The government plans to support and invest in homegrown companies over the next decade
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 24/06/2025
For your summer reading... Here are some of the liveliest environment, science and technology books picked by @pilitaclark.bsky.social @clivecookson.bsky.social and me on.ft.com/4k6znFJ
on.ft.com
Best summer books of 2025: Environment, Science and Technology
Pilita Clark, Clive Cookson and John Thornhill select their best mid-year reads
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 17/06/2025
Spotify founder Daniel Ek’s investment company is leading a €600mn investment in Helsing, valuing the German defence tech group at €12bn @tim.fo @ivanlevingston.bsky.social on.ft.com/45qSTsX
on.ft.com
Spotify’s Daniel Ek leads €600mn investment in German drone maker Helsing
Defence start-up valued at €12bn to become one of Europe’s most valuable tech groups
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 12/06/2025
Had fun interviewing Daniel Ek at Founders Forum. Europe has what it takes in tech. Statement (not a question)
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 08/06/2025
Blunt advice from Michael Moritz for fellow Silicon Valley techies following the Musk-Trump fallout: on.ft.com/4kEErlW Musk vs Trump is a cautionary tale for Silicon Valley
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 07/06/2025
Always worth listening to @katie0martin.ft.com on.ft.com/4kXL7eE Why we should worry about the rise of stablecoins
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 03/06/2025
“If we build AIs that are smarter than us and are not aligned with us and compete with us, then we’re basically cooked,” @yoshuabengio.bsky.social tells the @financialtimes.com @criddle.bsky.social as he launches a non-profit LawZero to build safer systems on.ft.com/4jq1wHj
on.ft.com
‘Godfather’ of AI Yoshua Bengio says latest models lie to users
[FREE TO READ] Turing Award winner warns recent models display dangerous characteristics as he launches LawZero non-profit for safer AI
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 02/06/2025
“When I first moved here [in 1992] I came because it was characterised by people who genuinely saw that their purpose was in service to humanity... I don’t feel that way about this place right now.” Jony Ive on Silicon Valley and how to reinvent it @mattgarrahan.bsky.social on.ft.com/3HmoZMd
on.ft.com
‘Humanity deserves better’: Jony Ive and Laurene Powell Jobs on tech’s next chapter
[FREE TO READ] After Apple, the Silicon Valley visionaries are looking to artificial intelligence to shape the future again
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Reposted by John Thornhill
Ada Lovelace Institute @adalovelaceinst.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
Our new report on the governance of biometric technologies in the UK covered by @financialtimes.com ⬇️ www.ft.com/content/09ce... (£)
ft.com
UK must toughen regulation of facial recognition, say AI experts
Campaigners call on Keir Starmer’s government to create clear laws to tackle growing use of the technology
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 29/05/2025
"One reliable truism in markets is that deficits don’t matter until they do. Well, now they do." Great column from @katie0martin.ft.com on.ft.com/43r9dqI
on.ft.com
The bond vigilantes are on the prowl
In a number of key markets, investors are losing patience with governments still wanting to borrow like there’s no tomorrow
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
The philosopher Harry Frankfurt argued that bullshit was "a greater enemy of the truth than lies are". But is generative AI-generated botshit even worse than human-generated bullshit? (Yes) My latest @financialtimes.com here: on.ft.com/3SikRPK
on.ft.com
Generative AI models are skilled in the art of bullshit
Large language models are unconcerned with truth because they have no concept of it — and therein lies the danger
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 23/05/2025
“The amount of research sleeping in labs, it’s mind boggling." If you want a boost of positivity this morning read this interview with Riam Kanso of Conception X about commercialising scientific research @t-nugent.bsky.social @sifted.eu sifted.eu/articles/con...
sifted.eu
'I feel like cancer will be treated like the flu': Conception X founder Riam Kanso on where Europe can win in tech
The CEO of the PhD to founder programme says the top of the spinout funnel is broken — and has just raised money to fix it.
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Reposted by John Thornhill
Hannah Murphy @mshannahmurphy.bsky.social · 22/05/2025
SCOOP: Telegram had a bumper 2024, booking over half a billion dollars in profit after a lossmaking 2023 The app has told investors that the French investigation could be a barrier to an IPO but that it could be resolved this year, as it launches a $1.5bn bond offering www.ft.com/content/a8b4...
ft.com
Telegram jumps to $540mn profit despite founder facing legal peril
Messaging app’s finances are booming even as chief Pavel Durov fights French case over alleged content failings
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Reposted by John Thornhill
Financial Times @financialtimes.com · 21/05/2025
Sam Altman’s AI venture is one of a number of companies betting on alternatives to the smartphone as the predominant device to access AI. www.ft.com/content/8ac4...
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 21/05/2025
Fascinating report on what happens when your smartphone is nicked by William Langley on.ft.com/3Zn9Y2P
on.ft.com
Inside China’s ‘stolen iPhone building’
[FREE TO READ] We track the roaring trade of mobiles grabbed in London and New York, then sold in a single district in Shenzhen
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John Thornhill @johnthornhill.bsky.social · 18/05/2025
This is fun from @melissahei.bsky.social on.ft.com/3YQiJCw
on.ft.com
What do AI chatbots say about their own bosses — and their rivals?
[FREE TO READ] Leading models are sycophantic about their makers, critical of rivals but agree on one thing: the brilliance of AI chiefs
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