Bytes: Week in Review — Alphabet takes on debt to pay for AI projects, the social network where humans aren't allowed, and Spotify reports record user growth

This week, we look at Spotify's stellar quarter. Plus, there's a new AI-only social network called Moltbook. But first, Alphabet, parent of Google, went to the debt markets this week, raising tens of billions of dollars to fund its AI spending.

One of the bonds Alphabet is offering, issued in British pounds, has a maturity date of 100 years from now. This is very unusual in the corporate world. Marketplace’s Stephanie Hughes spoke with Jewel Burks Solomon, managing partner at Collab Capital, about what she makes of Alphabet doing this kind of borrowing.

Everything we talked about

“Alphabet Sells Almost $32 Billion Bonds as Tech Races to Fund AI” from Bloomberg

“Alphabet calls out new AI-related risks, as it taps debt market to fund build-out” from CNBC

“Security concerns and skepticism are bursting the bubble of Moltbook, the viral AI social forum” from the Associated Press

“Why the Moltbook frenzy was like Pokémon” from MIT Tech Review

“Spotify Shares Jump on Strong Earnings, Subscriber Growth” from The Wall Street Journal

“The Intern Who Created Spotify Wrapped’s Story Format Never Got Her Due” from Refinery29