AI and Tech News, 4 Oct 2026: AI Task Force, OpenAI Exit, Terafab

Nine stories today, and they're quite a mix: a new White House AI task force, a high-profile safety resignation at OpenAI and Musk's chip talks with TSMC. Here's what happened.

1. Trump Picks Jay Clayton to Lead an AI 'Super Intelligence Force'

According to the Wall Street Journal, the Director of National Intelligence will chair a new White House task force. It has 120 days to report on AI risks and opportunities and to recommend a federal role.

2. David Robinson, OpenAI's Safety Leader, Steps Down

In an essay in The Atlantic, Robinson said OpenAI is failing to take enough care as it sprints from launch to launch, and he urged nuclear-plant-style safeguards. It came days after OpenAI dismissed three safety researchers.

3. Bessent Brushes Off AI Doom Warnings as 'Alarmism Without Solutions'

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Axios that AI leaders urging a slowdown "should slow down" themselves. In his view, responsibility for risk sits with the labs while the US competes with China.

4. Musk Confirms He's Talking to TSMC About Terafab

A report said TSMC could anchor a new Texas campus around Terafab, the Tesla-SpaceX chip venture. Musk responded on X that it's "just discussions, but something may come of it."

5. A ShinyHunters Hacker Is Detained in Jordan and Is Reportedly Helping the FBI

Reuters reported that Saif al-Din Khader, known as Rey, is cooperating with investigators to identify other members. That's just days after the group claimed it had stolen data on FBI employees.

6. A Judge Rules a Warrantless Flock License Plate Search Unconstitutional

A federal judge in Oklahoma called the Flock camera network "a type of indiscriminate mass surveillance" and suppressed evidence. It's one of the first rulings to find that a Flock search violated the Fourth Amendment.

7. China Has Amassed About 343 Immersion DUV Lithography Tools, a Report Says

The think-tank estimate, reported by the South China Morning Post, says most are ASML machines that can be adapted for 7nm-class AI chips. That's adding fuel to US calls for a full export ban.

8. Local Backlash Has Stalled About $42B of European Data Center Projects

Research firm STL Partners puts the figure near $42B. Local opposition over power, water and land is spreading from the US to Europe and Asia.

9. After a Rocky First Month in Austin, Tesla's Cybercab Fleet Hits 169

Tesla now has 169 Cybercabs authorized for commercial use in Texas, up from 45 at launch. Still, riders reported long waits, wrong drop-offs and door glitches.