A digital map created by the Hybrid Intelligence department of Helmut Schmidt University shows points of conflict and disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz in April, including the downing of a U.S. F-15E Strike eagle airplane at the launch of the Resilia Innohub innovation hub on May 27, 2026 in Berlin, Germany.
Sean Gallup | Getty Images
Hello, this is Hui Jie writing to you from Singapore. Welcome to another edition of CNBC's Daily Open.
The tech space continues to buzz: From SK Hynix's U.S. listing to AI executives predicting that demand will be "almost unlimited," and workers saying that AI wealth should be more equitably shared.
But all that has been eclipsed by renewed tensions in the Middle East, which sent oil prices higher once again as the U.S. and Iran engage in military confrontation.
What you need to know today
After saying that talks with Tehran will continue, but the ceasefire was over, the U.S. launched strikes on Iran this weekend, while the latter retaliated by hitting American bases across neighboring countries.
The strikes have once again disrupted shipments via the Strait of Hormuz. According to Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard, the critical waterway was closed, but the U.S. Central Command, which oversees Mideast operations, said it was open.
The developments signaled continued disruption to energy supplies, sending oil futures higher. U.S. crude oil futures were last up 4.03% at $74.31 per barrel and Brent futures, the international benchmark, traded 3.89% higher at $78.97. U.S. stock futures were down, with all three major indexes in negative territory.
Away from oil, AI remains the dominant story in tech, although top executives and workers appear to be reading the boom quite differently.
Several AI executives told CNBC that demand for AI remains strong, with Pat Gelsinger, the former Intel CEO and now general partner at Playground Global saying "I somewhat think of AI demand as almost unlimited," with only energy being the limiting factor.
However, workers see the sector differently, especially U.S. workers. A majority of U.S. employees now want to hold corporations more accountable via an AI sovereign wealth fund, amid dissatisfaction over a growing number of tech layoffs despite higher overall corporate profits, according to a recent poll.
As many as 69% of the Americans now support "forcing" AI firms to transfer 50% of their stock to a public sovereign wealth fund, a survey by research firm Verasight found.
And finally...
While Musk’s Neuralink drills into skulls, China’s BrainCo bets the future of brain tech is wearable
Elon Musk's Neuralink, which uses implants in people's heads to compensate for disabilities, has become the poster child for so-called brain-computer interfaces (BCI). But some companies are betting that mass-market neural tech won't require opening the skull at all.
While companies including China's StairMed and NeuroXess push ahead with implants, the non-invasive field is gaining momentum – from the Sam Altman-backed Merge Labs to China's Gestala, both pursuing ultrasound-based approaches.
BrainCo, one of the so-called "six little dragons" of tech startups in the eastern city of Hangzhou, makes prosthetics and wearable devices using BCI technology.
— Elaine Yu
English (US) · 