Weekly news roundup: Snap layoffs, OpenAI safety concerns and Altman attack

Snap cuts 16% of workforce, citing AI growth

On Wednesday social media and multimedia messaging platform, Snap, announced that it would reduce 16% of its workforce (approximately 1000 employees), making it the latest tech company to announce layoffs.

The layoff comes after the decision to shift resources towards AI, automation and augmented reality (AR). In an internal memo, Snap CEO Evan Spiegel cited “rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.”

Snap’s move is the latest signal that AI-driven operating models are translating into real workforce change, leaving leaders to balance cost efficiency with capability.

OpenAI withholds new model over safety risks

This week, OpenAI announced that it would release its newest model, GPT-5.4-Cyber, slowly to a select group of users. Designed to identify software vulnerabilities, the model will initially be tested through the company’s Trusted Access for Cyber program, signaling a deliberate shift toward restricted, use-case-specific releases.

This announcement comes one week after Anthropic limited availability of its Claude Mythos, citing a significant jump in capabilities that raised concerns around broad deployment. Together, these decisions point to a growing recognition among leading AI labs that the most advanced systems may carry risks that outweigh the benefits of open release.

Attack on OpenAI CEO highlights rising AI tensions

Last week, Daniel Moreno-Gama was arrested following an attack on OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s home. The suspect is accused of attempted murder and faces federal charges including damage and destruction of property by means of explosives.

The U.S. justice department alleges that Moreno-Gama was found with documents advocating against AI, warning of humanity’s extinction and detailing his intentions to murder Altman.

The attempted murder of Altman is an extreme case, but speaks to rising anti-AI sentiment across the U.S and is a reminder that AI is now a cultural issue, not just a technical one.

Moreno-Gama is being held without bail.

Booking.com confirms personal data leak

On April 13, hotel reservation company Booking.com confirmed that a recent security breach may have exposed customer data to hackers, including names, email addresses, phone numbers and booking details.

The company notified customers of the breach via email. In a screenshot shared on Reddit, the company writes, “based on the findings of our investigation to date, accessed information could include booking details and name(s), emails, addresses, phone numbers associated with the booking and anything that you may have shared with the accommodation.”

Executive moves

• Karen Carter. On April 14, Dow, a multinational materials science company, appointed Karen Carter CEO, effective July 1. Carter started at Dow in 1994 as a sales specialist and currently holds a position as COO.
• Rob Steffens. On April 14, Other World Computing (OWC) named Rob Steffens as CFO. Steffens is best known for his time as co-president and CFO at Marvel Entertainment.
• Marine Boulot. On April 15, Adaptive ML appointed Marine Boulot as chief marketing officer, as part of a new wave of executive change. Boulot brings experience at Palantir, Improbable, Altran, Veolia, and Technicolor to her new role.
• Sam Jones. Alongside Boulot, Sam Jones was announced as Adaptive ML’s chief revenue officer. "Bringing Marine and Sam on board at the same time is a deliberate choice. This is the moment when category leadership is won or lost — when the revenue infrastructure you build and the narrative you establish determine who owns the space five years from now," said Julien Launay, co-founder and CEO at Adaptive ML.
• Mike Kelly. On April 13, Autodesk, a multinational software corporation, named Mike Kelly as CIO, effective immediately. Kelly previously held CIO positions at Red Hat and McKesson.

IPO watch

The U.S. IPO market remains a key indicator of broader tech sentiment. Here's a look at the latest listings and activity from the past week, based on data from the Nasdaq IPO calendar:

Maywood Acquisition Corp. 2

• A blank check company.
• Opening/trading day: April 14.
• IPO price: $10/share.

QuasarEdge Acquisition Corp

• A blank check company.
• Opening/trading day: April 15.
• IPO price: $10/share.

NewHold Investment Corp IV

• A special purpose acquisition company.
• Opening/trading day: April 15.
• IPO price: $10/share.

Madison Air Solutions Corp

• Air quality solutions company.
• Expected opening/trading day: April 16.
• IPO price: $27/share.

Arxis, Inc

• Electronics designer and manufacturer for the aerospace, defense and industrial markets.
• Expected opening/trading day: April 16.
• IPO price: $28/share.

AEVEX Corp

• Defense technology company.
• Expected opening/trading day: April 17.
• IPO price: $18 - 21/share.

Kailera Therapeutics, Inc

• Clinical-stage biotechnology company.
• Expected opening/trading day: April 17.
• IPO price: $14 - 16/share.

Alamar Biosciences, Inc

• A biotechnology company.
• Expected opening/trading day: April 17.
• IPO price: $15 - 17/share.

Rosa Heaton is a content manager and writer for the IT Strategy team at TechTarget.