FIGMA LOSES ANTHROPIC EXEC; ALLBIRDS PIVOTS TO AI

Krieger's exit from Figma's board reflects growing tensions as AI companies consolidate influence across tech leadership. The departure echoes Eric Schmidt's 2009 resignation from Apple's board during his tenure as Google CEO—a watershed moment for addressing competing corporate interests. In a more dramatic shift, Allbirds is abandoning its core business after weeks of announcing the sale of shoemaking assets to American Exchange Group for $39 million. The company now plans to rebrand as NewBird AI, pivoting toward leasing and renting AI chip services. The announcement triggered a 600% stock surge, reflecting investor appetite for AI-related pivots regardless of fundamental business logic. Both moves signal the gravitational pull of AI across the tech sector—from board-level strategy to complete business model overhauls. Figma's leadership transition suggests maturing concerns about competitive conflicts, while Allbirds' transformation illustrates how heavily the market rewards any AI-adjacent repositioning, even among companies with no prior chip experience.