Weekend Reads: 7 November 2026

This week’s reads cover a stark warning from the Dutch counterterrorism coordinator on AI-driven hacking, a hardware test for anyone running AI at home, and Brussels putting pressure on TikTok. Further afield, a famous venture capital programme closes and OpenAI’s valuation climbs again.

Local

Dutch security chief says hackers are outpacing defenders

The NCTV, the Netherlands’ national coordinator for counterterrorism and security, warns that the government and businesses cannot keep up with how fast cyber threats are changing. Attackers are increasingly using artificial intelligence to make their attacks faster, larger and more efficient. For anyone working at a Dutch employer or using Dutch public services online, the message is that security practices have to change as quickly as the threats do.

Source: NU.nl Tech

Testing which machines run AI fastest at home

More and more computers with very large amounts of memory are coming onto the market for people who want to run AI models such as Qwen 3.8 and GLM 5.3 on their own hardware. Tweakers tested systems from Apple, Nvidia and AMD to see whether all that memory also delivers decent speed. If you are thinking about running AI locally instead of relying on cloud services, the review is worth reading before you buy.

Source: Tweakers

European Commission says TikTok’s feed may harm mental health

In a preliminary finding, the European Commission concludes that TikTok’s personalised video feed can damage users’ mental health, with minors and vulnerable adults most at risk. The platform may be breaking European rules as a result and faces a potentially heavy fine. Parents in the Netherlands whose children use the app will want to follow how this case develops.

Source: NU.nl Tech

Fox completes its Roku takeover

American media company Fox has closed its purchase of streaming company Roku, a deal worth 22 billion dollars. Measured by number of viewers, the acquisition makes Fox the third-largest player in the American television market. The deal shows how traditional broadcasters are buying their way into streaming.

Source: Tweakers

Also in Europe

Sequoia closes the scouts programme it pioneered

Sequoia is shutting down its Scouts programme, the model it created and that many other venture capital firms copied. A consensus seems to be forming that the approach has reached its limits in its current form, which could change how early-stage founders find their first investors.

Source: TechCrunch

OpenAI’s valuation passes a trillion dollars

According to Bloomberg, a new funding round that raised another 11 billion dollars values OpenAI at 1.25 trillion dollars, making it one of the most valuable companies in the world. In March, it raised 122 billion dollars at a valuation of 852 billion dollars. Its rival Anthropic is reported to be nearing a stock market listing.

Source: The Verge

Weekend Reads is a curated weekend digest: we summarise and link, the reporting belongs to the publications named. Something wrong or missing? Tell us.