WSJ Tech News Briefing: TNB Tech Minute – Amazon Aims to Double Same-Day Grocery Delivery

Release Date: August 13, 2025
Host: Julie Chang, The Wall Street Journal

Amazon’s Expansion of Same-Day Grocery Delivery

In today's rapidly evolving retail landscape, Amazon is making a strategic move to bolster its grocery delivery service. Julie Chang reports that Amazon plans to double its same-day grocery delivery to over 2,300 U.S. locations by the end of the year (00:23). This initiative aims to accelerate growth in a key segment where Amazon hasn't yet achieved dominant market share, despite being the largest e-commerce company.

Amazon's grocery division generated over $100 billion in gross sales of groceries and household essentials in 2024, excluding sales from Whole Foods and Amazon Fresh. This significant revenue underscores Amazon's commitment to expanding its footprint in the grocery sector. By enhancing same-day delivery capabilities, Amazon seeks to compete more effectively with rivals who have been growing their grocery services at a faster pace.

Julie Chang emphasizes the importance of this expansion, noting that it represents one of the few areas where Amazon is not the market leader. This strategic move is expected to strengthen Amazon's position and provide customers with faster, more convenient access to essential products.

Legal Battle: New York AG Sues Zelle Owner Over Fraud Protection Failures

The episode also highlights a significant legal development involving Zelle's parent company, Early Warning Services. Julie Chang details that New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against Early Warning Services, accusing them of failing to protect users from fraud (00:32).

The lawsuit revives claims that originated during the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB). Previously, the CFPB had filed a similar lawsuit against Zelle and three of its bank owners at the end of the Biden administration. However, actions like these were largely rolled back when Trump took office, according to the New York AG's office.

A critical aspect of the lawsuit is the allegation that Early Warning Services neglected to incorporate essential safety features when Zelle was launched in 2017. This oversight reportedly allowed scammers to steal over $1 billion from users, exacerbating the platform's vulnerability to fraudulent activities.

Responding to the lawsuit, an Early Warning Services spokesman dismissed the claims as a "political stunt" (01:37). This defense underscores the contentious nature of the legal battle and raises questions about accountability and responsibility in the fintech sector.

OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman Addresses GPT-5 Criticisms

Shifting focus to the realm of artificial intelligence, Julie Chang discusses recent developments surrounding OpenAI's latest AI model, GPT-5. Released just last week, GPT-5 has faced user dissatisfaction, with many highlighting its inability to handle seemingly simple tasks. Examples include failures in answering basic math questions and accurately drawing a map of North America.

Moreover, users have criticized GPT-5 for its "critical, colder tone", which has diminished the user experience. In response, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has pledged to imbue GPT-5 with a warmer personality and has decided to restore a popular older model to address these concerns (01:56).

Altman's commitment to improving GPT-5 reflects OpenAI's dedication to refining its AI offerings based on user feedback. This move is also significant given that News Corp, the owner of The Wall Street Journal, maintains a content licensing partnership with OpenAI. Ensuring the reliability and user-friendliness of GPT-5 is likely crucial for maintaining and strengthening this partnership.

Conclusion

Today's TNB Tech Minute provided insightful updates on Amazon's strategic expansion in grocery delivery, the legal challenges facing Zelle's parent company over fraud protection, and OpenAI's efforts to enhance the user experience of its latest AI model. These stories collectively highlight the dynamic nature of the tech landscape, where companies continuously adapt to market demands, regulatory challenges, and user feedback to maintain their competitive edge.

Stay tuned for more updates in the next morning's tech briefing.

For more detailed discussions and analyses, visit The Wall Street Journal's Tech News Briefing.