TechCrunch Industry News

New research looks at how leading AI models hold up doing actual white-collar work tasks, drawn from consulting, investment banking, and law. Most models failed. Also, Ring says the new feature will identify if video edits have been made, even if they're minor. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis says the tech giant isn't pressuring him to insert ads into the AI chatbot experience. Also, Substack's move comes as the company has been investing more heavily in video and livestreaming, as it looks to compete with platforms like YouTube and Patreon for both creators and viewers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Big tech companies and upcoming startups want to use generative AI to build software and hardware for kids. A lot of those experiences are limited to text or voice, and kids might not find that captivating. Also, if Apple's wearable materializes, it could be released as early as 2027, according to a report on the device. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Zanskar has raised $115 million to find about a dozen geothermal resources that could help power the grid throughout the U.S. West. Also, consumers spent more money in mobile apps than games in 2025, driven by AI app adoption. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The metaverse is on its last legs as VR is eclipsed by AI. But that's not the only thing that went wrong for Meta's VR ambitions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Netflix said it the feature will be available globally and it will tally votes in real-time Also, OSHA hit SpaceX with a $115,850 fine after finding seven "serious" violations during its investigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TechCrunch Disrupt Battlefield 2023 winner, Biotics AI, announced on Monday that it has received FDA clearance for its AI software that helps detect fetal abnormalities in ultrasound images. Also, Sequoia Capital is reportedly joining a blockbuster funding round for Anthropic, the AI startup behind Claude, according to the Financial Times. It’s a move sure to turn heads in Silicon Valley. Why? Bec...

Confer is designed to look and feel like ChatGPT or Claude, but your conversations can't be used for training or advertising. Also, Oshen has signed contracts with multiple government agencies for its C-Star robots to collect ocean data autonomously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you’ve been following the billionaire exodus from California with some confusion, here’s what’s actually driving the nervousness: it’s not the 5% rate. As highlighted Friday in the New York Post, the proposed wealth tax would hit founders on their voting shares rather than the actual equity they own. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The U.S. struck a trade deal with Taiwan as the country looks to help boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing. Also, OpenAI and Microsoft tried to dodge a courtroom showdown with Elon Musk, but a federal judge on Thursday rejected their requests to dismiss the case. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Iran’s government-imposed internet shutdown enters its second week as authorities continue their violent crackdown on protesters. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Trump administration formalized its 25% cut of H200 chip sales in China with a tariff that applies to certain semiconductors. Also, OpenAI is participating in a $250 million seed round into Merge Labs, Sam Altman's brain computer interface startup. The startup is valued at $850 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since the release of GPT 5.2, AI tools have become inescapable in high-level mathematics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's a huge change to Tesla's approach with FSD, and it could impact Musk's $1T pay package and the company's myriad legal troubles. Also, parents will be able toggle the Shorts time limit on connected children's accounts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

New York City will be a notable exclusion from proposed legislation to legalize commercial robotaxis across the state. The tech giant has pledged to be a "good neighbor" as it continues to invest in AI infrastructure throughout the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Announced early last year, Alexa+ is Amazon’s future in the generative AI market, offering more expressive voices, access to world knowledge similar to other AI assistants, and AI agents that perform tasks on behalf of the customer — like calling an Uber or ordering food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

“Meta is planning to build tens of gigawatts this decade, and hundreds of gigawatts or more over time. How we engineer, invest, and partner to build this infrastructure will become a strategic advantage,” Zuckerberg said, in a post on Threads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The standard, developed with companies like Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart, lets agents work across different parts of customer buying processes, including discovery and post-purchase support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

These are the most aggressive moves so far from government officials responding to a flood of sexualized, AI-generated imagery — often depicting real women and minors, and sometimes depicting violence — posted by Grok in response to requests from users on the social network X. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In a blog post published Friday morning, Ben Horowitz writes that "as the American leader in Venture Capital, the fate of new technology in the United States rests partly on our shoulders." It's the kind of statement certain to cause agita at rival firms. Also, Elon Musk's AI company has restricted Grok's controversial AI image-generation feature to only paying subscribers on X, after the tool inv...

The infamous spyware maker released a new transparency report claiming to be a responsible spyware maker, without providing insight into how the company dealt with problematic customers in the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ford says the new generation of BlueCruise will be 30% cheaper to build than the current technology. Also, the new ChatGPT Health feature is expected to roll out in the coming weeks and will offer a dedicated space for conversations with ChatGPT about health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Caterpillar is piloting Cat AI, a system of AI agents in one of its excavators built on Nvidia's physical AI platform. Also, Calacanis, General Catalyst's Taneja, and McKinsey's Sternfels discussed how AI is reshaping technology and the labor force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The studio's board unanimously rejected Paramount Skydance's revised $108.4 billion bid, calling the proposal a "leveraged buyout" that would saddle the company with $87 billion in debt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Narwal's new robo vacuum cleaner switches to quiet mode near a baby's crib. Also, AMD announced the latest version of its AI-powered PC chips designed for a variety of tasks from gaming to content creation and multitasking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices