TechCrunch Industry News

OpenAI launched Frontier, a new platform designed for enterprises to build and deploy agents while treating them like human employees. Also, the newest version of Anthropic's model is designed to broaden its appeal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

AI startups like Clay and ElevenLabs are using early liquidity to keep their best talent. Also, launched last September, Vibes lets you create and share short-form AI-generated videos and access a dedicated feed that displays AI videos from others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fibr AI replaces marketing agency– and engineering-heavy website personalization with autonomous systems designed for enterprise scale. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amazon opens Alexa+ to everyone in the U.S. The AI feature is free for Prime members across devices, and free for everyone on mobile and web. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The use of administrative subpoenas, which are not subject to judicial oversight, are used to demand a wealth of information from tech companies, including the owners of anonymous online accounts documenting ICE operations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luffu uses AI in the background to gather and organize family information, learn day-to-day patterns, and flag notable changes so families can stay aligned and address potential wellbeing issues. Also, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced that it is expanding a criminal investigation into X for alleged crimes, including the possession and distribution of child sexual exploitation material. Lear...

Starting with Firefox 148 arriving later this month, users will find a new AI controls section within the desktop browser settings. Also, Ring's Search Party feature for finding lost dogs is now available across the U.S. — even if you don't own a Ring camera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Snowflake is the latest enterprise to sign multi-year deals with multiple AI companies in what could be a sign to come of a future trend. Also, in a bold move to close the gap with rivals, Grubhub is waiving delivery and service fees on restaurant orders over $50. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TechCrunch's Tim DeChant writes about Elon Musk's reported merging of SpaceX, xAI, and Tesla and how it harkens back to the heyday of General Electric — or maybe the robber barons of the Gilded Age. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Growth in regions like China and India are credited with pushing Apple's phone sales higher than ever. Also, If a deal materializes, it would mean Amazon is backing competing startups in the race for AI supremacy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Energy storage products like the Megapack, Megablock, and Powerwall drove Also, Apple announced its acquisition of Q.AI for a reported nearly $2 billion, making it the company's second-largest acquisition to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sora's mobile app downloads fell 45% in January, and consumer spending dropped. Originally, these music publishers had filed a lawsuit against Anthropic over its use of about 500 copyrighted works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An unidentified bidder submitted a Hail Mary offer that was "substantially higher" than the winning bid at auction. Founder Austin Russell has been circling a bid, but it's not clear he was behind it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The investigation is looking into a January 17 crash where a Zoox robotaxi hit the driver's side door of a parked car, which Zoox said was "suddenly opened." Also, once symbolic of a mid-2010s San Francisco tech bro, Allbirds is cutting costs to "support the long-term health of the business." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

European governments are looking to move away from U.S. tech and reclaim their digital sovereignty at a time of unpredictability and volatility in the United States. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uber is not developing its own robotaxis again; instead it plans to collect and offer data. It's a bet that more volume will help autonomous vehicle partners solve the weirdest edge cases. Also, a new leading bidder has appeared in the Luminar bankruptcy case: Redmond, Washington-based MicroVision, which beat out Quantum Computing Inc.'s bid by $5 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit p...

Some of the major players in science fiction and pop culture are taking firmer stances against generative AI. Also, information from the conservative-leaning, AI-generated encyclopedia developed by Elon Musk’s xAI is beginning to appear in answers from ChatGPT. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Learn more about Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros., considered the most historic megadeal in Hollywood, as it continues to develop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

TikTok users are freaking out over a mention of "immigration status" data collection, but lawyers explain the disclosure is related to state privacy laws. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The company is also currently facing a 30-day suspension of its manufacturing and dealer licenses in California for deceptive marketing about Autopilot's capabilities. Also, the factory musical chairs reflect an economic and political environment, shaped by the Trump administration's tariff policy and its decision to end the federal EV tax credit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastcho...

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