Hollywood isn’t happy with new Seedance 2.0 video generator
Hollywood groups are objecting to a new AI video model called SeaDance 2.0, claiming it has quickly become a tool for “blatant” copyright infringement. ByteDance, the Chinese company that recently closed a deal to sell TikTok’s U.S. operations (it retains a stake in the new joint venture), launched Seedance 2.0 earlier this week. According to […]
Designer Kate Burton collaborates with IBM and Fiducia AI for NYFW presentation
On Saturday, designer Kate Burton will present her latest collection at New York Fashion Week – with a twist, of course. Barton worked with Fiducia AI to create a multilingual AI agent (built with IBM Watsonx on IBM Cloud) that allows guests to identify and virtually try on pieces of the collection. TechCrunch spoke to […]
India doubles state-backed venture capital, approves $1.1 billion fund
India will authorize a $1.1 billion state-backed venture capital program that will channel government funds to startups through private investors, redoubling efforts to fund high-risk areas such as artificial intelligence, advanced manufacturing and other sectors commonly referred to in the industry as deep tech. The Rs 1,000 billion fund, first outlined in India’s finance minister’s […]
Major Indian pharmacy chain exposes customer data and internal systems
A security lapse by one of India’s largest pharmacy chains allowed an outsider to gain complete administrative control of its platform, exposing customer order data and sensitive medication management functions, TechCrunch has learned exclusively. The issue affected DavaIndia Pharmacy, the pharmacy arm of Zota Healthcare, which operates a large network of retail stores across India. […]
Airbnb announces one-third of customer support is now handled by AI in the US and Canada
Airbnb says its custom-built AI agents currently handle about one-third of customer support issues in North America, and the company is preparing to roll out the feature globally. If successful, the company believes that in a year’s time more than 30% of all customer support tickets will be handled by AI voice and chat in […]
SEC closes investigation into Fisker
The Securities and Exchange Commission closed its investigation into bankrupt electric vehicle startup Fisker last September, about a year after it began its investigation. TechCrunch has learned that the investigation ended when financial regulators responded to a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request in January. The SEC’s FOIA Division announced that it had identified “approximately […]
India partners with Alibaba.com to boost exports despite past ban on Chinese technology
The Indian government has partnered with China’s Alibaba.com on an export-focused program aimed at helping startups and small businesses reach overseas buyers. The move highlights New Delhi’s selective engagement with China-linked technology platforms, years after imposing a blanket ban on consumer apps and games. This week, the Government of India’s Startup India Initiative announced a […]
Anthropic’s Super Bowl ad that mocks AI in advertising helped push Claude’s app into the top 10
Anthropic’s Super Bowl ad, which features a darkly comedic scenario in which people seeking advice from a chatbot are directed to a “cougar” dating site and height-enhancing insoles, has been successful. Since then, Anthropic’s AI chatbot Claude has moved up from number 41 to become a top 10 app in the US App Store. As […]
A graduate student at Stanford University has created an algorithm to help classmates find love. Now, Date Drop is the foundation of his new startup
As Valentine’s Day approaches at Stanford University, some students may be preparing for their first date. Rather than someone you met on Tinder or Hinge, you’re going on a date with a service called Date Drop, created by Stanford University graduate student Henry Wen. Date Drop pairs students with potential dates once a week based […]
Dutch mobile phone giant Odid announces millions of customers affected by data breach
Dutch telephone company Odid has admitted that a data breach affected millions of customers. The company said in a statement Thursday that unidentified hackers gained access to its customer contact system and secretly downloaded large amounts of customer information. An Odid spokesperson told local Dutch media that the breach affected more than 6.2 million customers, […]