It’s never too late for Apple to get AI right
This week, OpenAI announced that apps can now run directly within ChatGPT, allowing users to book travel, create playlists, and edit designs without switching between different apps. Some were quick to proclaim it the app platform of the future, predicting a ChatGPT-powered world where Apple’s App Store would be deprecated. Today, we answered an open […]
The Fixer’s Dilemma: Chris Lehane and OpenAI’s Impossible Mission
Chris Lehane is one of the best in the industry at drowning out bad news. Mr. Lehane, Al Gore’s press secretary during the Clinton era and Airbnb’s crisis manager who weathered every regulatory nightmare from here to Brussels, knows how to spin. Now, he’s been in what might be the most impossible job ever for […]
Kalsi’s valuation reached $5 billion, days after rival Polymarket acquired $2 billion on the New York Stock Exchange with $8 billion in backing.
Karsi, a prediction market that allows people to bet on future events, announced it has raised more than $300 million at a valuation of $5 billion. The company’s value has increased 2.5x since its last funding just three months ago, at a $2 billion valuation. The new funding was provided by Calsi’s existing investor Sequoia […]
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri pushes back against concerns about Mr.Beast’s AI, but admits society needs to adapt
Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said AI will change who can be creative, as new tools and technologies will allow people who previously couldn’t be creators to create content at a certain quality and scale. But he also acknowledged that bad actors will use the technology for “illicit purposes” and that children growing up today will […]
Spyware maker NSO Group confirms acquisition by US investor
Israeli spyware maker NSO Group has confirmed to TechCrunch that a US investment group has acquired the company. “An American investment group has invested tens of millions of dollars in the company and taken control,” NSO spokesperson Oded Hershowitz told TechCrunch on Friday. Confirmation of the deal comes shortly after Israeli tech news website Calcalist […]
Former British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak advises Microsoft and Anthropic
Rishi Sunak, who served as British Prime Minister from 2022 to 2024, has taken on senior advisory roles at Microsoft and Anthropic, the Guardian reported. A letter from the Parliamentary Secretariat’s Business Appointments Advisory Committee (Acova), which revealed Mr Sunak’s appointment, revealed concerns that the former Conservative prime minister’s privileged information could “give Microsoft an […]
Investors are betting $21 billion that the energy transition will never end
The energy transition appears to be under attack, with Republicans in Congress eliminating tax credits for clean energy and the Trump administration threatening to end billions of dollars worth of subsidies. But there are signs that the setback may not be as devastating as the headlines make it seem. Investor sentiment remains strong, judging by […]
UK gives Google Search special market position, paving the way for tighter regulation
The UK Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) on Friday granted Google special status in the online search market, allowing the regulator to enforce stricter regulations. The CMA identified Google as having a “strategic market position” in the search and search advertising market. This means that the company occupies a “substantial and entrenched” position that requires […]
The world is not yet ready for humanoids
Renowned roboticist and iRobot founder Rodney Brooks has warned of an investment bubble in humanoid robots. He’s not the only one. In a recent essay, Brooks points out that billions of dollars in venture capital are being poured into humanoid robot companies like Figure. His view is that despite all the money being poured into […]
Reflection AI raises $2 billion as America’s open frontier AI lab to take on DeepSeek
Reflection AI, a startup founded last year by two former Google DeepMind researchers, raised $2 billion at an $8 billion valuation. That’s a significant 15x increase from its $545 million valuation just seven months ago. The company originally focused on autonomous coding agents, but has now positioned itself as an open source alternative to closed […]