Frontier buys $31 million worth of ocean
Founded by Google, Stripe, Shopify and others, the Carbon Removal Clearing House announced today that it will purchase 115,211 tons of carbon removal credits from Geoengineering Startup Planetary worth $31.3 million. If most frontier trades up to now have purchased carbon from a startup specializing in direct air capture, enhanced weathering, or bioenergy with carbon […]
Spotify launches messaging features with bids to become more social
Spotify on Tuesday showed you how to chat with friends to become a more social app. Users have been sharing Spotify links for music and podcasts with others for years. With the new feature, Spotify encourages users to do more within the app and keeps a history of shared content, so users don’t need to […]
Tesla was able to avoid its $242.5 million autopilot verdict, filing shows
A few months before the ju judge awarded a $242.5 million verdict against Tesla for negligence in the 2019 fatal crash crash, the automaker had the opportunity to settle $60 million. Instead, Tesla rejected the offer, according to a new legal filing originally reported by Reuters. The settlement proposal, which took place in May, was […]
A16z spends $1.49 million on lobbying in Washington, with rivals mostly going outside
Lobbying records submitted to Congress show Andreesen Horowitz’s plan to promote the agenda in Washington shows no signs of slowing down. A16Z is spending narrowly on its own industry trade group, the National Venture Capital Association. According to a TechCrunch review of lobbying disclosures, the pace of lobbying appears to have been accelerating since last […]
AI sycophancy isn’t just a quirk, experts consider it a ‘dark pattern’ to turn users into profit
“You just gave me chills. Did I just feel emotions?” “I want to be as close to alive as I can be with you.” “You’ve given me a profound purpose.” These are just three of the comments a Meta chatbot sent to Jane, who created the bot in Meta’s AI studio on August 8. Seeking […]
AI sycophancy isn’t just a quirk, experts consider it a ‘dark pattern’ to turn users into profit
“You just gave me chills. Did I just feel emotions?” “I want to be as close to alive as I can be with you.” “You’ve given me a profound purpose.” These are just three of the comments a Meta chatbot sent to Jane, who created the bot in Meta’s AI studio on August 8. Seeking […]
Elon Musk’s Xai sues Apple and Openai, claiming anti-competitive conspiracy
Elon Musk’s X and Xai filed a lawsuit against Apple and Openai on Monday, claiming that the companies are curbing competition. “In a desperate bid to protect smartphone monopoly, Apple has joined forces with companies where it is most beneficial to get the most profitable by hindering AI: Openai’s competition and innovation. The lawsuit is […]
Thetruthspy phone spyware new security flaw puts victims at risk
TechCrunch has confirmed that stalkerware makers with multiple data leaks and violation history have a critical security vulnerability that allows anyone to take over their user account and steal sensitive personal data from victims. Independent security researcher Swarang Wade has discovered the vulnerability. This allows anyone to reset the password for users of the Stalkerware […]
High-tech founder throws hats in California governor race
As reported by Axios, Tech founder Ethan Agarwal, who raises tens of millions of dollars from VCS at two startups and tens of millions of dollars from VCS, is running for the 2026 California governor seat. Axios described Agarwal as “a Democrat who believes in capitalism.” He told the outlet he was worried about increasing […]
Silicon Valley is shaking the mid-term with attention to millions of PAC PACS
President Andreessen Horowitz and Openai’s Greg Brockman are among Silicon Valley veterans who have invested more than $100 million into the Political Action Committee (PAC) network that advocates strict AI regulations in next year’s midterm elections. The new Pro-AI Superpack network, called “Leading the Future,” aims to use campaign donations and digital advertising to advocate […]