TechCrunch
Patronus AI lands $50M to build ‘digital worlds’ that stress-test AI agents
Patronus AI raised $50 million to develop simulated digital environments that stress-test AI agents for reliability and performance in complex tasks.
TechCrunch
Anthropic’s Claude is winning over paid consumers, a market owned by ChatGPT
Recent data indicates that Anthropic’s Claude is rapidly gaining popularity and revenue among paying consumers, though ChatGPT remains the overall market leader.
Gemini
5 ways Google parents are using Gemini
Google employees share how they use Gemini to manage parenting tasks, from planning trips and meals to assisting with education and entertainment.
Gemini
Try these 3 Google AI tools to help find your next job.
Google offers three AI tools—Career Dreamer, NotebookLM, and Gemini Live—to help job seekers brainstorm roles, refine applications, and practice for interviews.
TechCrunch
Databricks’ former AI chief thinks he can cut AI’s power bill by 1,000x
Former Databricks AI lead Naveen Rao founded Unconventional AI to drastically reduce AI power consumption using novel oscillator-based computer architecture.
TechCrunch
General Intuition raises $2.3B on bet that video games can train AI agents for the real world
General Intuition raised $320 million at a $2.3 billion valuation to train AI agents for physical environments using gameplay data.
Gemini
5 ways to learn with study notebooks in the Gemini app
Gemini’s new study notebooks offer personalized lessons, progress tracking, and diagnostic tools to help students optimize their learning experience efficiently.
TechCrunch
Netris raises $15M Series A from a16z to help AI neoclouds go live faster
Network automation startup Netris secured $15 million in Series A funding led by a16z to accelerate data center deployment for AI neoclouds.
TechCrunch
Adobe acquires image and video enhancement tool maker Topaz Labs
Adobe has announced the acquisition of Topaz Labs to integrate its specialized AI video and image enhancement technology into the Creative Cloud suite.
Reuters
After Anthropic shutdown, China's Z.ai closes frontier gap as it plans dual listing
Chinese startup Z.ai has gained market prominence as its latest open-source model rivals leading U.S. AI systems following Anthropic's service shutdown.
Phoronix
AMD Contributes ONNX Runtime Backend To FFmpeg DNN Filter
AMD has added an ONNX Runtime backend to FFmpeg's DNN filter, enabling hardware-accelerated AI inferencing via GPUs and NPUs.
TechCrunch
Amazon ups India bet with fresh $13B AI infrastructure investment
Amazon has committed an additional $13 billion to expand its cloud and AI infrastructure in India through 2030.
The Verge
Ford had to hire back former engineers to fix mistakes made by its automated systems
Ford rehired experienced engineers to correct quality issues caused by over-reliance on flawed automated systems and AI-driven processes.
BBC News
Anthropic accuses Chinese rival Alibaba of illicitly extracting AI capabilities
Anthropic has accused Alibaba of conducting a massive campaign to illicitly extract and copy the capabilities of its Claude AI model.
Blocknow: Be ready. Be informed
Anthropic Accuses Alibaba of Largest AI Model Extraction Campaign as US-China AI Race Heats Up
Anthropic alleges Alibaba conducted a massive AI model extraction campaign, fueling concerns in the escalating US-China artificial intelligence technological competition.
The Verge
Facebook’s Creator Studio has been revived as an AI companion app
Meta has relaunched its Creator Studio as an AI-powered companion app designed to help creators grow their audience and manage engagement.
Blocknow: Be ready. Be informed
Japan Unveils $2.3T AI Plan as Morgan Stanley Turns More Bullish on China's Robots
Japan has announced a $2.3 trillion AI and semiconductor strategy, while Morgan Stanley significantly increased its growth forecasts for China's humanoid robotics sector.
Listendock
Gemini Co-Lead on World Models, RL's Next Domains & Continual Learning
Oriol Vinyals discusses advancements in multimodal AI, world models, reinforcement learning, and the future trajectory of Google's Gemini development.
OpenAI
HP Inc. launches Frontier strategic partnership with OpenAI
HP Inc. is scaling its strategic partnership with OpenAI, utilizing the Frontier platform to integrate AI across its global enterprise operations.
OpenAI
How agents are transforming work
Agentic AI is revolutionizing work by shifting from simple chatbot interactions to complex, long-horizon tasks handled by independent, autonomous agents.
TechCrunch
Europe is pushing back on Washington’s chip war
The Dutch government is lobbying against a U.S. bill that would restrict ASML from selling older semiconductor equipment to Chinese manufacturers.
TechCrunch
Former Infosys chief has a new startup that wants to challenge the IT services world
Former Infosys CEO Vishal Sikka has launched Hang Ten Systems, an AI-native startup aiming to transform the traditional IT services industry.
TechCrunch
Cerebras stock plunges after earnings as CEO says margin outlook was misunderstood
Cerebras shares fell nearly 20% due to concerns over lower gross margin guidance, despite reporting strong first-quarter revenue growth.
TechCrunch
AI was supposed to kill engineering jobs, but new data suggests they’re the most resilient
New research from SignalFire indicates that software engineering roles are highly resilient, defying predictions that AI would lead to mass layoffs in the field.
TechCrunch
AI researchers continue to leave Google for its rivals
Key AI researchers are departing Google to join competitors like Anthropic and OpenAI amid an industry-wide talent shift.
TechCrunch
The memory chip crunch is paying off for this U.S. company
Micron shares soared after reporting record revenue and profit growth driven by high demand for AI memory chips.
TechCrunch
Companies are scrambling to stop employees from maxing out AI budgets with small tasks
Companies are curbing employee AI usage as rising costs for token consumption force a shift from unrestricted access to strict budget rationing.
The Verge
Congresswoman denies staff used AI to write defense funding amendment
Rep. Anna Paulina Luna clarified that her staff used AI only for checking a summary, not for drafting actual legislation.
The Verge
The $27 million Al proxy war over Alex Bores ends in a draw
A $27 million proxy battle between AI-aligned super PACs ended as Alex Bores lost the NY-12 Democratic primary to Micah Lasher.
TechCrunch
Facebook rolls out an AI companion app for creators
Meta has launched a new AI-powered companion app for creators to optimize audience growth and streamline content management on Facebook.
TechCrunch
Agility Robotics plans to go public via SPAC in a $2.5B deal
Humanoid robotics startup Agility Robotics aims to go public through a $2.5 billion SPAC merger with Churchill Capital Corp XI.
The Verge
Figma now has AI motion graphics and shader tools
Figma introduced new AI-powered motion graphics, shader tools, and code-editing capabilities at its annual Config conference to streamline creative workflows.
TechCrunch
Figma adds code layers, support for animations, more AI features in new update
Figma's latest update introduces code layers, direct animation support, and expanded AI capabilities to streamline collaboration between designers and engineers.
Gemini
Introducing computer use in Gemini 3.5 Flash
Google has integrated computer-use capabilities directly into Gemini 3.5 Flash, enabling agents to interact across desktop, mobile, and browser environments.
TechCrunch
OpenAI unveils its first custom chip, built by Broadcom
OpenAI has introduced Jalapeño, its first custom-designed inference processor developed in collaboration with Broadcom to optimize AI model performance and reduce costs.
The Verge
OpenAI reveals its first AI processor: Jalapeño
OpenAI has announced Jalapeño, its first custom AI inference processor developed in partnership with Broadcom to power large language models.
The Verge
The Google Home Speaker sounds good and looks great — but it’s finicky
The new Google Home Speaker offers impressive sound and design, but its minimalist interface makes it somewhat difficult to use.
Blocknow: Be ready. Be informed
Nvidia’s AI Chips Double in Price in China as It Tackles AI’s Water Problem
Nvidia's AI chips face surging prices in China due to export restrictions, while the company simultaneously introduces water-saving cooling technology for data centers.
NPR
Is AI 'one big bubble'? Behind the tech sell-off
Rising investor skepticism regarding the massive financial returns on artificial intelligence has triggered a significant sell-off in global tech and semiconductor stocks.
Ksl
University of Utah trustees greenlight creation of state's first AI bachelor's degree
The University of Utah is set to launch the state's first bachelor's degree in artificial intelligence pending final accreditation.
OpenAI
OpenAI and Broadcom unveil LLM-optimized inference chip
OpenAI and Broadcom have introduced Jalapeño, a new custom AI accelerator chip designed to optimize Large Language Model inference performance.
TechCrunch
India’s MoEngage bets that the future of marketing is millions of AI agents
MoEngage has acquired AI startup Aampe to integrate autonomous AI agents into its marketing platform for hyper-personalized customer engagement.
KSNV
World Cup scams surge as AI fuels fake betting sites, phishing links and QR traps
Scammers are exploiting World Cup popularity by using AI to create deceptive betting sites, phishing links, and malicious QR codes.
The Verge
Google Home will soon get better at recognizing you
Google is updating its Home platform to improve person identification using non-biometric signals and sound detection for more accurate smart home notifications.
The Verge
Hollywood is bending the knee to OpenAI
Hollywood studios are increasingly avoiding critical stories about Big Tech, signaling a concerning trend of subservience to powerful AI companies.
Anthropic
Introducing Claude Tag
Anthropic has launched Claude Tag, a new Slack-based feature that allows teams to collaborate with Claude as a proactive, multi-user AI teammate.
The Verge
Why corporate AI super PACs spent $27 million on a local election
Tech industry super PACs have poured over $27 million into the New York 12th Congressional District primary, turning it into a battleground over AI influence.
TechCrunch
Anthropic’s Claude Tag is learning your company, one Slack message at a time
Anthropic launched Claude Tag, a persistent Slack-based AI teammate that maintains context to assist teams with tasks and organizational knowledge.
The Verge
Something’s off with Midjourney’s pivot to body scanners
Midjourney's move into ultrasound body scanners for wellness has sparked skepticism from medical experts regarding the lack of evidence for its ambitious health claims.
The Verge
The Fitbit Air takes a smarter approach to the AI health dumpster fire
The Fitbit Air is a comfortable, affordable fitness tracker that lets users choose between basic tracking and an optional, AI-driven health coaching experience.
The Verge
Sony’s AI Camera Assistant is exactly as bad as it looks
Sony's new AI Camera Assistant on the Xperia 1 VIII is an intrusive, inconsistent tool that degrades photo quality and causes camera performance issues.
OpenAI
Mapping Europe’s AI Workforce Opportunity
OpenAI’s report adapts the AI Jobs Transition Framework to analyze how AI-driven labor market changes will impact various European Union occupations.
TechCrunch
Fika Jobs raises $4M to build a video-first hiring platform where AI agents interview candidates
Stockholm-based Fika Jobs secured $4 million to develop a video-centric hiring platform that uses AI agents to conduct candidate interviews.
The Verge
Meta launches cheaper smart glasses without Ray-Ban
Meta has introduced new, more affordable smart glasses that remove the Ray-Ban branding while maintaining a partnership with manufacturer EssilorLuxottica.
TechCrunch
Kiwibit’s AI-powered bird feeder is my new backyard buddy
The Kiwibit Bird Feeder 2 uses AI technology to identify bird species and capture high-quality footage for backyard enthusiasts.
Los Angeles Times
California's high electricity prices are shutting out AI data centers - Los Angeles Times
California’s high energy costs, regulatory hurdles, and community opposition are limiting the growth of AI data centers compared to other U.S. states.
CNN
Exclusive: Downed US pilot reported seeing Iranian drones swarm in ‘jellyfish’ formation
A US pilot reported witnessing Iranian drones operating in a sophisticated, interconnected 'jellyfish' formation before his F-15 was shot down.
Foreign Affairs
How to Survive the AI Shock: A Policy Playbook to Avert Political Crisis
The United States must implement proactive labor-market policies to manage the disruptive, job-displacing effects of AI and prevent severe political backlash.
TechCrunch
The running list: major tech layoffs in 2026 where employers cited AI
Major technology companies are increasingly cutting jobs in 2026, citing the integration of AI tools and organizational efficiency as primary drivers for workforce reductions.
TechCrunch
OpenAI launches new initiative to help find and patch open-source bugs
OpenAI has partnered with Trail of Bits to launch "Patch the Planet," an initiative helping open-source maintainers identify and resolve security vulnerabilities.
OpenAI
How Omio is building the future of conversational travel
Omio is leveraging OpenAI's technology to revolutionize travel discovery through conversational AI while optimizing internal operations for an AI-native business model.
The Verge
Nvidia says its AI data center design runs hotter to use a lot less water
Nvidia’s new liquid-cooled data center design reduces water consumption to near zero by allowing servers to operate at higher temperatures.
LinkedIn
📣Big news to kick off your Monday: I’m so proud to share that Autodesk has committed $350 million over the next three years to help prepare students, educators, job-seekers, and professionals for… | Dara Treseder | 25 comments
Autodesk is investing $350 million over three years to equip students and professionals with essential AI skills for the future workforce.
TechCrunch
The AI world is getting ‘loopy’
AI development is shifting toward autonomous agentic loops that work continuously to solve complex tasks, promising significant productivity gains alongside high computational costs.
TechCrunch
AI chipmaker Groq confirms $650M raise, re-staffs after Nvidia’s $20B not-acqui-hire deal
Groq raised $650 million and restructured its leadership after Nvidia acquired its key technology and several top executives in a major deal.
The Verge
Nvidia is about to be a hundred-billion-dollar-a-quarter company
The Verge
OpenAI’s rogue AI model incident was worse than we thought
Gemini
7 ways to kick-start back to school using Gemini in Workspace
The Verge
Google’s new AI transcription edits out your ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’
Gemini
Intelligent transcription with Gemini 3.5 Transcribe
Gemini
Turn your voice into action with new productivity features in Gemini Live
TechCrunch
Radar makes podcasts searchable — and usable by AI agents
TechCrunch
Bill Gates wants to see a robot tax and ‘Human Reserved’ jobs to mitigate harms from AI
VentureBeat
Orchestration is the new challenge for CX in the age of AI agents
TechCrunch
Surprise: Z.ai is the AI lab behind the mysterious Ox Alpha model
