From the moment OpenAI CEO Sam Altman stepped onstage, it was clear this was not going to be a normal interview. Altman and his chief operating officer, Brad Lightcap, stood awkwardly toward the back of the stage at a jam-packed San Francisco venue that typically hosts jazz concerts. Hundreds of people filled steep theatre-style seating…
Kalshi just raised a $185 million round, led by crypto-focused VC firm Paradigm, bringing the company’s valuation to $2 billion post-money, representatives from Paradigm and Kalshi confirmed to TechCrunch. “Prediction markets remind me of crypto 15 years ago: a new asset class on a path to trillions,” Matt Huang, co-founder and managing partner at Paradigm,…
Elon Musk’s xAI is the subject of scrutiny in Memphis, where natural gas turbines powering its Colossus data center have raised alarm among residents concerned about air pollution. On Tuesday, the City of Memphis released the results of initial air quality testing performed by a third party, saying that levels of the 10 pollutants tested…
Getty Images dropped its primary claims of copyright infringement against Stability AI on Wednesday at London’s High Court, narrowing one of the most closely watched legal fights over how AI companies use copyrighted content to train their models. The move doesn’t end the case entirely – Getty is still pursuing other claims as well as…
Intel is shuttering its automotive architecture business and laying off most of its staff as part of a broader restructuring at the chipmaker. The news was first reported by The Oregonian/Oregon Live, which cited an internal memo that was shared with employees Tuesday morning. Intel confirmed to TechCrunch that plans to wind down the auto…
Wind power has run into some headwinds, and not the kind that spin its turbines. Recently, President Trump has decided to wage war against the technology, an unwelcome bit of friction that coincides with rising costs in recent years. Onshore wind power went for $61 per megawatt-hour last year, according to Lazard, bucking a decade-long…
Dating app Bumble announced on Wednesday that it’s laying off 30% of its workforce, impacting around 240 positions. The company said in a securities filing that the cuts are part of its plans to realign its “operating structure to optimize execution on its strategic priorities.” Bumble anticipates saving $40 million per year as a result…
Amazon-owned Ring announced on Wednesday that it’s introducing a new AI-powered feature to its doorbells and cameras, which offers users specific text descriptions of current motion activity. Now, when users receive real-time notifications about happenings at their property, the updates will be more descriptive. For instance, “A person is walking up the steps with a…
Satellites can accomplish incredible tasks like provide internet, or help monitor wildfires. But many of them ultimately meet a fiery death burning up in the Earth’s atmosphere. Others use their last bit of fuel to move to so-called “graveyard” orbits, where they circle the planet in a perpetual deep freeze. A new startup called Lux…
Startups developing voice AI technology and applications are having their moment. Model builders like ElevenLabs and Cartesia have raised millions of dollars in the last few months. Applications such as AI-powered notetaker Granola and meeting tools Read AI and Fireflies AI have also received investor attention and backing. Continuing the trend, dictation app Wispr Flow…
