TechCrunch Industry News
3,849 episodes — Page 4 of 77
Alphabet to buy Intersect Power to bypass energy grid bottlenecks; also, Trump admin halts 6 GW of offshore wind leases again
Alphabet is set to pay $4.75 billion in cash, plus debt, for the data center and clean energy developer. Also, the move is the latest attempt by the Trump administration to delay the construction of 6 gigawatts of offshore wind near a hotspot of data center development. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New York Governor Kathy Hochul signs RAISE Act to regulate AI safety; plus, Sequoia partner spreads debunked Brown shooting theory
The bill will require large AI developers to publish information about their safety protocols and report safety incidents to the state within 72 hours. Also, the newest episode raises questions about whether Sequoia's new leadership -- managing partners Alfred Lin and Pat Grady, who took over last month -- can or will rein in Maguire's social media activity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
As EU waters down 2035 EV goals, electric startups express concern
The future may be electric, but that future is being postponed. The European Commission, citing the need for flexibility, has softened its ambitious plan to ban the sale of gas-powered cars by 2035. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Netflix acquires gaming avatar maker Ready Player Me; plus, Meta is developing a new image and video model for a 2026 release
The gaming startup will allow Netflix subscribers to create avatars that can extend across gaming titles. Also, Meta is working on an image and video model and new text-based model, which aids with coding. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Instacart to pay $60M to settle FTC claims it deceived consumers; plus Apple becomes a debt collector
The FTC alleged Instacart misled consumers with unlawful tactics, causing them to pay higher fees while also denying refunds. Also, Apple says it can now collect any money a developer owes the tech giant at any time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Adobe hit with proposed class-action; plus, Instacart’s AI-driven pricing tool attracted attention from the FTC
The lawsuit is just the latest in a string of copyright-related legal complaints aimed at the AI industry. Also, in an economy where everyone's feeling squeezed, AI-driven price testing of kitchen essentials was bound to attract attention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jared Isaacman confirmed as next head of NASA; AWS exec Peter DeSantis to lead new AI org; and YouTube doesn't like Billboard’s ranking formula
Isaacman will run the space agency at a time when Trump is trying to both downsize it and task it with returning astronauts to the Moon. Also, DeSantis has spent 27 years at Amazon, including eight years as an SVP for AWS, the cloud provider that powers about one-third of the internet. And, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Skana Robotics helps fleets of underwater robots communicate with each other
Skana Robotics built a decision-making algorithm that helps unmanned vessels react and adapt to data from other vessels. Also, Amazon reportedly in talks to invest $10B in OpenAI as circular deals stay popular Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Coursera and Udemy enter a merger agreement; plus, Mozilla’s new CEO says AI is coming to Firefox
Coursera and Udemy, two of the biggest names in online learning, are combining platforms next year. Mozilla has appointed Anthony Enzor-DeMeo as its CEO, as the Firefox developer scrambles to adapt in a rapidly changing browser market. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hacking group says it’s extorting Pornhub after stealing users’ viewing data. plus, Everbloom built an AI to turn chicken feathers into cashmere
The Scattered Lapsus$ Hunters hacking collective stole Pornhub premium users’ data, including email addresses and viewing history. Also, Everbloom has also developed a chemical process to transform waste fibers and feathers into upcycled materials that resemble everything from polyester to cashmere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tesla starts testing robotaxis in Austin with no safety driver; also, Netflix responds to concerns about WBD deal
It's one of the last big steps before the company can truly claim it's operating a robotaxi service, and start to take on Waymo.Industry Also, concerns over Netflix acquiring Warner Bros has led executives to address fears regarding jobs and theatrical releases. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Data center boom bad news for other infrastructure projects; plus, a data breach at 700Credit affects nearly 6 million, and Microsoft buys 3.6M metric tons of carbon removal from bioenergy plant
-Improvements to roads, bridges, and other infrastructure could take a hit as data center construction accelerates. That’s according to a report from Bloomberg. -At least 5.6 million people had their names, addresses, dates of birth, and Social Security numbers stolen in a data breach at Seven Hundred Credit, a company that runs credit checks and identity verification services for auto dealerships across the US. Microsoft announced Thursday it would buy 3.6 million carbon removal credits from a biofuels plant in Louisiana owned by C2X. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Zevo wants to add robotaxis to its car-share fleet; plus, Reddit argues it isn’t like other social platforms
As robotaxi adoption continues, wild ideas like personal ownership and renting them out are starting to pop up again. Also, Reddit, one of the world's largest social platforms, is arguing that it doesn't meet the definition of "social media platforms" as it seeks to overturn Australia's law banning children under 16 years of age from social media. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google launched its deepest AI research agent yet — on the same day OpenAI dropped GPT-5.2
For the first time, developers can embed Google's Deep Research tool, based on Gemini 3 Pro, into their own apps. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Opera wants you to pay $20 a month to use its AI-powered browser; plus, Rivian going big on autonomy
Following a couple of months' testing, Opera has finally made its AI-powered browser, Neon, available to the public — though you'll have to shell out for a $19.90-per-month subscription to use it. Also, Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe laid out his plan for how Rivian's vehicles will increasingly drive themselves, in a bid to match or exceed the capabilities of rival automakers and AV companies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Overview Energy wants to beam energy from space to existing solar farms; plus Nvidia is reportedly testing tracking software
The stealthy startup plans to use a network of satellites to harvest sunlight and send it to Earth using infrared lasers. A new software option could make it possible to see the approximate location of some of Nvidia's AI chips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google launches managed MCP servers that let AI agents simply plug into its tools
Google is rolling out managed MCP servers to make its services “agent-ready by design,” starting with Maps and BigQuery, aiming to simplify messy integrations and help AI agents use real tools. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Three in ten U.S. teens use AI chatbots every day, but safety concerns are growing; also, Why Cursor’s CEO believes OpenAI, Anthropic competition won’t crush his startup
While teenagers may start out using AI chatbots for basic questions, their relationship with chatbot platforms has the potential to turn addictive. Plus, Anysphere CEO Michael Truell explained the features his company is focused on building out after reaching $1 billion in annualized revenue,. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google’s first AI glasses expected next year; plus, Ford and Renault team up on cheaper EVs and Truecaller now lets users protect households from scam calls
Google will compete with Meta with its own line of AI-powered smart glasses. Also, Ford and Renault in a ‘fight for our lives.’ The automakers will work together to bring two Ford-branded less expensive EVs to European dealerships in 2028. And, Truecaller's Family Protection will be rolled out widely in the first quarter of 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
FTC upholds ban on stalkerware founder Scott Zuckerman
Zuckerman, who used to run the stalkerware apps SpyFone and SpyTrac, claimed the ban is hurting his unrelated business. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘ONE RULE’: Trump says he’ll sign an EO blocking state AI laws despite bipartisan pushback; also, Paramount's hostile bid for WBD
“I will be doing a ONE RULE Executive Order this week,” Trump posted on social media. “You can’t expect a company to get 50 Approvals every time they want to do something.” Paramount Skydance on Monday launched a hostile, $108.4 billion bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery, days after Warner Bros. agreed to be acquired by Netflix for $82.7 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The New York Times is suing Perplexity for copyright infringement; while Meta signs commercial AI data agreements with publishers to offer real-time news on Meta AI
The New York Times filed a copyright lawsuit against Perplexity, joining other publishers using legal action as leverage to force AI companies into licensing deals that compensate content creators. Also, Meta is partnering with CNN, Fox News, Fox Sports, Le Monde Group, the People Inc. portfolio of media brands, The Daily Caller, The Washington Examiner, and USA Today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Musk says new Tesla software allows texting and driving, which is illegal in most states; plus, Feds ask Waymo about robotaxis repeatedly passing school buses in Austin
Texting while driving is banned in nearly every state, even with the use of advanced driver assistance systems like Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software. Also, the agency already opened an investigation in October over Waymo's performance around school buses. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
California’s ban on self-driving trucks could soon be over; also, Amazon may drop USPS and build a competing service
Revised rules in California would allow self-driving trucks to test on public highways. The rules also close a loophole allowing police to issue tickets for driverless vehicles. Also, Amazon is the USPS' biggest customer, and the e-commerce giant's potential break from the postal agency comes as the two sides are negotiating a new deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Andy Jassy says Amazon’s Nvidia competitor chip is already a multi-billion-dollar business
Can any company, big or small, really topple Nvidia's AI chip dominance? Maybe not entirely but Amazon is already making big bucks trying. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Another bid to block state AI regulation has failed…for now; plus, Autolane is building ‘air traffic control’ for AVs
The latest bid to squeeze a ban on states regulating AI into an annual defense bill has reportedly been rejected after facing bipartisan pushback. Also, backed by VC firms like Draper Associates and Hyperplane, Autolane said it will start by coordinating pickup and drop-off points for companies that want to let robotaxis come onto their private property. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A data breach at analytics giant Mixpanel leaves a lot of open questions
We sent over a dozen questions to Mixpanel's CEO about the company's data breach. Here's what we want to know. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon releases an impressive new AI chip and teases a Nvidia-friendly roadmap; also, India plans to verify and record every smartphone in circulation
Amazon Web Services, which has been building its own AI training chips for years now, just introduced a new version known as Trainium three that comes with some impressive specs. he Indian government is widening the scope of its anti-theft and cybersecurity initiative to cover both new and used smartphones, an effort aimed at curbing device theft and online fraud but a move that is also raising fresh privacy concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Construction workers are cashing in on the AI boom; also, Data center energy demand forecasted to soar nearly 300% through 2035
The AI boom is proving to be a windfall for construction workers building the massive data centers that power it all. According to The Wall Street Journal, workers moving into data-center construction are seeing pay jumps of 25 to 30 percent compared to their previous jobs . Alos, new planned data centers promise to consume even more energy than expected. Meanwhile, a grid monitor is blaming such growth for high electricity prices. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon’s AI chatbot Rufus drove sales on Black Friday; plus, James Cameron says generative AI is ‘horrifying’
On Black Friday, Amazon sessions that resulted in a sale were up 100% in the U.S. when the AI chatbot Rufus was used. They only increased by 20% when Rufus wasn't used. Also, James Cameron’s movies are often at the cutting edge of visual effects technology, but that doesn't make him a fan of generative AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
No, you can’t get your AI to ‘admit’ to being sexist, but it probably is anyway
Though LLMs might not use explicitly biased language, they may infer your demographic data and display implicit biases, researchers say. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Uber and WeRide’s robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi is officially driverless; plus, a bug in jury systems used by several US states exposed sensitive personal data
The commercial robotaxi service launched last year. Now, the human safety operator is gone. Also, an easy-to-exploit vulnerability in a jury system made by Tyler Technologies exposed the personally identifiable data of jurors, including names, home addresses, emails, and phone numbers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Character AI will offer interactive ‘Stories’ to kids instead of open-ended chat; plus, OpenAI and Perplexity are launching AI shopping assistants
The company announced last month that it would no longer allow minors to use its chat features. Also, startup founders building AI shopping tools think general-purpose models are too broad to deliver truly personalized shopping experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Roblox CEO interview gets heated over child safety; X’s new About This Account feature is going great; and AI is too risky to insure
-Roblox CEO Dave Baszuki joined the Hard Fork podcast to discuss the gaming platform’s new age verification feature — but he seemed to get frustrated at the number of questions focused on child safety. -A new feature seemingly revealed many right-wing “America First” accounts are actually based outside the United States. But the data seems questionable. -Major insurers including AIG, Great American, and WR Berkley are asking U.S. regulators for permission to exclude AI-related liabilities from corporate policies. One underwriter describes the AI models’ outputs to the FT as "too much of a black box." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Altman describes OpenAI’s forthcoming AI device as more peaceful and calm than the iPhone; plus, DOGE days are over
Altman and Ive tease a simple AI device aimed at calm, distraction-free computing, launching within two years. Also, DOGE members are reportedly worried that they could face prosecution for some of their activities conducted while under the leadership of Elon Musk. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trump administration might not fight state AI regulations after all; plus Waymo expanding across Bay Area and SoCal; and Meta wants to get into the electricity trading business
Reuters reports that the executive order has been put on hold. If signed, the order would probably face significant opposition, including from Republicans who previously criticized the proposed moratorium on state regulation. Waymo continues to expand its reach, with the robotaxi company posting Friday that it’s now “officially authorized to drive fully autonomously across more of the Golden State.” Waymo already operates in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and Los Angeles, as well as outside of California, in Atlanta, Austin, and Phoenix. Bloomberg reports that both Meta and Microsoft are asking for federal approval to trade power (Apple has already received this approval). According to Meta, this will allow it to make long-term commitments to buy electricity from new plants, while mitigating the risk by having the ability to resell some of that power on wholesale power markets. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
CrowdStrike fires ‘suspicious insider,’ X rolling out the ‘About this account’ feature, and Trump’s FCC votes to scrap cybersecurity rules
-Cybersecurity giant CrowdStrike denied it had been hacked following claims from a hacker group, which leaked screenshots from inside CrowdStrike's network. -X's new feature will show where users are based, how they're connected to X, and how many times they've changed their username. -Two Trump-appointed FCC officials voted to undo the telecom industry's cybersecurity rules. One Democratic commissioner dissented, saying the decision leaves the United States "less safe" at a time when threats are increasing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Grok says Elon Musk is better than basically everyone, except Shohei Ohtani
According to Grok, Elon Musk can out slug the MLB's greatest power hitters... except Ohtani. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google releases Nano Banana Pro, its latest image generation model; and another fire broke out at aluminum plant that supplies Ford
Google is upgrading its image generation model with new editing chops, higher resolutions, more accurate text rendering, and the ability to search the web. Also, the fire that broke out at the Oswego, NY Is the second major fire -- and the third overall -- in the last few months at the Novelis plant, Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How the classic anime ‘Ghost in the Shell’ predicted the future of cybersecurity 30 years ago
Written by: Lorenzo Franceschi-Bicchierai The story of the Ghost in the Shell’s main villain the Puppet Master hinted at a future where governments use hackers for espionage, at a time when most of the world had never connected to the internet. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Epstein files have claimed their first OpenAI victim; plus Target joins OpenAI’s growing list of retail apps
Former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has resigned from OpenAI’s board days after Congress released an extensive cache of emails with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, which included details of intimate affairs. OpenAI is pushing deeper into retail, with Target set to debut a new ChatGPT-powered app for shoppers in coming weeks. The news follows OpenAI’s move last month to start adding dedicated retail apps to ChatGPT, including Canva, Coursera, Figma, Expedia, Spotify, and Zillow. It also comes as OpenAI races to rake in AI-driven commerce via new products like “Instant Checkout” that let users make purchases within conversations with retailers like Etsy and Shopify. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
DOE gives Microsoft partner $1B loan to restart Three Mile Island reactor; plus, Hugging Face CEO says we’re in an ‘LLM bubble,’ not an AI bubble
Constellation Energy will use the loan to refurbish a reactor it idled in 2019. Microsoft has agreed to buy the power once the facility reopens in 2028. Also, Hugging Face co-founder and CEO Clem Delangue says all the attention is on LLMs, but smaller, specialized models will make sense in many use cases going forward. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Zap Energy ramps up the pressure in its latest fusion device; plus, Stack Overflow is remaking itself into an AI data provider
Zap’s Fuze-3 device has been firing pulses of plasma at the company’s headquarters in Seattle, and the results of those experiments will ultimately inform the design of the company’s future demonstration plants. The Fuze-3 device was able to compress a soup of charged particles to more than two hundred thirty two thousand PSI and heat it to more than 21 million degrees Fahrenheit. Also, Stack Overflow wants to remake its classic problem-solving forum into a tool for translating human expertise into an AI-accessible format. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ford turns to Amazon to give used cars sales a boost; plus, Meta releases a new tool to protect reels creators from having their work stolen
One year ago, e-commerce giant Amazon kicked off its new online car sales business with Hyundai. Now, Ford is joining in with a certified used car twist. Also, Facebook's new content protection tool extends to Instagram too. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon satellite network gets a rebrand and drops its affordability pitch; plus, a jury says Apple owes Masimo $634M
The company has been quietly changing how it talks about who its internet customers will be before it announced a big name change last week. Also, a federal jury in California ruled Friday that Apple must pay medical device maker Masimo $634 million for infringing a patent on blood oxygen monitoring technology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ChatGPT launched pilot group chats across Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan; plus, newsletter platform beehiiv adds AI website building, creator tools in major expansion
The group chat is available to Free, Plus, and Team users on both mobile and web platforms. OpenAI says the pilot is designed to explore how people use group conversations in ChatGPT. Also, in a video announcing the release of beehiiv, Tyler Denk, the co-founder and CEO of beehive, said that what makes newsletter platforms powerful is ownership. “Owning your audience, distribution, brand, and even your revenue potential. In the age of AI and algorithms. Ownership isn’t just nice to have, it’s essential.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘Chad: The Brainrot IDE’ is a new Y Combinator-backed product so wild, people thought it was fake ; plus, after 5 months, the $1,200 bottles of Besties All-In tequila are finally starting to ship
Chad: the Brainrot IDE is an actual product that pairs vibe coding with brainrot activities like gambling, Tinder and games. Also, orders of the Besties Tequila were supposed to be fulfilled by end of summer but were delayed again and again due to the bottle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Jack Dorsey funds diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine’s video archive
Jack Dorsey backs diVine, a Vine reboot that includes Vine's video archive of 6-second, looping videos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why a researcher is building robots that look and act like bats; plus Productivity app Hero announces an SDK that will complete your AI prompts for you
These palm-sized robots use ultrasound signals to navigate harsh conditions in search and rescue missions. Also, the autocomplete will help users create more effective prompts for AI apps, resulting in fewer back-and-forths. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The global race for the AI app layer is still on; plus Australian spy chief warns Chinese hackers are ‘probing’ critical networks for espionage and sabotage
The U.S. is far ahead of Europe in the race for large AI models, at least in funding. But the picture is different for the application layer, global VC firm Accel highlighted in its 2025 Globalscape report. Also, Australia's intelligence chief warned that Chinese hackers are trying to break into its networks, sometimes successfully, to "pre-position" for sabotage ahead of an anticipated invasion of Taiwan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices