TechCrunch Industry News
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The US imposes 25% tariff on Nvidia’s H200 AI chips headed to China; plus, OpenAI invests in Sam Altman’s brain computer interface startup Merge Labs
The Trump administration formalized its 25% cut of H200 chip sales in China with a tariff that applies to certain semiconductors. Also, OpenAI is participating in a $250 million seed round into Merge Labs, Sam Altman's brain computer interface startup. The startup is valued at $850 million. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
AI models are starting to crack high-level math problems
Since the release of GPT 5.2, AI tools have become inescapable in high-level mathematics. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Tesla will only offer subscriptions for FSD (Supervised) going forward; plus, parents can block kids from watching Shorts
It's a huge change to Tesla's approach with FSD, and it could impact Musk's $1T pay package and the company's myriad legal troubles. Also, parents will be able toggle the Shorts time limit on connected children's accounts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
New York governor clears path for robotaxis except in NYC; plus, Microsoft announces glut of new data centers
New York City will be a notable exclusion from proposed legislation to legalize commercial robotaxis across the state. The tech giant has pledged to be a "good neighbor" as it continues to invest in AI infrastructure throughout the country. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Amazon says 97% of its devices can support Alexa+
Announced early last year, Alexa+ is Amazon’s future in the generative AI market, offering more expressive voices, access to world knowledge similar to other AI assistants, and AI agents that perform tasks on behalf of the customer — like calling an Uber or ordering food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mark Zuckerberg says Meta is launching its own AI infrastructure initiative
“Meta is planning to build tens of gigawatts this decade, and hundreds of gigawatts or more over time. How we engineer, invest, and partner to build this infrastructure will become a strategic advantage,” Zuckerberg said, in a post on Threads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Google announces a new protocol to facilitate commerce using AI agents
The standard, developed with companies like Shopify, Etsy, Wayfair, Target, and Walmart, lets agents work across different parts of customer buying processes, including discovery and post-purchase support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Indonesia and Malaysia block Grok over non-consensual, sexualized deepfakes
These are the most aggressive moves so far from government officials responding to a flood of sexualized, AI-generated imagery — often depicting real women and minors, and sometimes depicting violence — posted by Grok in response to requests from users on the social network X. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The venture firm that ate Silicon Valley just raised another $15 billion; plus, X restricts Grok’s image generation to paying subscribers only
In a blog post published Friday morning, Ben Horowitz writes that "as the American leader in Venture Capital, the fate of new technology in the United States rests partly on our shoulders." It's the kind of statement certain to cause agita at rival firms. Also, Elon Musk's AI company has restricted Grok's controversial AI image-generation feature to only paying subscribers on X, after the tool invited heated criticism from across the world for letting users generate sexualized images of women and children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Critics pan spyware maker NSO’s transparency claims amid its push to enter US market
The infamous spyware maker released a new transparency report claiming to be a responsible spyware maker, without providing insight into how the company dealt with problematic customers in the past. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ford has an AI assistant and new hands-free tech on the way; plus, OpenAI unveiled ChatGPT Health
Ford says the new generation of BlueCruise will be 30% cheaper to build than the current technology. Also, the new ChatGPT Health feature is expected to roll out in the coming weeks and will offer a dedicated space for conversations with ChatGPT about health. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Caterpillar taps Nvidia to bring AI to its construction equipment; plus, General Catalyst execs say the era of ‘learn once, work forever’ is over
Caterpillar is piloting Cat AI, a system of AI agents in one of its excavators built on Nvidia's physical AI platform. Also, Calacanis, General Catalyst's Taneja, and McKinsey's Sternfels discussed how AI is reshaping technology and the labor force. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Warner Bros. Discovery rejects Paramount’s bid again, calls it a ‘leveraged buyout’; plus, Wearable health devices could generate a million tons of e-waste by 2050
The studio's board unanimously rejected Paramount Skydance's revised $108.4 billion bid, calling the proposal a "leveraged buyout" that would saddle the company with $87 billion in debt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Narwal adds AI to its vacuum cleaners; plus, AMD unveils new AI PC processors for gaming
Narwal's new robo vacuum cleaner switches to quiet mode near a baby's crib. Also, AMD announced the latest version of its AI-powered PC chips designed for a variety of tasks from gaming to content creation and multitasking. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Commonwealth Fusion Systems installs reactor magnet, lands deal with Nvidia; plus, Meta paused expansion of its Ray-Ban Display glasses
The fusion power frontrunner said that construction on its Sparc reactor was proceeding as planned. Meanwhile, it's building a digital twin to help dial it in. Also, Meta had originally planned to launch the glasses in France, Italy, Canada, and the U.K. in early 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hacktivist deletes white supremacist websites live onstage during hacker conference; plus, Offshore wind developers sue Trump administration
A hacker known as Martha Root broke in and deleted three white supremacists websites at the end of a talk during the annual hacker conference Chaos Communication Congress in Germany. Also, developers of off shore wind projects seek to reverse the Department of the Interior's stop-work order which affected five offshore wind projects off the Eastern Seaboard. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Luminar claims founder Austin Russell is dodging a subpoena in the bankruptcy case; plus, Can a social app fix the ‘terrible devastation’ of social media?
Lidar-maker Luminar says its founder and former CEO Austin Russell has been evading requests for information — including a subpoena — that the company needs in order to decide whether it should take legal action against him. Twitter co-founder Biz Stone and Pinterest co-founder Evan Sharp have raised new funding for their social media startup West Co. The startup launched an invite-only version of its first app, Tangle, in November. Now the Financial Times has pieced together more details from comments made by Stone and Sharp, as well as from regulatory filings and job listings. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
India orders Musk’s X to fix Grok over ‘obscene’ AI content; plus, Tech billionaires cashed out $16 billion in 2025
India's IT ministry has given X 72 hours to submit an action-taken report. Also, Jeff Bezos led the way. The Amazon founder sold 25 million shares for $5.7 billion in June and July, right around the time he was getting hitched to Lauren Sanchez in Venice. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In 2026, AI will move from hype to pragmatism
In 2026, here's what you can expect from the AI industry: new architectures, smaller models, world models, reliable agents, physical AI, and products designed for real-world use. This audio was produced using AI. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OpenAI bets big on audio as Silicon Valley declares war on screens, plus, European banks plan to cut 200,000 jobs as AI takes hold
The form factors may differ, but the thesis is the same: audio is the interface of the future. Every space -- your home, your car, even your face -- is becoming an interface. Also, the bloodletting in the European banking industry will hit hardest in back-office operations, risk management, and compliance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Investors predict AI is coming for labor in 2026
The exact impact AI will have on the enterprise labor market is unclear but investors predict trends will start to emerge in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The phone is dead. Long live . . . what exactly?
"We're not going to be using iPhones in 10 years," Callaghan says flatly. "I kind of don't think we'll be using them in five years." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
VCs predict enterprises will spend more on AI in 2026 — through fewer vendors
Enterprises have been experimenting with AI tools for a few years. Investors predict they will start to pick winners in 2026. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meta just bought Manus, an AI startup everyone has been talking about
Meta Platforms is acquiring Manus, a Singapore-based AI startup that’s become the talk of Silicon Valley since it debuted last spring with a demo video that showed an AI agent doing things like screening job candidates, planning vacations, and analyzing stock portfolios. Manus claimed at the time that it outperformed OpenAI’s Deep Research. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Why the electrical grid needs more software
The electrical grid is facing unprecedented stress from the addition of new data centers. Software could offer a cost-effective way to boost reliability and capacity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
You’ve been targeted by government spyware. Now what?
Tech companies are increasingly warning their customers that they have been targeted by governments with advanced government spyware, such as NSO's Pegasus or Paragon's Graphite. What happens after receiving a threat notification? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Meet the team that investigates when journalists and activists get hacked with government spyware
For years, Access Now’s Digital Security Helpline has been aiding journalists and dissidents who have been targeted with government spyware. This is how they operate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
‘Buy Now, Pay Later’ is expanding fast, and that should worry everyone
As Nigel Morris watches his BNPL investments from the other side of the table, he seems to understand the warning signs better than most. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How would the Netflix-Warner Bros. deal reshape Hollywood?
The $82.7 billion deal to acquire Warner Bros., and the acquisition has already been described as sending Hollywood into “full-blown panic mode,” “possibly a death blow to theatrical filmmaking,” and maybe even “the end of Hollywood” itself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
OK, what’s going on with LinkedIn’s algo?
TechCrunch's Dominic-Madori Davis writes about women who ran an experiment to see if LinkedIn's new algo was being sexist and thought they proved it. But experts say there's more complexity involved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Pirate group Anna’s Archive says it has scraped 86 million songs from Spotify; plus, OpenAI says AI browsers may always be vulnerable to prompt injection attacks
Pirate group Anna’s Archive says it has scraped 86 million songs from Spotify. Also, OpenAI says prompt injections will always be a risk for AI browsers with agentic capabilities, like Atlas. But the firm is beefing up its cybersecurity with an 'LLM-based automated attacker.' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
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