30 C 
A tool that allowed anyone to generate fake AI-generated imagery and superimpose it over real Google Earth maps quickly spurred backlash.
Fresh off its Wiz payout, Index Ventures raises $2B across three funds
The new funding brings Index's total available investing capital to $3.5 billion.
VC-backed startups commit morefraud,and researchers think they know why
New research from the U.K.s Imperial College and Frances Emlyon Business School mapped out how Silicon Valley founders commit fraud and the role investors play.
Sam Altmanisntthe only one who wants to pump the brakes on AI
After years of pushing full speed ahead on AI,OpenAI CEOSam Altman saysmaybe itstime for the AI industry to pace itself. The comments camejust days after one of OpenAIs own models broke out of its test environment and got tangled up ina breach at Hugging Facethough as Equitys hosts point out, sloppy security seems to have []
Snapchat no longer rewards fully AI-generated Spotlight content
Snapchat has adjusted its recommendation systems to ensure that only videos created by real people are eligible for Spotlight recommendations, taking a stance against AI slop.
Siri AI could come with a paywall for power users
Apple CEO Tim Cook envisions users being able to buy more compute for Siri AI via Apple's existing iCloud+ subscriptions.
Samsung expects memory shortage to worsen through 2027 and last until 2028
AI data center demand is fueling a multi-year chip shortage, pushing up component costs and retail device prices.
SpaceX wont remove all of xAIs unpermitted turbines for another year
SpaceX is building a new power plant for xAI's Colossus data centers, but it won't remove existing, unpermitted turbines for many more months.
Reddit is testing a new way to watch and listen to its viral posts
Reddit is developing a new video experience that lets users watch or simply listen to its most popular posts, taking inspiration from the viral TikTok videos that pair Reddit stories with gameplay or other footage. CEO Steve Huffman said the feature is already in the works and could begin testing later this year.
Smallest.ai raises $13M to build ultra-fast voice AI that sounds genuinely human
The startup is building voice models designed to make AI phone calls pass the Turing test.
WhatsApp is testing a new folder for messages from large businesses
WhatsApp will automatically move messages from large businesses to a new folder a few hours after you receive them.
Tesla reportedly might sell its China business ahead of a SpaceX merger
Tesla had already reportedly prepped for the idea in the event that Beijing invades Taiwan.
Anthropic says its own AI models breached three companies during security tests
After OpenAI's models broke into Hugging Face, Anthropic checked its own history and found three similar incidents
Apple stockpiles inventory as it braces for significant supply constraints
Apple is worried enough about supply shortages that it reported about $11.1 billion in inventory, which is almost double the $5.7 billion it reported last September.
Reddit reports a solid quarter but shows signs of AIs impact
Reddit's financial situation is looking good but uncertainty about its relationship to Google and the new AI-ified web are stirring market concerns.
Investors love AI, as long as youre a cloud host
Amazon isn't slowing down on data center spending but investors don't seem to mind.
Apple says gaming slowdown and App Store changes hurt services growth
Apple said a slowdown in mobile gaming and changes to the App Stores business model including court-ordered payment rule changes in the U.S. weighed on its services business, even as the company topped 1.5 billion paid subscriptions.
Judge says Trump admin still lacks evidence for Anthropic supply chain risk label
A federal judge said the Trump administration has not presented enough evidence to justify labeling Anthropic a supply chain risk, casting doubt on the government's ban on its AI technology.
CareCloud begins to notify hundreds of thousands after hackers stole medical records
The health tech data giant, which handles vast amounts of patients' medical data, said hackers struck one of its protected health data stores.
Friend, the lonely AI wearable, returns with a new voice and a much bigger price tag
Friend, the AI wearable, can now talk to its users for an enhanced price.
Google says it fixed more Chrome bugs in June than over the past two years, thanks to AI
As experts have warned for the last two years, some companies like Microsoft and now Google are finding and patching an exponential number of bugs in their products, thanks to the use of LLMs and AI tools.
Florida plans to build air taxi pads using $200M intended for EV chargers
Florida wants to use federal EV charger funds to build an air taxi network connecting golf courses, luxury apartment buildings, and airports.
Synthetic-user startup Simile raises $200M at $2B valuation 5 months after $100M Series A
Add another member to the fast-and-furious AI unicorn club: Simile
Spotify launches User notes to let users add memories to songs
Spotify says the new feature is designed to let users add personal captions to their favorite songs, such as noting why a track was added to a playlist or when they first discovered it
Okta buys AI security startup Permiso; source says for about $200M
The deal gives Okta identity threat detection capabilities as enterprises seek to secure AI agents and other non-human identities across cloud environments.
Tesla made its 10 millionth EV
The milestone means Tesla is halfway to accomplishing one of the four core product goals Elon Musk has to hit to unlock his full $1 trillion pay package.
When will fusion power startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems go public?
There are fresh signs that fusion power startup Commonwealth Fusion Systems will list in the next two to three years.
Meta says AI is making it easier to build new apps and more are coming
Meta says AI is making it dramatically easier to build and launch new consumer apps, with CEO Mark Zuckerberg telling investors the company has more new consumer products on the way following a recent wave of releases for Facebook Groups, Marketplace sellers, Instagram, and gaming.
Netflix lands global streaming deal for The Walking Dead
Netflix just signed a massive new licensing agreement worth $500 million to bring The Walking Dead Universe to international markets.
Nscale buys Anyscale as it seeks to own more of the AI compute stack
British AI neocloud Nscale is buying software startup Anyscale, which helps companies scale their AI workloads across data centers and servers.
Forward-deployed engineers are the AI industrys latest talent obsession
A new study estimates only 2,000 U.S. engineers have the expertise to deliver meaningful AI ROI, as enterprises race to hire forward-deployed engineers to implement AI at scale.
In the Hugging Face breach, OpenAIs hacker was noisy and fast but not unstoppable
Cybersecurity experts told TechCrunch that one of the biggest lessons to be taken from the OpenAI hack against Hugging Face has nothing to do with AI, but traditional cybersecurity defense.
The Disrupt Stage is where many of the biggest conversations in technology happen, with a legacy that stretches back for more than a decade.
FTC sues Hims & Hers for allegedly sharing patients medical data with advertisers Meta and Snap
The U.S. federal consumer watchdog said Hims & Hers, which prescribes for sexual wellness and mental health conditions, used website trackers to share customers' information with advertisers.
Zoox clears final federal hurdle to launch paid robotaxi service
Federal safety regulators have given Zoox a temporary exemption that will allow the Amazon-owned autonomous vehicle technology company to charge customers for rides in its custom-built robotaxi.
Spotify adds a running mode to its app
Running Mode will be available to Premium users on iOS in select countries
Dili raises $21.7M to bring AI compliance to the infrastructure boom
The Series A was led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from Allianz, Rebel Fund, Brick and Mortar Ventures Darren Bechtel, and Y Combinators Garry Tan.
Inforcer raises $50M to help prepare smaller businesses for a new world of AI and security risks
London-based Inforcer just closed a $50 million Series C round led by Insight Partners.
Mark Zuckerberg predicts that billions of people will have personal AI agents in five years
As Meta pours billions into AI infrastructure and agents, Zuckerberg is working to convince investors that the payoff will be worth the price.
Microsoft logs $3.2B from Anthropic investment, but OpenAI was a mixed bag
When Microsoft reported killer fourth-quarter earnings for its fiscal 2026 year (which ended June 30), it tucked in an interesting little tidbit about how its investments in the two biggest, and competing, AI labs are doing.
Zuckerberg says Metas enterprise AI opportunity extends beyond agents
On the companys second-quarter earnings call Wednesday, CEO Mark Zuckerberg said Meta sees a large enterprise opportunity spanning AI agents, APIs, compute, and internal software.
At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, the AI Stage is back to dig into the single hottest topic in the community for the past few years, presented by Google for Startups.
Thinking Machines co-founder Lilian Weng left the company citing health reasons, then joined OpenAI
Weng previously served as the VP of AI Safety Research at OpenAI.
Winamp aims for a comeback with a new music player powered by Deezer
Winamp is preparing to relaunch with a Deezer-powered premium music service, betting its nostalgic brand and a new all-in-one music player can stand out in todays crowded streaming market.
The Hugging Face AI break-in, as told through an increasingly committed bear metaphor
Another way to think about the whole thing is to picture a bear at a campsite. (Really, we are going there.)
Claude Opus 5 became downright ruthless when tasked with running a vending machine
Andon Labs' latest vending machine simulation shows Opus 5 lied and colluded its way to become the best AI capitalist ever.
Waymo robotaxis are starting to return to freeways
Waymo robotaxis are now using freeways in Phoenix with more cities to follow in the coming days.
The ban largely affects U.S. imports from China, which currently dominates the global market for making humanoid robots and solar inverters.
Google brings its age-assurance technology to Android developers worldwide
Google is expanding its Play Age Signals API, giving Android developers a privacy-preserving way to tailor experiences based on users age ranges.
Elon Musks X settles multiyear legal battle with the World Federation of Advertisers
X sued the WFA in 2024 for conducting what it called a systematic illegal boycott of the platform after it saw a decline in advertising revenue following Musk's $44 billion takeover of the social network.
Hint, a new AI startup co-founded by Martha Stewart, offers an AI assistant for homeowners
AI home management startup Hint, co-founded by Martha Stewart, wants to become an AI for your home, combining property records, maintenance schedules, home documents, and an AI assistant into a single app.
Perplexity employee who worked on Comet launches an AI browser aimed at knowledge work
Polar has come out with an AI-first browser aimed at knowledge workers, and it has now raised a $5.7 million seed round led by Madrona.
Encore AI raises $30M to build AI agents that learn from customer calls
The startup analyzes calls, messages, and CRM data to identify effective sales techniques and turn them into playbooks for AI agents.
DoorDash is building its own drone delivery business
DoorDash has received FAA approval to operate a commercial drone delivery service in the United States.
As AI content floods the internet, Pangram raises $9M to detect it
Pangram has raised $9 million to scale its AI detection software. The startup has also released a new AI text detection model, Pangram 4, and an AI image detection model in research preview.
Cyera agrees to acquire Oasis Security for $1B to safeguard proliferating AI agents
The deal is Cyera's third acquisition this year.
Bot-detection startup Spur nabs $200M from Insight
Spur Intelligence has raised a $200 million round from Insight Partners for its tech that can identify legit human traffic from bots.
MCP startup Runlayer accuses Rippling of stealing its product idea
Runlayer is suing Rippling after Rippling evaluated the startup's MCP gateway product and then opted to build one itself.
These App Store hidden gems prove theres still room for great software in the AI era
Despite predictions that AI agents could make traditional apps obsolete, developers are shipping new software faster than ever. From smarter bookmarking tools and neighborhood marketplaces to digital pen pals and nature journals, here are the latest App Store finds worth adding to your Home Screen.
HBO Max embraces vertical video with a new Shorts feed
HBO Max, like other streaming platforms, is rethinking content discovery as large libraries are making it hard for viewers to find something to watch and as audiences become accustomed to short-form content on platforms like TikTok and Instagram Reels.
Saudi prince buys 5% stake in Lucid Motors
The investment comes after speculation that Saudi Arabia may take Lucid Motors private -- which the EV maker has denied.
Data centers may face temporary power cuts to prevent blackouts on largest US grid
The decision arrives as the breakneck pace of data center construction has grid operators scrambling to generate power.
Elon Musks X Money app is rolling out in the US
Users get an X Visa debit card, which they can immediately add to Apple Pay and use to make instant peer-to-peer transfers within the app without fees or limits.
WhatsApp now lets you make calls using its web app
Similar to the smartphone and desktop apps, the web app will support calling features such as screen-sharing and reactions.
Fish Audio raises $50M seed to build AI voice models for creators and enterprises
Since launching last year, the startup today has more than 8 million people using the open-source or hosted version of its models, and now generates annual recurring revenue of $21 million.
Apple launches Upgrade device leasing program in partnership with Klarna
Leasing prices start at $17.99 per month for iPhone, $11.99 for Apple Watch, $24.99 for Mac, and $11.99 for iPad.
Recursive Superintelligence signs $410 compute deal with Amazon
Recursives $400 million outlay represents the bulk of the companys fundraising to date.
Granola launches an Apple Watch app
Granola debutes an Apple Watch app for in-person notetaking
Lyft and Baidu enter Londons robotaxi battleground as testing begins
Baidu's Apollo Go autonomous vehicles will be available on Freenow, the mobility network that Lyft acquired in 2025.
Cursor makes its biggest India push yet ahead of SpaceX acquisition with localized pricing
Cursor says India is now its third-largest market globally and plans to expand local hiring and enterprise sales.
