timef 02/11/2025

Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD unveiled “God’s Eye,” an advanced driver assistance system that will be install on its entire model lineup, including its $9,600 Seagull hatchback.  BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said at a live streamed event Monday that “we’re entering an era where autonomous driving is for everyone,” according to The Financial Times.  God’s […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

As the chief product officer for AI customer service startup TalkDesk, Charayna “CK” Kannan said that enterprises often say they want to automate different workflows but that it’s really hard to implement AI. Enterprises are dealing with clunky, legacy software, that often doesn’t have APIs, creating a daunting task their IT departments weren’t prioritizing. “Every […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

In his annual letter, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan dubbed AI one of the company’s four “big bets” for 2025. The executive pointed to the company’s investments in AI tools for creators, including ones for video ideas, thumbnails, and language translation. The latter feature will roll out to all creators in YouTube’s Partner Program this month, […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Quantum computing, long relegated to the realm of theoretical, feels like it is back on the agenda as a potentially viable alternative to the expensive race for more powerful compute.  On the heels of some notable advancements in quantum chips and error correction (two of the key areas that have kept quantum computers from becoming […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has reportedly placed several members of its election security team on administrative leave. The Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the situation, reports that 17 CISA employees have been placed on leave pending review.  The employees had worked with election officials to counter a range of […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

In a statement on Tuesday, Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI startup Anthropic, called the AI Action Summit in Paris this week a “missed opportunity,” and urged the AI industry — and government — to “move faster and with greater clarity.” “We were pleased to attend the AI Action Summit in Paris, and we appreciate […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

How much is a customer worth to a company? That’s the eternal question. To arrive at an answer, customer and sales teams are often forced to use spreadsheets and other manual data analysis methods. The problem is, these methods tend to be slow and error-prone, leading to gaps in reporting processes. The challenge spurred two […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

HR giant Workday is launching a new way for enterprises to keep track of all of their AI agents in one place. It’s also launching a few more AI agents of its own, for good measure. Silicon Valley-based Workday announced on Tuesday the release of Workday Digital Workforce Management, which is meant to help customers […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Mattoboard, the makers of web-based software designed to simplify the creative process for interior designers and architects, is getting into AI. On Tuesday, the startup announced its $2 million seed funding round, which will support the launch of a new feature called Design Stream, an AI-driven visual search and discovery tool.  The company’s software, a […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Unimaginable disasters like the fires in Los Angeles with their hundreds of billions of dollars in destruction put a huge focus on the role the insurance industry plays in the process of rebuilding. Those events will also lead to major financial losses at the insurance companies themselves. And longer term, all of this will put […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The Russian nationals are accused of launching more than 1,000 ransomware attacks worldwide to steal $16 million © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Escalating geopolitical tensions and a new administration with a hawkish defense agenda has led many startups to embrace dual-use strategies to secure revenue through military applications. And it’s a trend that is already heating up in aerospace.   Just look at Archer Aviation, a California-based startup building eVTOLs (electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles). Until very […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

When companies take shortcuts to build their software stack, prioritizing speed and quick-fixes over quality and long-term scalability, they can end up with what’s known as “technical debt.” Essentially, if a codebase is not constructed properly, as it grows, it will become more complex, cost more to maintain, and it’ll become ever harder to add […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris was supposed to culminate with a joint declaration on artificial intelligence signed by dozens of world leaders. While the statement isn’t as ambitious as the Bletchley and Seoul declarations, both the U.S. and the U.K. have refused to sign it. It proves once again that it is difficult […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Medical imaging is crucial for the timely identification of serious diseases like cancer. However, manual interpretation of scans is a time-intensive process. Healthcare professionals increasingly use AI-powered tools for diagnostic purposes, as such technologies can be very effective in detecting and categorizing diseases. A Sydney, Australia-headquartered startup, Harrison.ai, has built AI-enabled medical diagnostic software and […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

At the AI Action Summit in Paris this week, the U.S. declined to sign the statement summarizing the resolutions. But it did make an appearance: Vice President J.D. Vance gave a speech to the audience of dignitaries, tech leaders and regulators. Amid a conference heavy on equitable AI development — specifically, beyond the outsized influence […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

It’s no news that India is a huge market for entertainment businesses, but what often doesn’t get mentioned is that its people love to see content in their own languages. According to a recent survey by non-profit Internet and Mobile Association of India, more than 870 million Indians sought out videos, music and other content […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Venture capitalists are gobbling up term sheets for startups peddling artificial intelligence, even as they remain picky when it comes to funding the wider spectrum of technology.  According to new figures from analytics firm Dealroom, AI startups raised $110 billion in funding last year, up 62% on the year before. At the same time, privately-backed […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Africa’s top digital banking platforms typically dominate high-growth, populous markets like Nigeria, South Africa, and Egypt. But Affinity Africa, an upstart from Ghana, wants to join the conversation. The startup has raised $8 million in seed funding to expand its financial products further across the country, where mobile money is the dominant financial tool. While […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Instagram said Tuesday that the platform is introducing its teen accounts feature, which has extra protective measures for safety for users in India, one of its biggest markets with over 350 million users. The company introduced Teen Accounts last year in The U.S., U.K, Canada, and Australia. Meta migrated accounts of Instagram users who are […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The European Union is courting the private sector as it looks to step up compute capacity for training large AI models. Giving a speech at the AI Action Summit in Paris on Monday, the EU’s president, Ursula von der Leyen, talked up the potential of homegrown AI startups but said the region’s developers must have […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

As Africa’s tech ecosystem booms, more local talent is landing remote jobs with Big Tech firms and global startups. But getting paid remains a challenge for many of these freelancers and remote workers. They struggle to open accounts that accept US dollars, with foreign employers using incompatible payment platforms, and face slow invoicing and payment […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Two senior partners are leaving Peak XV, the largest India-focused venture capital firm, four sources familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.  Shailesh Lakhani, a 17-year veteran of the firm, and Abheek Anand, who co-led Southeast Asian investments, are departing, said the sources, who asked not to be identified discussing private matters. The exits follow Peak […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Google Maps officially updated the name of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America on Monday. Among many other executive orders, President Donald Trump decreed on the day of his inauguration that the Gulf of Mexico would be renamed the Gulf of America. This executive order also reverses an Obama-era move to rename […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Zeta, a provider of banking software to banks and fintech startups, has raised $50 million from a strategic investor at a $2 billion valuation. The new investment from American healthcare company Optum marks a 70% increase in the Bengaluru-based startup’s valuation from the $1.15 billion price tag (pre-money) it earned in 2021, when it raised […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Apple and Google have pulled as many as 20 apps from their respective apps for carrying a data-stealing malware. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Plaid, a company that connects bank accounts to financial applications, is working with Goldman Sachs on a deal to allow early-stage investors and employees to sell existing shares, which will raise between $300 million and $400 million, Bloomberg reported citing sources. The tender offer, as such deals are called, will likely value the company lower […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

As if Elon Musk doesn’t have enough going on, a consortium of investors led by him announced plans Monday for what appears to be a hostile takeover of OpenAI. The investor group offered nearly $97.4 billion to buy all of OpenAI’s assets and is “prepared to consider matching or exceeding higher bids,” it said in […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Researchers from Microsoft and Carnegie Mellon University recently published a study looking at how using generative AI at work affects critical thinking skills. “Used improperly, technologies can and do result in the deterioration of cognitive faculties that ought to be preserved,” the paper states. When people rely on generative AI at work, their effort shifts […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Carta, which previously faced scrutiny over its workplace environment, has settled two lawsuits filed by women who used to work there. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

If you want to relive Kendrick Lamar’s headline-making Super Bowl halftime show, Apple Music just dropped a replay of the performance in its surround sound-like Spatial Audio. Since Apple currently sponsors the Super Bowl halftime show, the company has permission to republish these musical spectacles — but this is better than just a YouTube video […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

A team of investors led by Elon Musk submitted a $97.6 billion bid to purchase OpenAI on Monday. The news comes by way of Musk’s lawyer, Marc Toberoff, who confirmed the reporting with The Wall Street Journal. The unsolicited bid is the latest escalation by Musk in his war with co-founder Sam Altman, as Altman […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Google has expanded NotebookLM Plus to users subscribed to the Google One AI Premium plan. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

A complete list of all the known layoffs in tech, from Big Tech to startups, broken down by month throughout 2024. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Bird, formerly MessageBird, has cut 120 jobs — roughly one-third of its workforce — as the startup plans to realign its global operations. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

OpenAI says it has spoken to government officials about its ongoing investigation into DeepSeek. The ChatGPT-maker previously claimed to have evidence that DeepSeek trained its AI models using improperly obtained data from OpenAI’s API. During a Bloomberg TV interview on Monday, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, said the company has talked with government […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

With TikTok’s fate in the U.S. uncertain — its ban in the country has been paused, but only temporarily, thanks to an executive order from President Donald Trump — the ByteDance-owned company is now encouraging Android device owners to sideload its video app onto their phones and tablets. The company announced in a Friday X […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Unknown attackers may have exploited a zero-day bug to access data on locked phones, according to Apple. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

All eyes were on French President Emmanuel Macron at the end of the first day of the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit in Paris after he annouunced a €109 billion investment package (around $112 billion at current exchange rates) in the French AI ecosystem on Sunday evening. He reiterated this financial commitment from private partners willing […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Rivian will sell its commercial electric vans to any U.S. business that wants one — more than a year since ending an exclusivity deal with backer Amazon. The company will sell two vans — the smaller 500 and the larger 700 — but buyers will have to be registered businesses, according to the company. That […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Perplexity’s Super Bowl contest managed to move the needle on its app’s downloads. Unlike OpenAI and Google, the AI search engine chose to forgo an expensive Super Bowl ad in favor of a tweet — sorry, an X post — encouraging users to download its app and enter a contest that could result in a […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Hundreds of heads of states, tech CEOs and nonprofits have flocked to Paris for the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit. So far, the winner of this week’s diplomatic and business parade seems to be Mistral. In business lingo, we would say that the French AI unicorn is experiencing tailwinds. Mistral has been one of the leading […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

As President Donald Trump attempts to freeze funding for a $5 billion federal EV charging infrastructure program, some states are stepping up. EV charging infrastructure startup Revel secured Monday a $60 million loan from New York’s clean energy investment fund NY Green Bank to more than triple its current public fast charging network in NYC.  […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

As the AI Summit got underway in Paris on Monday, some 60 European companies — from incumbent industrial giants to AI startups (including France’s LLM-maker Mistral) — signed up to an initiative to help establish Europe as a leader in AI. But the fact that they felt the need to sign up at all highlights the […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The U.S. government previously said 8base indiscriminately targeted multiple sectors across the United States, including healthcare © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Make room for yet another partnership on AI: Current AI, which is being billed as a “public interest” initiative focused on fostering and steering development of artificial intelligence in societally beneficial directions, was announced at the French AI Action summit on Monday — with an initial $400 million in pledges from backers and a plan […] © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.