As Apple’s Siri comes under attack for failing at the most basic queries, the company is shaking up leadership in charge of Apple’s AI features for Siri. According to Bloomberg, Apple CEO Tim Cook is installing Mike Rockwell, the current VP of the Vision Products Group (the team behind the Vision Pro), to head up…
Category: AI
AI, Asia Pacific, china, Global Security News, Government & Policy
AI’s answers on China differ depending on the language, analysis finds
It’s well-established that AI models developed by Chinese AI labs like DeepSeek censor certain politically sensitive topics. A 2023 measure passed by China’s ruling party forbids models from generating content that “damages the unity of the country and social harmony.” According to one study, DeepSeek’s R1 refuses to answer 85% of questions about subjects deemed…
AI, Anthropic, Apps, Claude, Global IT News, Global Security News
Anthropic adds web search to its Claude chatbot
Anthropic’s AI-powered chatbot, Claude, can now search the web — a capability that had long eluded it. Web search is available now in preview for paid Claude users in the U.S., Anthropic said on its blog, with support for free users and additional countries coming soon. Users can toggle on web search in their profile…
AI, api, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, openai
OpenAI upgrades its transcription and voice-generating AI models
OpenAI is bringing new transcription and voice-generating AI models to its API that the company claims improve upon its previous releases. For OpenAI, the models fit into its broader “agentic” vision: building automated systems that can independently accomplish tasks on behalf of users. The definition of “agent” might be in dispute, but OpenAI Head of…
AI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Climate, data centers, electrical grid, Global IT News, Global Security News, Microsoft, nvidia
Nvidia thinks AI can solve electrical grid problems caused by AI
The Open Power AI Consortium says it will use domain-specific AI models to tackle problems in the power industry. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Airbyte, data pipelines, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
Airbyte launches new connectors to help companies better leverage their data
Open-source data movement company Airbyte is launching additional connectors to help enterprises better utilize their data in the age of AI without compromising data sovereignty. The San Francisco-based startup announced on Thursday that it’s releasing a host of new capabilities designed to enable customers to securely move corporate data without tapping SaaS applications. The new…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC Sessions: AI, TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Time is ticking! Vote for the TechCrunch Sessions: AI speaker you want to see
TechCrunch Sessions: AI kicks off on June 5 at Zellerbach Hall in UC Berkeley — and you have the power to decide who you want to see lead an impactful breakout session. We have narrowed down the impressive number of speaker applications to six incredible finalists. Now, it’s up to you to choose who you…
AI, Artificial Intelligence (AI), battery storage, Climate, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Microsoft, renewable power, Solar Power
Solar notches another win as Microsoft adds 475 MW to power its AI data centers
The company recently signed a deal with energy provider AES for three solar projects across the Midwest. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Apps, Biotech & Health, Climate, Crypto, Enterprise, Fintech, Gadgets, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, robotics, Space, Startups, TC, TechCrunch All Stage 2025, TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, TechCrunch Sessions: AI, Venture
Make waves in 2025: Exhibit at TechCrunch events
If you’re reading this, you already know: It’s time to amplify your brand. Get in front of thousands of TechCrunch event attendees, readers, and decision-makers who can take your business further this year by exhibiting at a TechCrunch event. The perks of exhibiting: What’s in it for you Exhibiting doesn’t just elevate your brand —…
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Meta, meta ai
Meta AI is finally coming to the EU, but with limitations
Amid an ongoing regulatory battle with European privacy authorities, Meta announced on Thursday that its AI-powered virtual assistant, Meta AI, is finally launching in the European Union. The chatbot-like tool will be rolled out across Meta’s portfolio of social platforms, albeit with a more limited feature set compared to what it offers in its domestic…
AI, Europe, Global Security News, Startups
Pruna AI open sources its AI model optimization framework
Pruna AI, a European startup that has been working on compression algorithms for AI models, is making its optimization framework open source on Thursday. Pruna AI has been creating a framework that applies several efficiency methods, such as caching, pruning, quantization and distillation, to a given AI model. “We also standardize saving and loading the…
AI, Europe, GDPR, Global Security News, openai, privacy
ChatGPT hit with privacy complaint over defamatory hallucinations
OpenAI is facing another privacy complaint in Europe over its viral AI chatbot’s tendency to hallucinate false information — and this one might prove tricky for regulators to ignore. Privacy rights advocacy group Noyb is supporting an individual in Norway who was horrified to find ChatGPT returning made-up information that claimed he’d been convicted for…
AI, cleargrid, debt collection, Emerging Tech, Fintech, Global Security News, Middle East, Startups
ClearGrid, armed with a fresh $10M, is developing AI to improve debt collection in MENA
Debt collection in emerging markets often feels outdated, and can be costly — damaging borrower trust. As consumer lending surges and regulators push for fairer practices, legacy collection outfits are struggling to maintain pace. ClearGrid aims to help modernize debt collection — and recovery — with AI. The Dubai-based startup, which is emerging from stealth…
AI, Ampere, ARM Holdings, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Mergers and Acquisitions, Softbank
SoftBank to acquire semiconductor designer Ampere in $6.5B all-cash deal
SoftBank Group announced on Wednesday that it will acquire Ampere Computing, a chip designer founded by former Intel executive Renee James, through a $6.5 billion all-cash deal as a strategic move to broaden its investment in AI infrastructure. Ampere will be operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of SoftBank after the deal, which is expected to…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, o1-pro, openai
OpenAI’s o1-pro is the company’s most expensive AI model yet
OpenAI has launched a more powerful version of its o1 “reasoning” AI model, o1-pro, in its developer API. According to OpenAI, o1-pro uses more computing than o1 to provide “consistently better responses.” Currently, it’s only available to select developers — those who’ve spent at least $5 on OpenAI API services — and it’s pricey. Very…
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Global Security News, News, Ransomware, ransomware negotiator, Security, Sygnia
TechRepublic EXCLUSIVE: New Ransomware Attacks are Getting More Personal as Hackers ‘Apply Psychological Pressure”
Ransomware attackers know where your kids go to school and they want you to know it, according to professional negotiators at Sygnia.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Grok, India, X, xAI
X users treating Grok like a fact-checker spark concerns over misinformation
Some users on X are turning to Grok for fact-checking, raising concerns among fact-checkers. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, openai
OpenAI research lead Noam Brown thinks AI ‘reasoning’ models could’ve arrived decades ago
Noam Brown, who leads AI reasoning research at OpenAI, says “reasoning” AI models like OpenAI’s o1 could’ve arrived 20 years earlier had researchers “known [the right] approach” and algorithms. “There were various reasons why this research direction was neglected,” Brown said during a panel at Nvidia’s GTC conference in San Jose on Wednesday. “I noticed…
AI, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Gretel, nvidia, Startups
Nvidia reportedly acquires synthetic data startup Gretel
Nvidia has reportedly acquired Gretel, a San Diego-based startup that’s developed a platform to generate synthetic AI training data. Terms of the acquisition are unknown. The price tag is reportedly nine figures and exceeds Gretel’s most recent valuation of $320 million, according to Wired. Gretel and its team of roughly 80 employees will be folded…
AI, AWS, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Raj Aggarwal, Startups
AWS generative AI exec leaves to launch startup
Raj Aggarwal is leaving AWS after nearly three years as the company’s GM of generative AI and revenue acceleration, according to a LinkedIn post Aggarwal published Wednesday. “I’m proud of the pioneering work our team did in generative AI from its earliest days,” Aggarwal said in his post. “We built what might be the world’s…
AI, Cybersecurity, Featured, Global Security News, LLMs, News, Security Boulevard (Original), Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X, Spotlight
Trend Micro Open Sources Cybertron LLM for Cybersecurity
Trend Micro today announced it will open source a Cybertron large language model (LLM) specifically trained to automate a wide range of cybersecurity tasks. The post Trend Micro Open Sources Cybertron LLM for Cybersecurity appeared first on Security Boulevard.
AI, ai safety, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, SB 1047
Group co-led by Fei-Fei Li suggests that AI safety laws should anticipate future risks
In a new report, a California-based policy group co-led by Fei-Fei Li, an AI pioneer, suggests that lawmakers should consider AI risks that “have not yet been observed in the world” when crafting AI regulatory policies. The 41-page interim report released on Tuesday comes from the Joint California Policy Working Group on Frontier AI Models,…
AI, api, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, xAI
xAI launches an API for generating images
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has added image generation capabilities to its API. Only one model is available in the API at the moment, “grok-2-image-1212.” Given a caption, the model can generate up to 10 images per request (limited to 5 requests per second) in JPG format, priced at $0.07 per image. For comparison, AI…
AI, Gatik AI, General Motors, Global IT News, Global Security News, nvidia, nvidia gtc, torc, Transportation
GM, Gatik, Torc team up with Nvidia to accelerate self-driving
NVIDIA’s GTC conference kicked off with a series of announcements highlighting its role in advancing autonomous driving technology. The chipmaker provides automakers and autonomous vehicle companies with a handful of Nvidia-branded tools to help power self-driving cars and create digital twins of factories. On Tuesday, companies including Torc, Gatik, and even General Motors announced plans…
AI, dataminr, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Security
Analytics company Dataminr secures $85M to fund growth
Dataminr, a data analytics company that counts NATO and OpenAI among its customers, has raised $85 million in a combination of convertible financing and credit, Dataminr announced on Wednesday. It’s chump change for Dataminr, which closed a $475 million round at a $4.1 billion valuation in 2021. But the company has seen its fair share…
AI, Cybersecurity, Featured, Global Security News, malicious bots, News, Security Boulevard (Original), Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X, Spotlight
HUMAN Security Applies AI to Combatting Malicious Bots
HUMAN Security this week revealed it is applying artificial intelligence (AI) and data modeling to bot management as part of an effort to provide cybersecurity teams more granular insights into the origins of cyberattacks. The post HUMAN Security Applies AI to Combatting Malicious Bots appeared first on Security Boulevard.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Research, scaling
Researchers say they’ve discovered a new method of ‘scaling up’ AI, but there’s reason to be skeptical
Have researchers discovered a new AI “scaling law”? That’s what some buzz on social media suggests — but experts are skeptical. AI scaling laws, a bit of an informal concept, describe how the performance of AI models improves as the size of the datasets and computing resources used to train them increases. Until roughly a…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotics, robotics startups, Startups, Tera AI, vision for robotics
Tera AI comes out of stealth with $7.8M to provide visual navigation for robots
Robots are part of an exciting new frontier in tech, but here’s the challenge: robots rely on arrays of sensors, external signals like GPS and Wi-Fi, and customized software to navigate their environments. Further, robotics often involves expensive, ready-made hardware solutions that include built-in software and sensors designed for specific tasks, like estimating relative motion.…
AI, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hugging Face, huggingsnap
Hugging Face’s new iOS app taps AI to describe what you’re looking at
AI startup Hugging Face has released a new app for iOS that only does one thing: uses offline, local AI to describe what’s in view of your iPhone’s camera. The app, called HuggingSnap, taps Hugging Face’s in-house vision model, smolvlm2, to analyze what your phone sees in real-time without sending data off to the cloud.…
AGI, AI, Global IT News, Global Security News
The AI leaders bringing the AGI debate down to Earth
During a recent dinner with business leaders in San Francisco, a comment I made cast a chill over the room. I hadn’t asked my dining companions anything I considered to be extremely faux pas: simply whether they thought today’s AI could someday achieve human-like intelligence (i.e. AGI) or beyond. It’s a more controversial topic than…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC Sessions: AI, TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Let your voice be heard! Vote for who you want to see at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
TechCrunch Sessions: AI is nearly upon us, and you have the power to decide who you want to see lead a dynamic breakout session. We have whittled speaker applications down to six incredible finalists to take the stage on June 5 in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley. Who do you want to see share their…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, iclr, Research
Academics accuse AI startups of co-opting peer review for publicity
There’s a controversy brewing over “AI-generated” studies submitted to this year’s ICLR, a long-running academic conference focused on AI. At least three AI labs — Sakana, Intology, and Autoscience — claim to have used AI to generate studies that were accepted to ICLR workshops. At conferences like ICLR, workshop organizers typically review studies for publication…
AI, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, greycroft, India, Prezent, Startups
Prezent raises $20M to build AI for slide decks
Prezent has raised $20 million in an all-equity funding to build specialized presentation models and expand its footprint into new markets. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, autonomous vehicles, california, Global IT News, Global Security News, robotaxi, TC, Tesla, Transportation
What Tesla can and can’t do in California with its new passenger transportation permit
Tesla received a permit Tuesday from the California Public Utilities Commission to operate a transportation service in the state, the beginning of a long regulatory road that could eventually lead to the company getting the OK to operate a robotaxi service there. The permit, which Tesla applied for in November 2024, doesn’t cover autonomous vehicle…
AI, autonomous vehicles, Global IT News, Global Security News, gtc 2025, nvidia, robotics, Transportation
An AI model from over a decade ago sparked Nvidia’s investment in autonomous vehicles
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote Tuesday at the company’s GTC 2025 conference stuck with tradition and was chock full of announcements. But the company also snuck in a little history lesson. During the automotive portion of his speech, Huang referred to AlexNet, a neural network architecture that gained widespread attention in 2012 when it won…
AI, dgx, Global IT News, Global Security News, gtc 2025, Hardware, nvidia
Nvidia announces two ‘personal AI supercomputers’
Nvidia at GTC 2025 announced a new lineup of “AI personal supercomputers” powered by the company’s Grace Blackwell chip platform. Jensen Huang, the semiconductor company’s founder and CEO, unveiled the two new machines, DGX Spark (previously called Project Digits) and DGX Station, during his keynote on Tuesday. The computers will allow users to prototype, fine-tune,…
AI, autonomous vehicles, General Motors, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, nvidia gtc, robotics, Transportation
GM teams up with Nvidia to bring AI to robots, factories, and self-driving cars
General Motors is turning to Nvidia to help bring AI to the physical world in an expanded collaboration designed to touch every aspect of the automaker’s business, including factories, robots, and self-driving cars. Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang, who announced the partnership Tuesday during his keynote at the company’s GTC conference in San Jose,…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News
Nvidia announces Groot N1, a foundation model for humanoid robotics
Nvidia is releasing what it’s calling an AI foundation model for humanoid robotics. Announced at GTC 2025 in San Jose, the model, dubbed Groot N1, is a “generalist” model, trained on both synthetic and real data. Nvidia claims that Groot N1 features a “dual system architecture” for “thinking fast and slow,” inspired by human cognitive…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Security, wiz
Here’s why Google pitched its $32B Wiz acquisition as ‘multicloud’
Tuesday’s big news that Google is acquiring security startup Wiz for a record-breaking $32 billion comes with a very big qualifier. Google says it will position Wiz as a “multicloud” offering, meaning Wiz will not be a Google-only shop. The reality is that Google had no choice but to do this, and a closer look…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News
Nvidia announces new GPUs at GTC 2025, including Vera Rubin
On stage at Nvidia GTC 2025 in San Jose, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang announced a slew of new GPUs coming down the company’s product pipeline in the next several months. Perhaps the most significant was Vera Rubin. Vera Rubin, which is set to be released in the second half of 2026, will feature up to…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Stability AI, stable virtual camera
Stability AI’s new AI model turns photos into 3D scenes
Stability AI has released a new AI model, Stable Virtual Camera, that the company says can transform 2D images into “immersive” videos with realistic depth and perspective. Virtual cameras are tools often used in digital filmmaking and 3D animation to capture and navigate scenes in real-time. With Stable Virtual Camera, Stability sought to add generative…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, Transportation
How to watch Nvidia GTC 2025, including CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote
GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, returns this week, with the biggest announcements probably coming Tuesday. If you can’t make it in person, don’t sweat it. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the major developments, and we’ve made it easy for you to follow along. Many of the biggest presentations, talks, and panels…
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Global Security News, Podcast, The AI Fix
The AI Fix #42: AIs with anxiety, and why AIs don’t know what happened
In episode 42 of the AI Fix, our hosts discover why ads for the Neo Gamma robot are so sinister, Graham plays peek-a-boo with a crow, humans give up writing, an AI designs a drug, an upstart AI agent gets everyone’s attention, and a talking fish offers our hosts some sage advice. Graham wonders if…
AI, Apps, audio overview, Canvas, gemini, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google
Google brings a ‘canvas’ feature to Gemini, plus Audio Overview
They say imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Google seems to agree. On Tuesday, the company added a feature to its AI-powered Gemini chatbot that the company is calling Canvas. Similar in concept to OpenAI’s identically-named Canvas tool for ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Artifacts, Canvas provides Gemini users with an interactive space where they…
AI, code review, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, graphite, Startups
Anthropic-backed AI-powered code review platform Graphite raises cash
AI coding assistants are becoming wildly popular, with the vast majority of respondents in GitHub’s latest poll saying that they’ve adopted AI tools in some form. Y Combinator partner Jared Friedman recently claimed that a quarter of YC’s W25 startup batch have 95% of their codebases generated by AI. Sensing an opportunity, VCs are rushing to back startups developing…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News
Mark Zuckerberg says that Meta’s Llama models have hit 1B downloads
In a brief message Tuesday morning on Threads, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said the company’s “open” AI model family, Llama, hit 1 billion downloads. That’s up from 650 million downloads as of early December 2024 — a 153% increase over a roughly-three-month period. Llama, which powers Meta’s AI assistant, Meta AI, across the tech giant’s…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups, TC, TC Sessions: AI, TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Make your choice! Vote for the speaker you want to see at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
It’s time to make your voice heard. After receiving an overwhelming amount of applications for speakers at TechCrunch Sessions: AI, we have chosen six incredible finalists. TC Sessions: AI takes place on June 5 in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley — and you have the power to decide who you want to take the stage…
AI, Anthropic, Global IT News, Global Security News, voice mode
Anthropic is reportedly prepping a voice mode for Claude
According to a report, AI startup Anthropic is working on voice capabilities for its AI-powered chatbot, Claude. The company’s chief product officer, Mike Krieger, told the Financial Times that Anthropic plans to launch experiences that allow users to talk to Anthropic’s AI models. “We are doing some work around how Claude for desktop evolves [……
AI, Android, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Google Search, Healthcare
Google launches new healthcare-related features for Search, Android
Google on Tuesday announced new products and features aimed at healthcare use cases, including improved overviews in Google Search for health queries, medical records APIs, and new health-focused “open” AI models. In Search, Google says it’s using AI and ranking systems to expand “knowledge panel” answers on thousands of health-related topics, and adding support for…
AI, drug discovery, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, txgemma
Google plans to release new ‘open’ AI models for drug discovery
During a health-focused event in New York on Tuesday, Google announced that it’s developing a collection of “open” AI models for drug discovery called TxGemma. The AI models, which Google said will be released through its Health AI Developer Foundations program later this month, can understand both “regular text” and the structures of different “therapeutic…
AI, Engineering, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
TurinTech reveals $20M in backing to fix problems in ‘vibe coding’
So-called “vibe coding” with LLM-driven tools like Cursor Composer — a term coined by renowned computer scientist Andrej Karpathy — describes a hands-off approach to writing code using Gen AI models, and it has really taken off recently. According to Y Combinator, one quarter of the startups in its latest batch relies on AI to…
AI, AI-powered solutions, Cybersecurity, cyberthreats, Exploits, Global Security News, Security Boulevard (Original), Social - Facebook, Social - LinkedIn, Social - X, Threats, Threats & Breaches, vulnerabilities
The Future of Enterprise Security: AI-powered Lateral Defense in a Dynamic Threat Landscape
Attackers increasingly leverage AI-powered exploitation and can quickly identify vulnerable systems, infiltrate networks unnoticed and move laterally to compromise critical assets. The post The Future of Enterprise Security: AI-powered Lateral Defense in a Dynamic Threat Landscape appeared first on Security Boulevard.
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, material science, openai
OpenAI exec leaves to found materials science startup
Liam Fedus, OpenAI’s VP of research for post-training, is leaving the company to found a materials science AI startup. The Information initially reported Fedus’ plans. In a statement on X, Fedus confirmed the report and added a few additional details. “My undergrad was in physics and I’m keen to apply this technology there,” Fedus said…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Intel
Intel could be in for significant changes as Lip-Bu Tan takes on CEO role
Intel’s new CEO Lip-Bu Tan seems ready to get right to work to turn around the struggling company. The semiconductor giant’s new executive is considering sweeping changes for the company’s chip manufacturing and AI strategies, according to Reuters, including cutting middle management staff and revamping the company’s approach to manufacturing chips. Tan reportedly told company…
AI, copyright, gemini, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Media & Entertainment, watermarks
People are using Google’s new AI model to remove watermarks from images
Users on social media have discovered a controversial use case for Google’s new Gemini AI model: removing watermarks from images, including from images published by Getty Images and other well-known stock media outfits. Last week, Google expanded access to its Gemini 2.0 Flash model’s image generation feature, which lets the model natively generate and edit…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, hotshot, Media & Entertainment, Mergers and Acquisitions, xAI
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, acquires a generative AI video startup
Elon Musk’s AI company, xAI, has acquired Hotshot, a startup working on AI-powered video generation tools along the lines of OpenAI’s Sora. Aakash Sastry, Hotshot’s CEO and co-founder, announced the news in a post on X on Monday. “Over the past 2 years we’ve built 3 video foundation models as a small team — Hotshot-XL,…
AI, Apps, ChatGPT, Enterprise, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, Slack
OpenAI to start testing ChatGPT connectors for Google Drive and Slack
OpenAI will soon begin testing a way for business customers to connect apps like Slack and Google Drive to ChatGPT. OpenAI plans to start beta testing a new feature called ChatGPT Connectors, according to a document viewed by TechCrunch. ChatGPT Connectors will allow ChatGPT Team subscribers to link workspace Google Drive and Slack accounts to…
AI, Biotech & Health, chemical process automation, Exclusive, Global IT News, Global Security News, reactwise, Startups
YC-backed ReactWise is applying AI to speed up drug manufacturing
Artificial intelligence continues stirring things up in chemistry. To wit: Y Combinator-backed Cambridge, U.K.-based ReactWise is using AI to speed up chemical manufacturing — a key step in bringing new drugs to market. Once a promising drug has been identified in the lab, pharma firms need to be able to produce much larger amounts of…
AI, Amazon, amazon alexa, Amazon Echo, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud, Cloud Security, data centers, Global Security News, privacy, Security, storage
Amazon’s Controversial Change to Echo’s Privacy Settings Takes Effect Soon
Amazon is mandating cloud-based processing for Echo voice commands, removing local storage and disabling Alexa’s voice ID to expand its generative AI capabilities.
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, Transportation
Nvidia GTC 2025: What to expect from this year’s show
GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, begins Monday and runs till Friday in San Jose, with the biggest announcements probably coming Tuesday. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the news as it happens — and we’re expecting a healthy dose of announcements. And we’re making it easy for you to follow along. CEO…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, Transportation
How to watch Nvidia GTC 2025, including CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote
GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, will return this week, with the biggest announcements probably coming Tuesday. If you can’t make it in person, don’t sweat it. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the major developments, and we’ve made it easy for you to follow along. Many of the biggest presentations, talks, and…
AI, Apps, Biotech & Health, Global IT News, Global Security News
Travis Kalanick wants to do a lot more than develop more ghost kitchens
Last week, at the Abundance Summit in Los Angeles, billionaire entrepreneur Travis Kalanick gave attendees a rare glimpse into his vision for the future of his newest company, CloudKitchens. While today the eight-year-old L.A.-based outfit is known for a growing real estate portfolio that it uses to it host – and set up – restaurants…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Security, Startups, TC, TC Sessions: AI, TechCrunch Sessions: AI
Vote for the session you want to see at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
We’ve been blown away by the overwhelming response to speak at TechCrunch Sessions: AI on June 5 in Zellerbach Hall at UC Berkeley. After thorough consideration, we’ve selected six standout finalists. The power to choose who will take the stage and share their AI expertise with 1,200 AI leaders and enthusiasts is now in your…
3d, AI, Gaming, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, Roblox
Roblox releases its open-source model that can create 3D objects using AI
Roblox announced Monday that it’s launching the first iteration of its 3D model, dubbed “Cube,” to allow creators to create 3D objects using generative AI. The company also launched an open-source version so anyone off the platform can build on it. Announced last year at Roblox’s annual developer conference, the company is demoing Cube at…
AI, Apps, chirp 3, DeepMind, Demis Hassabis, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Media & Entertainment, voice AI
Google adds its HD voice model Chirp 3 to its Vertex AI platform
A lot of the focus in generative AI up to now has been on text-based interfaces used to generate text, images and more. The next wave appears to be voice, and it’s rolling in fast. In the latest development, Google today announced that it would be adding Chirp 3 — its HD voice interface —…
agentspace, AI, DeepMind, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Vertex AI
Google beefs up its UK AI business with Agentspace data residency and more
Google is doubling down on building out its AI business in the U.K., and on Monday morning in London, the CEO of Google DeepMind Demis Hassabis and Google Cloud CEO Thomas Kurian appeared alongside customers BT and WPP to spell out some of its plans. The company said it will be expanding UK data residency…
AI, Application Security, Automation in Security, CISO Suite, cyber defense, cyber security, cyber threat, Cybersecurity, Cybersecurity Strategy, Data Consolidation, Data Overload, Data Privacy, Data Security, Digital Privacy, Episodes, Global Security News, Governance, Risk & Compliance, Information Security, infosec, IT Security Collaboration, Managing Cybersecurity Data, penetration testing, PlexTrac, Podcast, Podcasts, privacy, purple teaming, Red Teaming, Risk Management, risk scoring, Security, security best practices, Security Bloggers Network, Social Engineering, Technology, Threat Intelligence, vulnerability remediation, Weekly Edition
Tackling Data Overload: Strategies for Effective Vulnerability Remediation
In part one of our three part series with PlexTrac, we address the challenges of data overload in vulnerability remediation. Tom hosts Dahvid Schloss, co-founder and course creator at Emulated Criminals, and Dan DeCloss, CTO and founder of PlexTrac. They share their expertise on the key data and workflow hurdles that security teams face today.…
AI, copyright, gemini, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Media & Entertainment, watermarks
People are using Google’s new AI model to remove watermarks from images
Users on social media have discovered a controversial use case for Google’s new Gemini AI model: removing watermarks from images, including from images published by Getty Images and other well-known stock media outfits. Last week, Google expanded access to its Gemini 2.0 Flash model’s image generation feature, which lets the model natively generate and edit…
AI, Baidu, ernie, Global IT News, Global Security News
Baidu launches two new versions of its AI model Ernie
Chinese search engine Baidu has launched two new AI models — Ernie 4.5, the latest version of the company’s foundational model first released two years ago, as well as a new reasoning model, Ernie X1. According to Reuters, Baidu claims that Ernie X1’s performance is “on par with DeepSeek R1 at only half the price,”,…
AI, corporate venture arms, evergreens, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, nvidia, Startups
Nvidia’s AI empire: A look at its top startup investments
Over the last two years, Nvidia has used its ballooning fortunes to invest in over 80 AI startups. Here are the giant semiconductor’s largest investments. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Alexa, Amazon, Amazon Echo, Global IT News, Global Security News, Hardware
Amazon’s Echo will send all voice recordings to the cloud, starting March 28
Amazon Echo users will no longer have the option to process their Alexa requests locally, which means all of their voice recordings will be sent to the company’s cloud. Ars Technica reports that on Friday, Amazon sent an email to customers who have “Do Not Send Voice Recordings” enabled on their Echo smart speakers and…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, Transportation
How to watch Nvidia GTC 2025, including CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote
GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, will return this week, with the biggest announcements probably coming Tuesday. If you can’t make it in person, don’t sweat it. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the major developments. Many of the biggest presentations, talks, and panels will be livestreamed as well. The conference starts Monday,…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, Transportation
Nvidia GTC 2025: What to expect from this year’s show
GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, begins Monday and runs till Friday in San Jose. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the news as it happens — and we’re expecting a healthy dose of announcements. CEO Jensen Huang will give a keynote address at the SAP Center on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Pacific,…
AI, ai censorship, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy
Republican Congressman Jim Jordan asks Big Tech if Biden tried to censor AI
On Thursday, House Judiciary Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) sent letters to 16 American technology firms, including Google and OpenAI, asking for past communications with the Biden Administration that might suggest the former President “coerced or colluded” with companies to “censor lawful speech” in AI products. The Trump Administration’s top technology advisers previously signaled it would pick…
AI, ai coding, cursor, Global IT News, Global Security News
AI coding assistant Cursor reportedly tells a ‘vibe coder’ to write his own damn code
As businesses race to replace humans with AI agents, coding assistant Cursor just gave a peek at the attitude bots could bring to work, too. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, cisco, Cybersecurity, data science, Digital Transformation, EU, Europe, Global Security News, International, Security, Tech & Work, tech skills, tech skills gap, tech training
Will Cisco’s Free Tech Training for 1.5M People Help Close EU’s Skills Gap?
Cisco’s training through its Networking Academy will help “build a resilient and skilled workforce ready to meet Europe’s digital transformation and AI objectives.”
AI, Apps, gemini, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, Google Assistant
Google is replacing Google Assistant with Gemini
Google will replace Google Assistant on Android phones with Gemini later this year, the company announced on Friday. Google said in a blog post that it’ll upgrade more users from Google Assistant to Gemini “over the coming months.” Later this year, Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices or available from app…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News, licensing, open models
‘Open’ model licenses often carry concerning restrictions
This week, Google released a family of open AI models, Gemma 3, that quickly garnered praise for their impressive efficiency. But as a number of developers lamented on X, Gemma 3’s license makes commercial use of the models a risky proposition. It’s not a problem unique to Gemma 3. Companies like Meta also apply custom,…
AI, ChatGPT, evergreens, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai
ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about the AI-powered chatbot
ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to supercharge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth with 300 million weekly active users. 2024 was a big year for OpenAI, from its partnership…
AI, Asia Pacific, china, deepseek, Global Security News, In Brief, Startups
China is reportedly keeping DeepSeek under close watch
China appears to think homegrown AI startup DeepSeek could become a notable tech success story for the country. After DeepSeek’s sudden rise to fame in January with the release of its open “reasoning” model, R1, the company is now operating under new, tighter government-influenced restrictions, according to The Information. Some of the company’s employees have…
agent, AI, Global IT News, Global Security News
No one knows what the hell an AI agent is
Silicon Valley is bullish on AI agents. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said agents will “join the workforce” this year. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella predicted that agents will replace certain knowledge work. Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff said that Salesforce’s goal is to be “the number one provider of digital labor in the world” via the company’s…
AI, deepseek, DeepSeek v3, evergreens, Explainer, generative ai, Global IT News, Global Security News, r1
DeepSeek: Everything you need to know about the AI chatbot app
DeepSeek has gone viral. Chinese AI lab DeepSeek broke into the mainstream consciousness this week after its chatbot app rose to the top of the Apple App Store charts (and Google Play, as well). DeepSeek’s AI models, which were trained using compute-efficient techniques, have led Wall Street analysts — and technologists — to question whether the U.S. can maintain its…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, openai, SB OpenAI Japan, Softbank
SoftBank buys $676M old Sharp plant for its OpenAI collab in Japan
SoftBank is marching ahead on its ambitions to build out a major AI operation in its home market of Japan, on its own steam and in strategic partnership with others like OpenAI. On Friday, the tech company confirmed it would pay $676 million for factory previously used by Sharp to build LCD panels to convert…
AI, Global IT News, Global Security News
Sesame, the startup behind the viral virtual assistant Maya, releases its base AI model
AI company Sesame has released the base model that powers Maya, the impressively realistic voice assistant. The model, which is 1 billion parameters in size (“parameters” referring to individual components of the model), is under an Apache 2.0 license, meaning it can be used commercially with few restrictions. Called CSM-1B, the model generates “RVQ audio codes” from text…
AI, Global Security News
Google calls for weakened copyright and export rules in AI policy proposal
Google, following on the heels of OpenAI, published a policy proposal in response to the Trump Administration’s call for a national “AI Action Plan.” The tech giant endorsed weak copyright restrictions on AI training, as well as “balanced” export controls that “protect national security while enabling U.S. exports and global business operations.” “The U.S. needs…
AI, Asia Pacific, deepseek, Global Security News, Government & Policy, openai, Policy
OpenAI calls DeepSeek ‘state-controlled,’ calls for bans on ‘PRC-produced’ models
In a new policy proposal, OpenAI describes Chinese AI lab DeepSeek as “state-subsidized” and “state-controlled,” and recommends that the U.S. government consider banning models from the outfit and similar People’s Republic of China (PRC)-supported operations. The proposal, a submission for the Trump Administration’s “AI Action Plan” initiative, claims that DeepSeek’s models, including its R1 “reasoning” model,…
AI, Apps, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, google gemini
Google wants Gemini to get to know you better
In the AI chatbot wars, Google thinks the key to retaining users is serving up content they can’t get elsewhere, like answers shaped by their internet habits. On Thursday, the company announced Gemini with personalization, a new “experimental capability” for its Gemini chatbot apps that lets Gemini draw on other Google apps and services to…
AI, ChatGPT, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, openai, writing
OpenAI’s ‘creative writing’ AI evokes that annoying kid from high school fiction club
When I was 16, I attended a writing workshop with a group of precocious young poets, where we all tried very hard to prove who among us was the most tortured upper-middle-class teenager. One boy refused to tell anyone where he was from, declaring, “I’m from everywhere and nowhere.” Two weeks later, he admitted he…
AI, copyright, Global IT News, Global Security News, Government & Policy, openai
OpenAI calls for US government to codify ‘fair use’ for AI training
In a proposal for the U.S. government’s “AI Action Plan,” the Trump Administration’s initiative to reshape American AI policy, OpenAI called for a U.S. copyright strategy that “[preserves] American AI models’ ability to learn from copyrighted material.” “America has so many AI startups, attracts so much investment, and has made so many research breakthroughs largely…
agentic ai, AI, Automation, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, peak.ai, RPA, uipath
UiPath is looking for a path to growth in agentic AI with its Peak.ai acquisition
A rush of agentic AI solutions is hitting the enterprise market, and now one of the bigger players in automation has scooped up a startup in the space in hopes of taking a bigger piece of that business. UiPath, as part of its quarterly earnings last night, announced that it acquired Peak.ai, a startup out…
AI, Asia Pacific, china, Dell, Enterprise, Global Security News, Government & Policy, Malaysia, nvidia, Singapore, Super Micro
Singapore grants bail for Nvidia chip smugglers in alleged $390M fraud
A judge in Singapore granted bail to three men suspected of deceiving suppliers of server computers that may contain Nvidia chips affected by U.S. export rules that bar the sale of them to certain countries, as a route to halting them being sold to organizations in China. The move comes nearly two weeks after the…
AI, Fundraising, Global IT News, Global Security News, Media & Entertainment, Startups
Bria lands new funding for AI models trained on licensed data
AI-powered image generators, which are at the center of a number of copyright lawsuits against AI companies, are frequently trained on massive amounts of data from public websites. Most of these companies argue that fair use doctrine shields their data scraping and training practices. But many copyright holders disagree. That’s why some startups and firms developing image…
AI, deeptech, Europe, Global Security News, Venture
Could deeptech serve as Europe’s path to autonomy from the US?
Amidst geopolitical tensions and volatile markets, the question of Europe’s ability to weather the storms ahead, especially as President Trump seems intent on having his pound of tariffs from the continent, is looming large. But an extensive new report claims deeptech is poised to become a key pillar of Europe’s security, defense, and future autonomy,…
AI, AI chips, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, Intel, Pat Gelsinger, semiconductors
As Intel welcomes a new CEO, a look at where the company stands
Semiconductor giant Intel hired semiconductor veteran Lip-Bu Tan to be its new CEO. This news comes three months after Pat Gelsinger retired and stepped down from the company’s board, with Intel CFO David Zinsner and executive vice president of client relations Michelle Johnston Holthaus stepping in as co-CEOs. Tan, who was most recently the CEO…
AI, Anthropic, china, Global IT News, Global Security News, Startups
Anthropic CEO says spies are after $100M AI secrets in a ‘few lines of code’
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei is worried about spies getting their hands on costly “algorithmic secrets” from the U.S.’ top AI companies. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, Transportation
How to watch Nvidia GTC 2025, including CEO Jensen Huang’s keynote
GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, will return starting Monday in San Jose. If you can’t make it in person, don’t sweat it. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the major developments. Many of the biggest presentations, talks, and panels will be livestreamed, as well. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is scheduled to deliver…
AI, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, GTC, nvidia, Transportation
Nvidia GTC 2025: What to expect from this year’s show
GTC, Nvidia’s biggest conference of the year, begins Monday and runs till Friday in San Jose. TechCrunch will be on the ground covering the news as it happens — and we’re expecting a healthy dose of announcements. CEO Jensen Huang will give a keynote address at the SAP Center on Tuesday at 10 a.m. Pacific,…
AI, gemini robotics, Global IT News, Global Security News, Google, google deepmind, Hardware, robotics
Google DeepMind unveils new AI models for controlling robots
Google DeepMind, Google’s AI research lab, on Wednesday announced new AI models called Gemini Robotics designed to enable real-world machines to interact with objects, navigate environments, and more. DeepMind published a series of demo videos showing robots equipped with Gemini Robotics folding paper, putting a pair of glasses into a case, and other tasks in…
AI, AI agents, browser use, Global IT News, Global Security News, manus
Browser User, one of the tools powering Manus, is also going viral
Manus, the viral AI “agent” platform from Chinese startup Butterfly Effect, has had an unintended side effect: raising the profile of another AI tool called Browser Use. Browser Use, which aims to make websites more accessible for agentic applications that perform tasks on a user’s behalf, has experienced explosive growth in the past week. Daily…
agents, AI, AI agents, dapr, Enterprise, Global IT News, Global Security News, open source, TC
Dapr’s microservices runtime now supports AI agents
Back in 2019, Microsoft open-sourced Dapr, a new runtime for making building distributed microservice-based applications easier. At the time, nobody was talking about AI agents yet, but as it turns out, Dapr had some of the fundamental building blocks for supporting AI agents built-in from the outset. That’s because one of Dapr’s core features is…