Technology

AI companies are spending millions to thwart this former tech executive’s congressional bid

AI companies are spending millions to thwart this former tech executive’s congressional bid

πŸ”₯ Explore this insightful post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: AI,Government & Policy,AI regulation,alex bores,Equity,Exclusive,leading the future,pro-ai pacs πŸ“Œ **What You’ll Learn**: If you've seen the recent ads attacking New York Assemblyman Alex Burris, you'll know that he used to work for Palantir, the artificial intelligence company backing the controversial raids and large-scale deportation efforts of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The ads even accuse Boris of making hundreds of thousands of dollars building technology for ICE and "subsidizing their deportations." But this is not the whole story. β€œShe left Palantir specifically because of her work with ICE in 2019,”…
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TikTok is down for some in the US, thanks to Oracle’s outage for the second time since the sale

TikTok is down for some in the US, thanks to Oracle’s outage for the second time since the sale

πŸš€ Discover this trending post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: Social,In Brief,oracle,TikTok πŸ’‘ **What You’ll Learn**: Some TikTok users in the US are having trouble using the app, which the company attributes to an issue with Oracle's data center. β€œCreators may experience a temporary delay in publishing content while Oracle works to resolve the issue,” TikTok on X said. According to user-generated reports on Downdetector, the issue has been persistent since before 9 a.m. ET. Oracle's own post on X indicates that the outage began at that time as well. Oracle is part of an investor group that owns 80%…
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Alibaba’s tech leader Qwen is stepping down after a big AI push

Alibaba’s tech leader Qwen is stepping down after a big AI push

πŸ”₯ Explore this trending post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: AI,alibaba,Junyang Lin,qwen πŸ’‘ **What You’ll Learn**: Alibaba's Qwen AI project has lost one of its most prominent technical leaders just one day after the Chinese tech giant unveiled its new Qwen 3.5 open-weight micro-models. Junyang Lin, the central technical lead of Alibaba's Qwen team, said in a post on X on Tuesday that he would "step down" from the project, without elaborating. He joined Alibaba in July 2019 and became part of the Qwen team in April 2023, according to his LinkedIn profile. The sudden departure, which sparked strong reactions…
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Why do AI startups sell the same stock at two different prices?

Why do AI startups sell the same stock at two different prices?

πŸ”₯ Explore this must-read post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: AI,Startups,Venture,down rounds,valuation βœ… **What You’ll Learn**: As competition among AI startups heats up, founders and VCs are turning to new valuation mechanisms to create a perception of market dominance. Until recently, the hottest companies raised multiple rounds of funding in quick succession and at spiraling valuations. However, because constant fundraising distracts founders from building their products, leading VC firms have devised a new pricing structure that effectively merges what would have been two separate funding cycles into one. Recent rounds using this scheme include Aaru's Series A. The synthetic customer…
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A range of government hacking tools targeting iPhones are now being used by cybercriminals

A range of government hacking tools targeting iPhones are now being used by cybercriminals

πŸš€ Discover this insightful post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: Privacy,Security,cybercriminals,exploits,hackers,hacks βœ… **What You’ll Learn**: Security researchers have identified a set of powerful hacking tools capable of breaching Apple iPhones running outdated software that they say has passed from a government client into the hands of cybercriminals. Google said Tuesday that it first identified the exploit kit, dubbed Corona, in February 2025 while a monitoring vendor was trying to hack into someone's phone using spyware on behalf of a government client. Months later, it found the same exploit kit that targeted Ukrainian users in a large-scale campaign carried out by…
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Here’s why Trump posted about Iran ‘stealing’ 2020 election clocks after US attack

Here’s why Trump posted about Iran ‘stealing’ 2020 election clocks after US attack

πŸ’₯ Read this must-read post from WIRED πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: Politics,Politics / Disinformation,Extra extra βœ… **What You’ll Learn**: 2:30 am ET on Saturday, President Donald Trump posted a video on his Truth Social account in which he announced that the United States had joined Israel in launching attacks on Iran.His next post, just two hours later, seemed to indicate that the attacks were, at least in part, motivated by a wild claim that Iran helped rig the 2020 US election. β€œIran tried to interfere in the 2020 and 2024 elections to stop Trump, and now faces a renewed war with…
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Anduril is aiming for a valuation of $60 billion in the new funding round

Anduril is aiming for a valuation of $60 billion in the new funding round

πŸš€ Discover this insightful post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: Fundraising,Robotics,Venture,Andreessen Horowitz,anduril,defense tech,In Brief,Thrive Capital βœ… **What You’ll Learn**: Defense technology company Palmer Luckey is in the middle of a multibillion-dollar funding round led by Thrive Capital and Andreessen Horowitz, according to a new report from The Wall Street Journal. The funding round will come less than a year after the company's Series G, which closed in June at $2.5 billion against a valuation of $30 billion. Lux Capital and Founders Fund are also expected to participate. A previous report from Bloomberg said the new round could bring as much…
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ChatGPT’s new Instant GPT-5.3 template will stop asking you to be quiet

ChatGPT’s new Instant GPT-5.3 template will stop asking you to be quiet

✨ Read this must-read post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: AI,Apps,ChatGPT,OpenAI πŸ“Œ **What You’ll Learn**: Take a breath, stop breathing. You're not crazy, you're just nervous. And honestly, it's okay. If you felt instantly motivated when reading these words, you're probably also tired of ChatGPT constantly talking to you as if you're in some sort of crisis and need to be micromanaged. Now maybe things will get better. OpenAI says its new model, GPT-5.3 Instant, will reduce "embarrassment" and other "preachy disclaimers." According to the model's release notes, the GPT-5.3 update will focus on user experience, including things like tone,…
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Android users can now share tracking tag information with airlines to help locate lost luggage

Android users can now share tracking tag information with airlines to help locate lost luggage

✨ Discover this must-read post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: Apps,Android,Google,item trackers πŸ’‘ **What You’ll Learn**: Google on Tuesday announced a series of new features coming to the Android ecosystem, along with a March software update for Pixel phones, called Pixel Drop. Notably, Android users are getting a new way to find lost luggage. If users add a Find Hub-compatible tracking tag to their baggage, they can now share a link with participating airlines to help locate baggage. In the Find Hub app, users can now select a lost item and tap β€œShare item location” to create a unique, secure…
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Company X says it will suspend creators from revenue sharing program over unnamed ‘armed conflict’ AI posts

Company X says it will suspend creators from revenue sharing program over unnamed ‘armed conflict’ AI posts

πŸš€ Explore this awesome post from TechCrunch πŸ“– πŸ“‚ **Category**: AI,Apps,Social,Creators,monetization,War,X βœ… **What You’ll Learn**: Company X says it will take action against content creators who post videos of AI-armed conflict without disclosing that the content was created by AI. On Tuesday, X's head of product, Nikita Beer, announced that people who use AI technology to mislead others in this way will be kicked out of the company's creator revenue sharing program for three months (90 days). If they continue to post misleading AI-based content after the suspension is lifted, they will be permanently suspended from the program. "In times…
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