ByteDance has paused plans to launch its new AI video model globally, according to a report in The Information. The Chinese company, best known as TikTok’s parent organization (and now a minority shareholder in its U.S. spinoff), launched Seedance 2.0 in China back in February. Brief videos generated by the…
Google’s AI Search Results Love to Refer You Back to Google
Google seems to have a Google addiction. If you click on a hyperlink in Google’s chatbot-style search tool, AI Mode, you are likely to be looped into another Google search, according to a new study from SE Ranking, a search engine optimization company. Currently, Google.com is the most commonly linked…
Lawyer behind AI psychosis cases warns of mass casualty risks
In the lead up to the Tumbler Ridge school shooting in Canada last month, 18-year-old Jesse Van Rootselaar spoke to ChatGPT about her feelings of isolation and an increasing obsession with violence, according to court filings. The chatbot allegedly validated Van Rootselaar’s feelings and then helped her plan her attack,…
Wiz investor unpacks Google’s $32B acquisition
Google closed its $32 billion acquisition of cybersecurity company Wiz this week — the biggest acquisition in Google’s history, as well as the largest ever acquisition of a venture-backed startup. On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan, Sean O’Kane, and I were joined by Shardul Shah, a…
Unacademy to be acquired by upGrad in share-swap deal as India’s edtech sector consolidates
Unacademy, once a one of India’s most valuable edtech startups, is set to be acquired by rival upGrad in an all-stock deal that would bring together two major online learning platforms in the country. On Sunday, Unacademy co-founder and CEO Gaurav Munjal said in a post on X that the…
4 Easy ways I free up space on my Windows PC
I regularly free up space on my Windows laptop because the drives get filled with massive game installations and phone backups. Many laptops offer around 500GB to 1TB of storage space in their standard configuration, which may or may not be enough depending on your use. My laptop has a…
TechCrunch Mobility: Travis Kalanick’s return proves it really is 2016 again
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. To get this in your inbox, sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! This newsletter was wrapped and ready to go and then Travis Kalanick brought me back to…
Rivian’s RJ Scaringe thinks we’re doing robots all wrong
If you haven’t heard, Rivian founder and CEO RJ Scaringe has another company — his third by our count. And this time it’s focused on robotics. The serial entrepreneur is best known for Rivian, the buzzy EV maker that was thrust into the spotlight in 2018 after debuting an electric…
Eighty Years Later, the Chemex Still Makes Better Coffee
Coffee is the original biohack and the nation’s most popular productivity tool. As we’ve battled the changeover to daylight saving time, the caffeine-addicted WIRED Reviews team has spent the past week writing about our favorite coffee brewing routines and devices that’ll keep us alert and maybe even happy in the…
iGarden M1 Pro Max 100 Review: A Sports Car for Your Pool
iGarden’s claims of providing 10 hours of running time in floor-only mode were accurate in my testing; however, I achieved only about seven hours of operation in the more power-intensive full coverage mode. That’s still plenty of juice for two or three full cleanings before a recharge is needed. Officially,…