Investors sue Selena Gomez alleging fraud tied to her mental health startup
The plaintiffs say they invested nearly $1.2 million in the company, and are accusing Gomez of failing to build and market the startup.
The Download: climate tech companies to watch and AI’s discovery problem
This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. Coming soon: our 2026 list of Climate Tech Companies to Watch With the planet nearing 1.5 °C of warming, climate policies being unraveled, and Big Tech backpedaling on its climate ambitions,…
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Roundtables: Inside the “Censorship-Industrial Complex” Idea Shaping US Policy
Listen to the session or watch below The “censorship-industrial complex” is an idea that a network of government, tech, and research groups is collaborating to suppress conservative online speech. This was fodder for the right-wing information sphere for years—then it began making its way into US policy. Watch a conversation exploring how it started, where…
Flock says its new tool will help identify police abuse, but hasn’t explained how it works
The surveillance company announced it’s making a tool called “Audit Assistance” mandatory for all customers, claiming it’s already helped catch abuse. But the company has yet to explain how the tool works in detail, raising questions about its effectiveness.
If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously
Apple now sends out push notifications to iPhone lock screens when the company identifies government spyware targeting someone’s devices.
Writer introduces new AI model and upgraded harness to contain token costs
Built as a post-training variation on Z.ai’s open source model GLM-5.2, Writer says the new system should provide deployment-ready capabilities at a much lower price.
Databricks wanted to raise $1B, investors wanted $15B. It settled on $5B at a $190B valuation.
AI is expensive, Ali Ghodsi tells TechCrunch. With so many investors wanting into his latest round, he said yes to more than planned.
OpenAI introduces ‘Ultrafast,’ a new mode that makes GPT 5.6 Sol work at 14x the speed
OpenAI is launching a preview of a sped up version of its latest, most powerful model, in an effort to court enterprise users.
IBM partners with OpenAI to bolster enterprise AI push
IBM plans to train and certify tens and thousands of consultants on OpenAI’s technologies as part of this deal.
2 Moms Used Kickstarter to Launch Their Side Hustle. It Made $2,500 Fast and Is on Track for $30,000 Within Months: ‘Honestly Thrilling.’
Cousins Lauren McDuffie and Rachel Albers set out to simplify a kitchen staple.
This Former Google Employee Created an ‘AI’ Chatbot That Lets You Speak to An Actual Human
Thousands of human volunteers are applying to do an AI chatbot’s job themselves.