One startup’s quest to store electricity in the ocean
Sizable Energy has a plan to store excess renewable energy in flexible reservoirs out at sea. The startup has raised $8 million to test prototypes.
The Download: Introducing: the new conspiracy age
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. Introducing: the new conspiracy age Everything is a conspiracy theory now. Conspiracists are all over the White House, turning fringe ideas into dangerous policy. America’s institutions are crumbling under the weight of deep…
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3 Things Stephanie Arnett is into right now
Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman This science fiction book series confronted me with existential questions like “Are we alone in the universe?” and “Do I actually like LitRPG??” (LitRPG—which stands for “literary role-playing game”—is a relatively new genre that merges the conventions of computer RPGs with those of science fiction and fantasy novels.) In…
Dispatch: Partying at one of Africa’s largest AI gatherings
It’s late August in Rwanda’s capital, Kigali, and people are filling a large hall at one of Africa’s biggest gatherings of minds in AI and machine learning. The room is draped in white curtains, and a giant screen blinks with videos created with generative AI. A classic East African folk song by the Tanzanian singer…
Job titles of the future: AI embryologist
Embryologists are the scientists behind the scenes of in vitro fertilization who oversee the development and selection of embryos, prepare them for transfer, and maintain the lab environment. They’ve been a critical part of IVF for decades, but their job has gotten a whole lot busier in recent years as demand for the fertility treatment…
Inside the archives of the NASA Ames Research Center
At the southern tip of San Francisco Bay, surrounded by the tech giants Google, Apple, and Microsoft, sits the historic NASA Ames Research Center. Its rich history includes a grab bag of fascinating scientific research involving massive wind tunnels, experimental aircraft, supercomputing, astrobiology, and more. Founded in 1939 as a West Coast lab for the…
Build a Billion-Dollar Business Without a Billion-Dollar Team — Using This Lean Growth Strategy
You don’t need a huge team or deep pockets — just a smarter way to grow.
Netflix goes ‘all in’ on generative AI as entertainment industry remains divided
Netflix is using AI for special effects and pre-production, but CEO Ted Sarandos that Netflix “not worried about AI replacing creativity.”
Open source agentic startup LangChain hits $1.25B valuation
As TechCrunch previously reported, the maker of a popular open source framework for building AI agents has officially become a unicorn.
Sesame, the conversational AI startup from Oculus founders, raises $250M and launches beta
Former Oculus CEO Brendan Iribe’s new startup, Sesame, is building AI-powered smartglasses with natural, humanlike voice interaction. Backed by Sequoia and Spark, the company also launched an invite-only iOS beta to preview its conversational AI.
OpenAI’s new browser is a broadside shot at Google
OpenAI’s new browser announcement made it clear exactly how much Google has to lose in the AI era.