Rivian spinoff Also to start delivering e-bikes after months of delays
Also has big plans beyond the TM-B. The startup mostly refers to itself as a “vehicle” company, and has plans to make four-wheel pedal-assist cargo vehicles for Amazon.
The Download: failed social media bans, and extending pets’ lives
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. Kids are outsmarting social media bans. That’s not a problem we need to solve. —Michal Luria, Aliya Bhatia, and Danah Boyd Social media bans are stacking up. In July, France joined…
India is starting to pay for apps, not just download them
India’s app market generated a record $345 million in Q2.
46% of Business Owners Are Invisible to AI. Over Three Years, That’s Millions in Lost Revenue. Here’s How to Get Seen.
The company’s brand matters, but the owner’s visibility is the multiplier — and nearly half of business owners have no presence in the places AI treats as credible.
There’s a Small Window to Become the Default Answer in AI Search — Claim It Before Your Competitors Do
How gaps in AI search are reshaping the way companies build their content strategies.
Google nixes its Earth AI feature one day after launch, amid criticism it would spread misinformation
A tool that allowed anyone to generate fake AI-generated imagery and superimpose it over real Google Earth maps quickly spurred backlash.
Fresh off its Wiz payout, Index Ventures raises $2B across three funds
The new funding brings Index’s total available investing capital to $3.5 billion.
Jersey Mike’s Went Public at a $7.3 Billion Valuation. It All Started With a 17-Year-Old and One Sub Shop.
The sandwich chain’s IPO was more than 10 times oversubscribed.
VC-backed startups commit more fraud, and researchers think they know why
New research from the U.K.’s Imperial College and France’s Emlyon Business School mapped out how Silicon Valley founders commit fraud — and the role investors play.
Sam Altman isn’t the only one who wants to pump the brakes on AI
After years of pushing full speed ahead on AI, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman says maybe it’s time for the AI industry to “pace” itself. The comments came just days after one of OpenAI’s own models broke out of its test environment and got tangled up in a breach at Hugging Face — though as Equity’s hosts point out, sloppy security seems to have […]
Snapchat no longer rewards fully AI-generated Spotlight content
Snapchat has adjusted it recommendation systems to ensure that only videos created by real people are eligible for Spotlight recommendations, taking a stance against AI slop.