July 4, 2025

The Download: India’s AI independence, and predicting future epidemics

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. Inside India’s scramble for AI independence Despite its status as a global tech hub, India lags far behind the likes of the US and China when it comes to homegrown AI. That gap…

This fintech startup ideally wants to be ‘a lot more boring’ than Robinhood

April 12, 2023

Soon after launching Ocho, a startup offering personal finance support for business owners, Ankur Nagpal realized that the company’s debut product – a solo 401(k) retirement account – “is not a venture-backed business” in and of itself. Despite landing nearly 300 customers with that initial wedge, the entrepreneur is already focused on broadening the service […]

This fintech startup ideally wants to be ‘a lot more boring’ than Robinhood by Natasha Mascarenhas originally published on TechCrunch

User spending goes up by more than 4000% on AI-powered apps

April 12, 2023

Given the rising interest in generative AI tools like text-based ChatGPT and image-based Midjourney, AI-powered apps are growing in numbers and popularity in both app stores. A report by analytics firm Apptopia suggests that 158 AI Chatbot apps — with the description having keywords like “AI Chat” or “AI Chatbot” — hit the app stores […]

User spending goes up by more than 4000% on AI-powered apps by Ivan Mehta originally published on TechCrunch

Lending startup Kala is helping Latin American banks more easily offer credit

April 12, 2023

Small businesses in Latin America got another boost in lending support with the investment of $4 million in Kala, a Colombia-based company building fintech infrastructure for lending. The company, co-founded by Manuel Alemán, Rodolfo Lazo and Paul Cattólica in 2022, is developing a vertical SaaS product for institutions, like banks and credit unions, that want […]

Lending startup Kala is helping Latin American banks more easily offer credit by Christine Hall originally published on TechCrunch

Researchers discover a way to make ChatGPT consistently toxic

April 12, 2023

It’s no secret that OpenAI’s viral AI-powered chatbot, ChatGPT, can be prompted to say sexist, racist and pretty vile things. But now, researchers have discovered how to consistently get the chatbot to be . . . well, the worst version of itself. A study co-authored by scientists at the Allen Institute for AI, the nonprofit […]

Researchers discover a way to make ChatGPT consistently toxic by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

Ukrainian startup Zeely raises $1M for SMB growth app aimed at US, UK, Brazil, Mexico

April 12, 2023

As Gen Z turns into their early-to-mid 20s, a new generation of business owners is coming online. Many of these new entrepreneurs do the vast majority of work on their phones. This is especially true in emerging markets like Latin America, where SMEs comprise 99.5% of firms in the region. In Mexico, for instance, 97.4% […]

Ukrainian startup Zeely raises $1M for SMB growth app aimed at US, UK, Brazil, Mexico by Mike Butcher originally published on TechCrunch

Refer a founder to Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2023

April 12, 2023

Want to make a founder’s day, week, month, and possibly career? Then you’ll want to refer the top early-stage startups in your portfolio/pipeline Rolodex to Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2023! TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield 200 is the world’s preeminent competition for early-stage startups. It’s also the absolute best way for an entrepreneur to get the […]

Refer a founder to Startup Battlefield 200 at Disrupt 2023 by Neesha A. Tambe originally published on TechCrunch

Databricks open-sources a model like ChatGPT, flaws and all

April 12, 2023

The march toward an open source ChatGPT-like AI continues. Today, Databricks released Dolly 2.0, a text-generating AI model that can power apps like chatbots, text summarizers and basic search engines. It’s the successor to the first-generation Dolly, which was released in late March. And — importantly — it’s licensed to allow independent developers and companies […]

Databricks open-sources a model like ChatGPT, flaws and all by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch