She’s an Actor About to Be Signed By a Talent Agency. She’s Also AI.
The creators of Tilly Norwood, an “AI actress,” think she can be the “next Natalie Portman.”
The Download: carbon removal factories’ funding cuts, and AI toys
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. The Trump administration may cut funding for two major direct-air capture plants The US Department of Energy appears poised to terminate funding for a pair of large carbon-sucking factories that were originally set…
Frank founder Charlie Javice sentenced to 7 years in prison for defrauding JPMorgan Chase
The fintech startup had been acquired by JPMorgan Chase in 2021 for $175 million. The bank later accused Frank of lying about its customer base.
AI recruiter Alex raises $17M to automate initial job interviews
The Y Combinator startup, raised a Series A led by Peak XV Partners.
Facebook adds fan challenges, custom badges for creators
These updates show us that Meta wants fans to take Facebook more seriously as a place to engage with creators.
DeepSeek releases ‘sparse attention’ model that cuts API costs in half
Researchers at DeepSeek released a new experimental model designed to have dramatically lower inference costs when used in long-context operations.
Most Companies Stop at Good Service — But the Real Growth Multiplier Is Something Else
Every business is in the hospitality business—because customers don’t just remember what you did, they remember how you made them feel.
What Is 996? A Banned-in-China Work Schedule Is Trending in Silicon Valley: ‘We Don’t Believe in Work-Life Balance’
The 996 schedule requires employees to work 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. six days a week.
OpenAI takes on Google, Amazon with new agentic shopping system
This type of frictionless experience has the potential to spark a new movement in how people shop online – one that moves away from search engines like Google and e-commerce platforms like Amazon towards conversational agents with curated recommendations, comparisons, and easy checkout experiences.
Most Founders Think They Know AI — But They’re Using It Wrong. Here’s How to Drive Real Growth
AI won’t fix your startup — curiosity, focus, and asking the right questions will.
How 15 Years of Almost Failing Helped Me Find a Pathway to Success
Valuable lessons from a struggling business