December 23, 2025

How social media encourages the worst of AI boosterism

Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, summed it up in three words: “This is embarrassing.”   Hassabis was replying on X to an overexcited post by Sébastien Bubeck, a research scientist at the rival firm OpenAI, announcing that two mathematicians had used OpenAI’s latest large language model, GPT-5, to find solutions to 10 unsolved problems in…

FTC says popular fertility tracking app Premom shared sensitive data with Chinese analytics firms

May 18, 2023

A popular fertility tracking app shared users’ sensitive health information with third-party advertisers without their consent, a new Federal Trade Commission complaint alleges. The FTC’s investigation into Premom, a fertility tracking app developed by Easy Healthcare that allows users to track ovulation, periods, and other health information, found that the company had shared identifiable health […]

FTC says popular fertility tracking app Premom shared sensitive data with Chinese analytics firms by Carly Page originally published on TechCrunch

Percent lands $30M investment to connect investors with private credit

May 18, 2023

In 2018, Nelson Chu founded Percent with the goal of bringing investors, borrowers and underwriters together to modernize private credit. Seeing an opportunity to tackle the lack of risk management in the market, Chu created a marketplace that enables investors — specifically accredited retail investors — to participate in private credit. It’s been a success […]

Percent lands $30M investment to connect investors with private credit by Kyle Wiggers originally published on TechCrunch

Why some companies want you to rent the battery in your EV

May 18, 2023
This article is from The Spark, MIT Technology Review’s weekly climate newsletter. To receive it in your inbox every Wednesday, sign up here. I seem to be constantly signing up for new subscriptions these days. Netflix, Paramount+, and of course I’m glued to the latest season of Succession, so now I’m back on HBO Max too. …

Beijing calls on cloud providers to support AI firms

May 18, 2023

As large language models from Western tech firms show the potential to disrupt everything from marketing, teaching, to coding, China is rushing to cultivate its home-grown AI pioneers by stepping up state support. Beijing is now seeking public opinion on a draft policy aimed at developing artificial general intelligence, or AGI, a category of AI […]

Beijing calls on cloud providers to support AI firms by Rita Liao originally published on TechCrunch

Thrasio cuts stake, loses control in Indian house of brands in likely market retreat

May 18, 2023

Founders of Lifelong Online have acquired the majority ownership and control in the Indian house of brands from Thrasio in what appears to be a retreat for the “Amazon aggregator” from the key overseas market. Existing investors, Tanglin Venture Partners and Hero Enterprise Partner Ventures, also increased their ownership in Lifelong Online. Thrasio will continue […]

Thrasio cuts stake, loses control in Indian house of brands in likely market retreat by Manish Singh originally published on TechCrunch

Micron to invest $3.6B in Japan for next-gen memory chips

May 18, 2023

Micron Technology said it will invest up to 500 billion yen ($3.6 billion) in Japan for the next few years with support from the Japanese government to up its game in next-generation memory chips.  The move indicates that the Japanese government is ambitiously pushing ahead with its semiconductor space resurgence and bringing chip technology into the […]

Micron to invest $3.6B in Japan for next-gen memory chips by Kate Park originally published on TechCrunch

Future space food could be made from astronaut breath

May 18, 2023
The future of space food could be as simple—and weird—as a protein shake made with astronaut breath or a burger made from fungus. For decades, astronauts have relied mostly on pre-packaged food, or the occasional grown lettuce, during their forays off our planet. With missions beyond Earth orbit in sight, a NASA-led competition is hoping…

Swiggy’s food delivery business reaches profitability

May 18, 2023

India’s Swiggy said on Thursday that its food delivery business has become profitable, eclipsing its publicly-listed rival Zomato on another key metric a day before the firm is set to report its quarterly earnings. The Bengaluru-headquartered startup — which counts Prosus Ventures, SoftBank and Invesco among its backers — became profitable in March this year, […]

Swiggy’s food delivery business reaches profitability by Manish Singh originally published on TechCrunch