Chamath Palihapitiya raises $135M Series A for his AI coding startup, takes CEO role
VCs remain thirsty to fund AI coding startups. This one, founded by investor, Chamath Palihapitiya, is no exception.
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…
Gemini’s personalized AI image generation is now free for U.S. users
Google is expanding Gemini’s personalized AI image generation to eligible free users in the U.S., allowing the chatbot to create images based on your interests and data from connected Google apps.
Watch out, Amazon: the Kobo eReader now has a Goodreads rival
Kobo users can now automatically sync their reading progress to StoryGraph, making it easier to track books, reading stats, and challenges without relying on Amazon’s Goodreads.
How Your Need for Control Is Quietly Destroying Team Accountability — and How to Finally Let Go
The more leaders control execution, the less ownership their teams feel. Real accountability starts when leaders let go.
What Hundreds of Interviews Taught Me About Why Prospects Say They’re Interested — Then Disappear
Why do qualified prospects say they’re interested and then vanish? It often comes down to five unanswered questions in the buyer’s mind.
Your Brand Will Be Invisible in AI Search If You’re Not Showing Up on These 8 Channels
The truth behind AI engines’ citation patterns and how to take advantage of it.
Waymo and Uber quietly part ways in Phoenix
The companies confirmed to TechCrunch that their unusual partnership in Phoenix recently ended after nearly three years..
AI agents are not your “coworkers”
This story originally appeared in The Algorithm, our weekly newsletter on AI. To get stories like this in your inbox first, sign up here. Imagine coming in to work to learn that a new underling will report to you. The worker is not a person but an AI tool—one that your company nonetheless calls Alex, an…
Anthropic and Gov. Newsom forge deal allowing California government to use Claude at half price
As Anthropic forges a closer relationship with the state of California, the federal government has made an enemy out of the OpenAI rival.
South Korean tech giants commit over $550B to ease ‘ RAMageddon’
The world’s two largest memory chip companies vow to build more memory lab fabs as South Korea positions itself as an AI tech powerhouse country.