Americans Are Spending Half as Much on Valentine’s Day This Year. Here’s What They’re Buying Instead.
Americans plan to spend $87 on Valentine’s Day gifts this year, down from $155 in 2025.
The Download: an AI agent’s hit piece, and preventing lightning
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. Online harassment is entering its AI era Scott Shambaugh didn’t think twice when he denied an AI agent’s request to contribute to matplotlib, a software library he helps manage. Then things…
OpenAI removes access to sycophancy-prone ChatGPT-4o model
The model is known for its overly sycophantic nature and its role in several lawsuits involving users’ unhealthy relationships to the chatbot.
The SEC closed its investigation into Fisker
The financial regulator revealed in a response to a TechCrunch records request that the probe was closed in September 2025.
ALS stole this musician’s voice. AI let him sing again.
There are tears in the audience as Patrick Darling’s song begins to play. It’s a heartfelt song written for his great-grandfather, whom he never got the chance to meet. But this performance is emotional for another reason: It’s Darling’s first time on stage with his bandmates since he lost the ability to sing two years…
India partners with Alibaba.com for export push despite past China tech bans
India turns to Alibaba.com’s B2B network of 50 million buyers in 200 countries to help businesses scale global exports.
Anthropic’s Super Bowl ads mocking AI with ads helped push Claude’s app into the top 10
After Anthropic’s Super Bowl ads, Claude’s app reached the top 10 on the U.S. App Store.
Roku to launch streaming bundles as part of its efforts to continue growing its profitability
Roku delivered an impressive Q4, posting net income of $80.5 million. The company also outlined plans for streaming bundles.
A Stanford grad student created an algorithm to help his classmates find love; now, Date Drop is the basis of his new startup
“Our matches convert to actual dates at about 10x the rate of Tinder,” Weng told TechCrunch.
Anthropic Just Raised $30 Billion at a $380 Billion Valuation. It’s the Second-Biggest Tech Raise Ever.
The AI company behind Claude more than doubled its valuation in five months.
The Economy Isn’t Killing Your Business — Your Lack of Leadership Strategy Is
For most entrepreneurs, the adrenaline of the new year has evaporated, leaving behind a cold economic reality.