Elon Musk reportedly fires Tesla’s top sales exec
Omead Afshar, one of Musk’s top lieutenants, is out after more than seven years at the company. He was recently elevated to a VP role in late 2024.
The Download: radioactive rhinos, and the rise and rise of peptides
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. Why conservationists are making rhinos radioactive Every year, poachers shoot hundreds of rhinos, fishing crews haul millions of sharks out of protected seas, and smugglers carry countless animals and plants across borders. This…
US, French authorities confirm arrest of BreachForums hackers
Kai West was arrested in France, along with four other hackers, all suspected of being part of the well-known hacking forum, BreachForums.
Homeland Security warns of Iran-backed cyberattacks targeting US networks
DHS said low-level cyberattacks targeting U.S. networks are “likely” in the wake of military conflict between the US and Israel, and Iran.
Judge Rules in Favor of Meta, Against Authors Sarah Silverman and Ta-Nehisi Coates, in AI Copyright Case
The authors alleged that Meta trained its AI models on their copyrighted works without permission, potentially violating copyright law.
Meta hires key OpenAI researcher to work on AI reasoning models
Meta has hired a highly influential OpenAI researcher, Trapit Bansal, to work on its AI reasoning models under the company’s new AI superintelligence unit, a person familiar with the matter tells TechCrunch. OpenAI spokesperson Kayla Wood confirmed to TechCrunch that Bansal had departed OpenAI. Bansal’s LinkedIn page says that he left OpenAI in June. Bansal […]
As AI kills search traffic, Google launches Offerwall to boost publisher revenue
Offerwall lets publishers give their sites’ readers a variety of ways to access their content, including through options like micro payments, taking surveys, watching ads, and more.
Suno snaps up WavTool for its AI music editing tools amid ongoing dispute with music labels
AI music company Suno acquired WavTool, a browser-based AI DAW. This aims to improve editing capabilities for musicians.
AT&T Customers Are Eligible for Up to $5,000 in a New Settlement. Here’s What to Know.
In July 2024, AT&T revealed that the call and text logs of “nearly all” of its cellular customers had been exposed in a breach that spring and put on the “dark web.”
Jeff Bezos is reportedly courting Trump after public spat with Musk
Bezos allegedly sees an opening for his space company, Blue Origin, now that Musk has been diminished in the eyes of the President.
People use AI for companionship much less than we’re led to think
A report by Anthropic reveals that people rarely seek companionship from AI, and turn to AI for emotional support or advice only 2.9% of the time.