Disney’s first CTO led an AI startup it once accused of copying its characters
The former CEO of Character.AI, which Disney previously sent a cease-and-desist letter to, will serve as the company’s first-ever chief technology officer.
The Download: investigating deaths at the US border’s “virtual wall”
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 US spent billions on border surveillance. Why can’t it catch people before they die? When José Morales Bernal crossed the border into the US in April 2024, the day before…
Warren Buffett Steps Down as Berkshire Chairman After 61 Years: ‘Father Time Always Wins’
Buffett’s son Howard, 71, will assume the chairman role effective immediately.
In India, the new iPhone can arrive faster than a pizza
Availability of Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro series turned patchy within hours of its debut on India’s quick-commerce apps.
Google’s new ‘CC’ is an AI agent that helps families run their households
Google is refocusing its CC AI agent on household coordination, letting families share emails, schedules, and tasks so the AI can manage calendars, fill out forms, make shopping lists, plan meals, and more.
Your Brand Is Invisible to AI Search Engines. You Just Don’t Know It Yet.
For 20 years, being found online meant showing up on page one of Google. Today, the game has changed thanks to AI search. Here’s how.
Joby Aviation’s 3,100-mile autonomous flight signals its push beyond electric air taxis
An aircraft equipped with Joby Aviation’s autonomy technology flew across the United States without a human pilot taking control at any point.
AI Has a Cost Most Companies Aren’t Accounting for Yet. Here’s What They’re Missing.
The true cost of AI isn’t just tokens, GPUs, or infrastructure. It’s how AI changes the way people think, question and make decisions.
Dario Amodei and other AI leaders want to ‘Pace the Frontier’ but…how?
A week after an Anthropic researcher’s doomsday warning rattled the AI world, the company’s CEO Dario Amodei has outlined his plan to “pace the frontier” of AI development. The proposal leans on independent safety evaluators and coordination between AI labs in democratic countries, and it’s already picked up some industry support, along with some pointed pushback from Nvidia’s Jensen Huang. Watch […]
Manus seeks $4B valuation in new $500M fundraise as it resumes independent ops
Manus, which earlier this year had to break off a merger with Meta, is in discussions to raise $500M at a $4B valuation.
A Crisis Expert Says the Company Caught in the Coldplay Kiss Cam Scandal Responded Right — 48 Hours Too Late. Here’s How to Avoid the Same Mistake.
When your company becomes the viral clip, you have hours, not days. A year after the scandal, a crisis communications expert explains how to be ready before it happens.