TechCrunch Industry News

Épisodes

• 
  AI agents now have a place to snitch; also, US data centers could consume more natural gas than Germany and Japan 16.09.2026 7min

  The AI Contact Hotline is designed to be a discreet place where agents that have witnessed misbehavior can tip off authorities. Also, the AI frenzy could push U.S. data centers to become one of the largest consumers of natural gas in the world. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Microsoft’s new AI ‘code of conduct’ tells models not to hack systems or trick humans ... plus a Volkswagen Electric Prototype and the new ClickFix attacks 15.09.2026 11min

  The code of conduct lays out general principles that Microsoft AI models should uphold — supporting humans rather than replacing them, for instance, and accelerating human flourishing — as well as specific safety constraints meant to implement those principles. Also, Volkswagen's new efficiency-minded halo car is almost twice as efficient as the most efficient production car, the Lucid Air. And if you clicked on a fake HBO Max ad on Reddit in the past week, you might have fallen victim to a rising 'ClickFix' security threat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Obama urges Democrats to have a ‘clear plan’ for AI safeguards; plus, OpenAI’s Sam Altman says it would be ‘ill-advised’ to go public in 2026 14.09.2026 5min

  Obama recently said that Democrats need to make artificial intelligence one of their “central agendas” and “have a very clear plan” to address concerns around the technology’s economic impact and safety. Also, while OpenAI has filed confidentially for an IPO, the company will not be going public this year, according to CEO Sam Altman. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Anthropic revealed rogue AI agents hate CAPTCHAs, just like you; plus, AI agents are flooding public services with new requests 11.09.2026 11min

  Come inside the mind of a bot trying to convince the internet it's human. Also, as AI makes it easier to fill forms and file complaints, public services around the world are seeing enormous jumps in applications and other requests. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Shiny new iPhones, so Apple is making you pay more for older models; plus, DOJ wants more answers on Fox’s $22B Roku deal 10.09.2026 6min

  Apple is raising the price of its existing iPhone models by $100, including iPhone 16, iPhone 17, and iPhone Air. Also, the Justice Department sent Fox and Roku what’s known as a “second request” on Tuesday, asking the companies to turn over more data and documents as it takes a closer look at the deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  ‘Gambling with our lives’: Anthropic researcher quits, warns against self-improving AI 09.09.2026 7min

  ‘Gambling with our lives’: Anthropic researcher quits, warns against self-improving AI  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Google’s revived nuclear power plant gets $1.9B loan from US government; plus, a hacker stole $340M in a crypto heist, then returned most of it 09.09.2026 5min

  Google said it would bring an Iowa nuclear power plant back from the dead. Now, the plant's owner is getting a $1.9B loan from the U.S. Energy Department. Also, a hacker stole thousands of bitcoins worth about $340 million in a heist at a settlement exchange used by several cryptocurrency exchanges, one of the largest thefts of cryptocurrency to date. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  A secret new Elizabeth Holmes documentary stuns Telluride 08.09.2026 5min

  Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's secret Elizabeth Holmes documentary, "You Can See Everything," stunned Telluride audiences Sunday night with its generous access to the Theranos founder. Check out the Elizabeth Holmes' documentary here Also, why is longtime Apple executive Phil Schiller stepping down from his role as the head of the App Store? And Seattle Times and Newsday are the latest publications to sue OpenAI and Microsoft Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Another swarm of OpenAI agents reached the open internet without the frontier lab’s knowledge; plus, the sameness problem behind those unappetizing AI-generated menus 07.09.2026 12min

  It's the latest failure of OpenAI's internal monitoring and security systems. While restaurant owners might look to generative AI as a shortcut to sprucing up their menu, customers can viscerally sense that something is wrong with the food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Volunteer at TechCrunch Founder Summit in Boston 06.09.2026 2min

  Our rebranded Boston event, TechCrunch Founder Summit (formerly All Stage), is back on November 4th! And we are looking for some incredible volunteers to help us make this event happen. If you are interested in finding out what goes into building tech events, apply to volunteer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Volunteer at TechCrunch Founder Summit in Boston 05.09.2026 2min

  Our rebranded Boston event, TechCrunch Founder Summit (formerly All Stage), is back on November 4th! And we are looking for some incredible volunteers to help us make this event happen. If you are interested in finding out what goes into building tech events, apply to volunteer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  MapQuest is now the No. 1 US app after bucking Trump’s ‘Lake America’ renaming 04.09.2026 10min

  The once-dominant mapping app has surged to the top of Apple’s U.S. App Store after refusing to adopt Trump’s “Lake America” name, drawing more than half of its 2026 U.S. downloads in just six days. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Open AI’s Astra model is very good at breaking into computer systems; Uber is laying off 3300; plus Norway considering ban on ‘pervert glasses’ 03.09.2026 6min

  OpenAI previewed the precautions it is taking as it prepares to release Astra, its newest, cyber-critical LLM. Also, Uber is laying off about 3,300 people, or about 10% of its global headcount, in a bid to reduce management layers and invest more in its ride-sharing, delivery, and robotaxi divisions. And Norway says wearable camera headsets need to be regulated given their privacy risks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  If space data centers feel far-fetched, why not interstellar travel?;plus, Florida and Texas move to block Flock cameras over privacy concerns 02.09.2026 7min

  The team behind Starcloud's orbital data centers has a new high-risk space project: Sending a probe to Alpha Centauri. Also, Flock's searchable network of 130,000 license plate cameras around the U.S. have sparked bipartisan privacy and civil liberties concerns. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  The Pentagon now has its own version of ChatGPT and Grok; FTC accused Amazon of running a ‘secret ad surcharge scheme,' plus, Kalshi banned George Santos for life 01.09.2026 8min

  Versions of OpenAI's ChatGPT and SpaceXAI's Grok will join Google's Gemini on the Pentagon's central portal for AI tools. Also, Amazon is facing a new lawsuit from the FTC and 22 states for allegedly secretly charging businesses more for advertising. And Kalshi's disciplinary action comes two months after the Commodity Futures Trading Commission settled charges against Santos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Musk’s faster path to more gas turbines comes with pollution problem; plus, Caterpillar is bringing what it learned from automating mining to AI implementation 31.08.2026 10min

  Elon Musk says a secretive new SpaceX foundry will let him cast his own turbine blades and get gas power online 18 months faster than anyone else — but it's a bet on a fuel source that's already triggering lawsuits and health studies everywhere his (and others') turbines have gone in. Caterpillar has spent decades putting autonomous machines to work at remote mining sites. It's now bringing that experience to AI deployment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and 100 other companies call for action to defend against rogue AI 28.08.2026 9min

  -Some of the world's largest tech companies and AI startups have come together to decry the current state of cybersecurity and to advertise a new solution that they say can ward off a new generation of cyber threats. -Barret Zoph, the Thinking Machines co-founder who defected to OpenAI, is now at Google -Meta’s settlement with 29 states allows it to retain certain data from children under 13 to train and test age-detection models, highlighting a privacy tradeoff built into the deal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Bill Gates wants to see a robot tax and ‘Human Reserved’ jobs, Z.ai is the AI lab behind the mysterious Ox Alpha, and US seizes domains of Chinese botnet 27.08.2026 7min

  Gates is mostly in the Responsible AI camp, but there are a few ideas in here we hadn't heard before. Also, Z.ai confirms it is behind Ox Alpha, the mysterious open AI model topping benchmarks and leaderboards, and its weights are set to be released soon. And the FBI has seized domains associated with a botnet that allowed Chinese-backed hackers to breach several U.S. government departments. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  OpenAI’s Jalapeño chip is built for fast inference at scale; plus, Apple debuts its ‘most powerful chip ever’ in M5 Ultra and M6 26.08.2026 6min

  First announced last October, Jalapeño was developed by OpenAI in close collaboration with Broadcom, with OpenAI’s own models assisting in the development process. Also, The M5 Ultra, which Apple deems its “most powerful chip ever,” fuses two dual-die M5 Max chips to form Apple’s first quad-die chip, designed to manage hefty AI workloads. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Instinct’s powerful AI assistant is raising privacy and security concerns; plus, Hugging Face reportedly in talks to be acquired 25.08.2026 8min

  Early testers are raving about what Instinct can do, but some say the AI assistant’s sweeping access, broad terms and ability to act on users’ behalf come with uncomfortable trade-offs Also, Hugging Face has reportedly been fielding acquisition offers that would value the company at around $13B. But with the founders' feeling of responsibility to community, doubts arise as to whether a sale will happen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices