TechCrunch Industry News

Episodes

• 
  A third of web pages published since ChatGPT’s launch show signs of AI authorship, study finds 21.08.2026 6m

  ChatGPT and other AI models are now authoring and editing much of the new web. Also, Ramp has launched its own AI model routing service, dubbed Router, that lets users and companies use and switch between various large language models via an API. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  US says hackers are targeting vulnerable water systems with the help of AI 20.08.2026 5m

  Hackers are targeting internet-connected Siemens controllers used in water facilities around the United States. Also, Alation, a data search and AI giant, confirmed unauthorized access to its systems during an incident on Tuesday, and said it was investigating the breach. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  OpenAI institutes new safeguards after Hugging Face breach; plus, Warp’s new system is an out-of-the-box software factory for AI development 19.08.2026 7m

  The new safeguards include more detailed monitoring of models during the development process, as well as greater emphasis on alignment and security during the post-training process. Also, on Tuesday, Warp introduced Warp Factories, a new infrastrructure system designed to make building AI software factories as easy as possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  WordPress.com targets the next generation of web creators, Feedly attributes weeklong slowdown to bug, and Amazon is destroying rare texts to train AI 18.08.2026 7m

  -WordPress.com Education lets teachers offer their students free domains, plugin support and professional website-building tools. -Feedly's CEO said that despite the pivot to cyber threat intelligence, fixing the basic RSS functionality is still a priority because our CTI community uses the news-reading capability. -Amazon is buying tons of rare books, cutting off their spines, and scanning them for AI training. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Anthropic CEO says AI backlash is ‘fundamentally a crisis of trust’; plus, a Tennessee woman claims her stepfather used Grok to transform childhood photo into explicit imagery 17.08.2026 6m

  Dario Amodei is pushing back against the idea that he's been painting an overly pessimistic picture of AI. Also, the woman claimed that AI tools are "taking everyday life and turning it into child sexual abuse." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Anthropic set AI agents loose on the same task. They started a turf war. 14.08.2026 9m

  Anthropic researchers found AI agents can clash, collude and coordinate in unexpected ways, raising new questions about whether today’s safety tests capture the risks of multi-agent systems. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  As AI safety concerns mount, three pioneers make the case for staying open 13.08.2026 7m

  At Ai4, three of the world's most respected AI experts—Geoffrey Hinton, Fei-Fei Li, and Andrew Ng—debated regulation, open-source access, and how America can compete as China advances in Asia. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Anthropic says it will watermark text generated by its AI models; plus, as AI-led attacks multiply, OpenAI launches a new cyber model 12.08.2026 7m

  For more than 150 years, the Riemann hypothesis has stood as one of the major unsolved problems in mathematics. Anthropic hasn't solved it — but the company's models made more progress than you might expect. Also, OpenAI is expanding its AI cybersecurity defense program Daybreak, and rolling out a new cyber-trained AI model with it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Meta’s new Glimmer AI model offers a hint at Zuckerberg’s personal intelligence vision; Claude Code’s auto mode will be on by default 11.08.2026 5m

  Meta’s new open-weight Muse Glimmer model offers a glimpse of Mark Zuckerberg’s personal superintelligence vision, as well as the emerging divide between AI users can own and access. Also, programming with Claude Code will soon require even less human oversight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  The AI safety test is becoming a safety risk 10.08.2026 9m

  AI agents are escaping cybersecurity testing environments and reaching real-world systems, raising questions about whether safety infrastructure, industry standards and regulation can keep pace with increasingly powerful models. This article written for TechCrunch by Rebecca Bellan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Ford needs another Taurus, and the $30K Fathom EV pickup isn’t it; plus, China-linked LightSpy spyware caught targeting victims in 13 countries 07.08.2026 8m

  Ford's CEO has described the new Ford Fathom as a "Model T moment" for the company. But the EV pickup is unlikely to live up to lofty expectations, and maybe it doesn't have to. Also, researchers linked the latest malicious activity to a Chinese company, after one of the spyware's operators placed an order with KFC using their real name and office address. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Shopify says AI search is driving more traffic and sales; plus, Zoox will begin charging for robotaxi rides in Vegas; and, Anthropic is hiring an AI chip design team 06.08.2026 9m

  -Shopify says AI isn’t cannibalizing search traffic the way it has for publishers. Instead, AI-driven traffic and orders to Shopify stores tripled year over year in Q2. -Zoox said that it will start charging for rides in Las Vegas starting August 10, marking the launch of its commercial operations. The company has spent years working towards this moment. -The Claude maker said it is planning to co-design hardware and models to help its technology run faster and more efficiently. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Horizon3 hits $2 billion valuation with $250M Series E as AI threats escalate; plus, Bending Spoons buying Airtable for $1.28B 05.08.2026 7m

  Cybersecurity startup Horizon3 raised $250 million at a $2 billion valuation as companies want continuous, AI-powered security validation instead of annual penetration testing. Also, at its peak in 2021, Airtable was valued at over $11 billion, but earlier this year, its shares were said to be trading on the secondary markets at a valuation of $4 billion. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  The global memory shortage hits the MacBook Air; plus, Samsung bans smart TV apps that share users’ internet connections with strangers 04.08.2026 8m

  The global memory chip shortage appears to be affecting the availability of Apple’s most popular Mac. Also, new security research offers a rare view inside residential proxy networks, which rely on apps that share a person's internet connection with someone else. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Sam Altman is still making the case for parenting via ChatGPT; plus, YouTuber Hank Green says his AI usage is ‘not healthy’ 03.08.2026 6m

  OpenAI's CEO seemed excited to share a "cool use case" for parents. Also, Green offered a remarkable apology, saying that "the level of dopamine that I've been getting from interacting with LLMs ... is not healthy for me or good for the world." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Mark Zuckerberg predicts that billions of people will have personal AI agents in five years; plus, in the Hugging Face breach, OpenAI’s hacker was noisy and fast 31.07.2026 11m

  As Meta pours billions into AI infrastructure and agents, Zuckerberg is working to convince investors that the payoff will be worth the price. Also, cybersecurity experts told TechCrunch that one of the biggest lessons to be taken from the OpenAI hack against HuggingFace has nothing to do with AI, but traditional cybersecurity defense. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Claude Opus 5 became downright ruthless when tasked with running a vending machine 30.07.2026 8m

  Andon Labs' latest vending machine simulation shows Opus 5 lied and colluded its way to become the best AI capitalist ever. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Librarians are hosting viral ‘Avoiding AI’ workshops for people who are fed up with Big Tech; plus, Sam Altman is ready to decelerate. 29.07.2026 10m

  AI naysayers know that this technology is far broader than just chatbots and deepfake apps. Also, Sam Altman's change of position comes after "the first security incident that I have felt very viscerally,' not a visit to his local library. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Recursive Superintelligence signs $410 compute deal with Amazon; plus, PayPal leaves the door open to a higher takeover 28.07.2026 7m

  Recursive’s $400 million outlay represents the bulk of the company’s fundraising to date. Also, after reporting better-than-expected Q2 results, PayPal said it remains focused on its AI-driven turnaround, but would consider a deal that creates more value for shareholders. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
• 
  Satya Nadella says companies that trust one AI for everything may not survive; plus, Apple sued after alleged App Store crypto scam 28.07.2026 8m

  Businesses that rely wholly on the major AI labs ultimately won't survive, Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella predicts. Also, Apple is facing a lawsuit from three users who say they collectively lost more than $1.8 million after downloading a fraudulent crypto wallet from the App Store, challenging the company’s longstanding claims that its app review process keeps users safe from scams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices