TechCrunch Mobility: Rivian’s R2 gambit

Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility, your hub for all things “future of transportation.” 

Will the Pentagon’s Anthropic controversy scare startups away from defense work?

On the latest episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, we discussed what the controversy means for other startups seeking to work with the federal government.

Owner of ICE detention facility sees big opportunity in AI man camps

AI data center developers are increasingly relying on a style of camp popularized as housing for men working in remote oil fields.

Ring’s Jamie Siminoff is still trying to calm privacy fears, but his answers may not help

The facial recognition question is where things get more tangled.

Palmer Luckey’s retro gaming startup ModRetro reportedly seeks funding at $1B valuation

The company launched its first product, a Game Boy-style handheld device called the Chromatic, in 2024.

Flipkart moves its headquarters back to India ahead of IPO

Flipkart’s headquarters shift comes as the Walmart-backed e-commerce giant reaches about $30 billion in GMV.

The 2027 Chevy Bolt is the McRib of the automotive world

TechCrunch drove the 2027 Chevy Bolt and found that incremental improvements build on a solid basic recipe to deliver an affordable EV.

PopSockets founder David Barnett talks about building a viral business

David Barnett, founder of PopSocket, stops by Equity to talk about scaling the business and what he’s learned as a leader.

OpenAI delays ChatGPT’s ‘adult mode’ again

The feature, which will give verified adult users access to erotica and other adult content, had already been delayed from December.

OpenAI robotics lead Caitlin Kalinowski quits in response to Pentagon deal

Hardware executive Caitlin Kalinowski announced today that in response to OpenAI’s controversial agreement with the Department of Defense, she’s resigned from her role leading the company’s robotics team.