Categoria: Techcrunch

Waymo lobbyists had a busy 2024. A recent review of lobbyist disclosure data by the San Francisco Examiner revealed Waymo paid lobbyists to meet with San Francisco government officials 348 times last year, more than double the 137 times it reported in 2023. The pop in lobbyist activity is in sync with Waymo’s expansion in… Continua a leggere Waymo lobbyist activity in SF skyrocketed in 2024

The developer behind Pixelfed, Loops, and Sup, open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, respectively, is now raising funds on Kickstarter to fuel the apps’ further development. The trio is part of the growing open social web, also known as the fediverse, powered by the same ActivityPub protocol used by X alternative Mastodon. The… Continua a leggere Ditching Meta? Open source alternatives to Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp fundraise on Kickstarter

X has started expanding its dedicated vertical video feed to users outside the U.S., TechCrunch has exclusively learned and confirmed with the company. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

We’re kicking things off earlier than ever! TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets are officially on sale. Don’t miss your chance to snag them at the lowest rates of the year! Immerse yourself in the epicenter of tech innovation at Disrupt 2025! From October 27 to 29, Moscone West in San Francisco transforms into the global hub… Continua a leggere TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 tickets now on sale: Lowest rates ever

Companies that want to build AI voice into their products are rushing to work with ElevenLabs, the startup that develops synthetic voice technology like voice cloning and dubbing tools. Now ElevenLabs is turning up the volume on its business with a huge Series C raise, just a year after a sizable Series B. The New… Continua a leggere ElevenLabs has raised a new round at $3B+ valuation led by ICONIQ Growth, sources say

Character AI, a platform that lets users engage in roleplay with AI chatbots, has filed a motion to dismiss a case brought against it by the parent of a teen who committed suicide, allegedly after becoming hooked on the company’s technology. In October, Megan Garcia filed a lawsuit against Character AI in the U.S. District… Continua a leggere In motion to dismiss, chatbot platform Character AI claims it is protected by the First Amendment

Companies spent significantly more lobbying AI issues at the U.S. federal level last year compared to 2023 amid regulatory uncertainty. According to data compiled by OpenSecrets, 648 companies spent on AI lobbying in 2024 versus 458 in 2023, representing a 141% year-over-year increase. Companies like Microsoft supported legislation such as the CREATE AI Act, which… Continua a leggere AI companies upped their federal lobbying spend in 2024 amid regulatory uncertainty

Sam Altman-backed Retro Biosciences is raising $1 billion to develop drugs that extend human lifespan by 10 years, the FT reports. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

The number of individuals confirmed to be affected by the data breach is almost double the company’s previous estimate. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.

Bankers are reportedly gearing up to offload debt used to fund Elon Musk’s social network, for which he paid $44 million in 2022 including $13 billion in financing. Morgan Stanley is leading the charge, hoping to sell senior debt at between 90 and 95 cents on the dollar, reports the WSJ.  As notes the outlet,… Continua a leggere Wall Street banks plan sale of X debt at a discount