A California bill that would regulate AI companion chatbots is close to becoming law

If SB 243 is enacted, California would become the first state to require operators to implement safety protocols for AI companions and hold companies legally accountable if their chatbots fail to meet those standards.

Perplexity reportedly raised $200M at $20B valuation

The AI-powered search startup’s valuation jumped from $18 billion two months earlier.

Thinking Machines Lab wants to make AI models more consistent

In a blog post shared Wednesday, Mira Murati’s startup offered a rare glimpse into some of work its doing to improve AI models.

How to turn off autoplay on your social media feeds

Here’s how you can turn off autoplaying videos and GIFs on Facebook, Instagram, X, Twitter, and Threads.

While US stalls, Australia and Anduril move to put XL undersea vehicle into service

Anduril has landed a lucrative contract and is bringing its uncrewed undersea vehicle Ghost Shark to Australian waters next year.

Klarna’s IPO pops, raising $1.4B, with Sequoia as the biggest winner

Of the 34.3 million shares Klarna sold, only 5 million were sold by the company, it said. The rest were sold by existing investors.

OpenAI and Oracle reportedly ink historic cloud computing deal

OpenAI and Oracle reportedly signed a deal that includes OpenAI buying $300 billion of compute over a five-year span.

YouTube’s multi-language audio feature for dubbing videos rolls out to all creators

YouTube’s multi-language audio feature is rolling out to millions of creators, helping them reach a wider global audience.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025: Full agenda reveal for the brand-new Going Public Stage

We recently unveiled the Going Public Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 — a new destination for founders navigating the complexities of company building, from early traction to IPO and beyond.

Arc gets its first major order for electric tugboats worth $160M

Arc’s boats have so far been all-electric, and the company’s ambitious mission is to electrify all watercraft. The new tugs will largely operate on electric propulsion, with the motors putting out over 4,000 horsepower drawn from a massive 6 MWh battery onboard.