Author: GT

Solana Labs CEO and Solana co-founder Anatoly Yakovenko takes the Disrupt Stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, happening October 27–29 at San Francisco’s Moscone West, to chart where crypto goes next — from the meme coin frenzy to real-world finance and everything in between. This is one fintech conversation you will not want to miss. Save up to $624 on your pass before the sale ends tonight at 11:59 p.m. PT. Groups save up to 30% on passes. Sharing lessons on scaling blockchain and crypto adoption at Disrupt Yakovenko will unpack Solana’s breakout year, the growing demand for scalable, low-cost blockchain…

Automaker Stellantis and Chinese autonomous vehicle company Pony.ai have signed a nonbinding agreement to build robotaxis for deployment in Europe.   The collaboration will integrate Pony’s self-driving software into Stellantis’ electric medium-size van platform, which is built with advanced sensors to support autonomous vehicles. The companies plan to first deploy test vehicles based on the Peugeot e-Traveller model. Testing will begin in Luxembourg, Pony’s European headquarters, in the coming months, with plans to roll out more vehicles across European cities starting in 2026.   The tie-up comes a few months after Pony announced a partnership with Uber to deploy in…

TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 wouldn’t be what it is without the incredible companies that power the innovation behind the scenes. From headline partners to emerging collaborators, our sponsors help make Disrupt the ultimate destination for founders, investors, and visionaries shaping the future of tech. Their insights, technologies, and support bring each stage, session, and startup moment to life — turning bold ideas into real-world impact. Spotlight sessions you won’t want to miss Our sponsors are shaping the future of industries — and you can catch them live at Disrupt: Tuesday October 28 AI Stage AI Isn’t Failing. You’re Just Solving the Wrong Problems 2:35 p.m.…

ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to supercharge productivity through writing essays and code with short text prompts has evolved into a behemoth with 300 million weekly active users. 2024 was a big year for OpenAI, from its partnership with Apple for its generative AI offering, Apple Intelligence, the release of GPT-4o with voice capabilities, and the highly-anticipated launch of its text-to-video model Sora. OpenAI also faced its share of internal drama, including the notable exits of high-level execs like co-founder and longtime chief…

The tech layoff wave is still kicking in 2025. Last year saw more than 150,000 job cuts across 549 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. So far this year, more than 22,000 workers have been the victim of reductions across the tech industry, with a staggering 16,084 cuts taking place in February alone. We’re tracking layoffs in the tech industry in 2025 so you can see the trajectory of the cutbacks and understand the impact on innovation across all types of companies. As businesses continue to embrace AI and automation, this tracker serves as a reminder of the human…

ChatGPT’s mobile app growth may have hit its peak, according to a new analysis of download trends and daily active users provided by the third-party app intelligence firm Apptopia. Its estimates indicate that new user growth, measured by percentage changes in new global downloads, slowed after April. The firm looked at the global daily active user (DAU) growth and found that the numbers have begun to even out over the past month or so. Global DAUs for ChatGPT mobile app.Image Credits:Apptopia Although October is only half over, the firm says it’s on pace to be down 8.1% in terms of…

A Facebook feature that gives Meta AI the ability to suggest edits to photos stored on your phone’s camera roll but haven’t yet been shared is now rolling out to all users in the U.S. and Canada. The company announced on Friday that users can choose to opt in to receive these sharing suggestions, which will then prompt them to post photos to their Facebook Feed and Stories with the AI edits. First launched as a test over the summer, Facebook’s app pops up a permission dialog box requesting access to “allow cloud processing” so users can get “creative ideas…

Silicon Valley’s rule? It’s not cool to be cautious. As OpenAI removes guardrails and VCs criticize companies like Anthropic for supporting AI safety regulations, it’s becoming clearer who the industry thinks should shape AI development.  On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff discuss how the line between innovation and responsibility is getting blurrier, plus what happens when pranks go from digital to physical.  Listen to the full episode to hear about:  Why advocating for AI safety has become “uncool” in Silicon Valley from Anthropic facing backlash to California’s SB 243 regulation of AI companion chatbots…

Silicon Valley’s rule? It’s not cool to be cautious. As OpenAI removes guardrails and VCs criticize companies like Anthropic for supporting AI safety regulations, it’s becoming clearer who the industry thinks should shape AI development.  On this episode of Equity, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Max Zeff discuss how the line between innovation and responsibility is getting blurrier, plus what happens when pranks go from digital to physical.  Watch to the full episode for more about:  Why advocating for AI safety has become “uncool” in Silicon Valley from Anthropic facing backlash to California’s SB 243 regulation of AI companion chatbots…

The Department of Energy said Thursday that it had finalized a $1.6 billion loan guarantee to upgrade around 5,000 miles of transmission lines. The grid upgrades would ease the flow of electricity in Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, and West Virginia. The project, which will address lines owned by American Electric Power (AEP), won’t add any new routes, but it will help existing ones carry more power. AEP is one of the largest utilities and transmission line owners in the U.S., with operations spanning 11 states. The 5,000 miles that will be upgraded represent around 13% of the company’s total network.…