Author: GT

Sam Altman, chief executive officer of OpenAI, during a fireside chat organized by Softbank Ventures Asia in Seoul, South Korea, on Friday, June 9, 2023. SeongJoon Cho | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesSam Altman’s $6.4 billion bet on Jony Ive is a callback to strategy employed by another Silicon Valley tech billionaire: Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.OpenAI on Wednesday said it’s buying Ive’s nascent devices startup io in what is by far the largest acquisition in the artificial intelligence company’s 10-year history. It’s a decidedly big bet on a secretive hardware company co-founded by Ive, who famously designed Apple’s iconic iPhone, iPod and…

In an era where hundreds of new venture funds have emerged, only to face a narrowing market as exits prove slippery, Elizabeth Weil’s Scribble Ventures stands out as a case study in the importance of deep networks. Defying a contraction that is sidelining many newcomers, Weil just secured $80 million for Scribble’s third fund, its largest capital raise yet. The milestone underscores market confidence in Weil, a Stanford graduate whose resume includes a partner role at Andreessen Horowitz, corporate development at Twitter (now X), and stints at Silicon Valley stalwarts IVP and Menlo Ventures. “Everybody told me it was going…

With TikTok still facing the possibility of a ban in the U.S., the popularity of short-form video content continues to grow. The latest company to enter this space is TED, the non-profit best known for its TED Talks featuring prominent figures like Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and the late Pope Francis.  On Wednesday, the company announced its new short-form video feature, aptly named “TED Shorts.” The feature has gradually rolled out to users since the beginning of May.  Available on both iOS and Android devices, TED Shorts can be found in the middle of the navigation bar. By…

The Linux Foundation and Meta are putting some numbers behind how open-source AI (OSAI) is driving innovation and adoption.The adoption of AI tools is pretty much everywhere now, with 94% of organisations surveyed already using them. And get this: within that crowd, 89% are tapping into open-source AI for some part of their tech backbone.A paper released this week by Meta and the Linux Foundation stitches together academic brainpower, industry frontline stories, and global survey data to showcase an ecosystem that’s buzzing thanks to being open and affordable.If there’s one thing that jumps off the page, it’s the money talk.…

Google on Wednesday detailed its plans to bring ads to AI Mode, the company’s AI-powered experience in Google Search. Ads may appear “where relevant” below and “integrated into” AI Mode responses as part of a test, Google says. AI Mode lets Google Search users ask a question and get an AI-generated response, with the ability to go deeper through follow-up questions and links to websites. “In some cases, a website builder might be a good next step [in an AI Mode query], so we may show a helpful ad that can help [users] get started,” explains Google in a blog…

An increasing number of meetings have an AI note-taker present that transcribes the call and provides action items. Siro wants to do the same for sales folks who are on the ground and talking to customers face-to-face. The company on Wednesday announced it has secured $50 million in a Series B round led by SignalFire with participation from Dick Costolo and Adam Bain’s VC firm 01 Advisors. Square CPO Saumil Mehta; the founders of business management software Squire, Songe LaRon and Dave Salvant; former Yelp SVP of Engineering Michael Stoppelman; and former Snap Engineering VP Ding Zhou also participated. To…

Amazon is testing short-form AI-powered audio product summaries on select product pages, the company announced on Wednesday. The audio summaries are voiced by what Amazon calls “AI-powered shopping experts” that discuss key product features, customer reviews, and information from across the web. The new AI product summaries can be accessed by tapping the “Hear the highlights” button in the Amazon Shopping app. Amazon will test the feature on products that typically require consideration before purchase, the company says. The idea behind the feature is to help Amazon customers save time while shopping and get important information through a conversational, discussion-style…

The U.S. Department of the Interior said Tuesday that it’s beginning the process of selling deep-sea mining leases after a request from startup Impossible Metals (previously Impossible Mining). The agency said the process would “evaluate a potential mineral lease sale in the waters offshore American Samoa.” The administrative procedure requires a publication in the federal register and the solicitation of public feedback before considering any sales. Given the tone of the Secretary of the Interior’s statement on the matter, the lease sale might be a foregone conclusion.  “Critical minerals are fundamental to strengthening our nation’s resilience and safeguarding our national…

WASHINGTON (AP) — It seems like a triumph for a cryptocurrency industry that has long sought mainstream acceptance: Top investors in one of President Donald Trump ’s crypto projects invited to dine with him at his luxury golf club in Northern Virginia on the heels of the Senate advancing key pro-crypto legislation and while bitcoin prices soar. But Thursday night’s dinner for the 220 biggest investors in the $TRUMP meme coin has raised uncomfortable questions about potentially shadowy buyers using the anonymity of the internet to buy access to the president. While Democrats charge that Trump is using the power…

Russian President Vladimir Putin tours an exhibition at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Gora in Moscow, Russia, April 30, 2025.Alexander Kazakov | Via ReutersRussia has shown little appetite for peace negotiations with Ukraine, despite Moscow making a show of what war experts described as “performative ceasefires,” and a number of attempts by U.S. President Donald Trump to persuade Russian leader Vladimir Putin to talk to Kyiv.In fact, Moscow is widely believed to be planning a new summer offensive in Ukraine to consolidate territorial gains in the southern and eastern parts of the country, that its…