Author: GT

After a year of frenzied dealmaking and rumors of an upcoming IPO, the financial scrutiny into OpenAI is intensifying. Leaked documents obtained by tech blogger Ed Zitron provide more of a glimpse into OpenAI’s financials — specifically its revenue and compute costs over the past couple of years.   Zitron reported this week that in 2024, Microsoft received $493.8 million in revenue share payments from OpenAI. In the first three quarters of 2025, that number jumped to $865.8 million, according to documents he viewed. OpenAI reportedly shares 20% of its revenue with Microsoft as part of a previous deal where the…

Apple on Thursday introduced a new set of App Review Guidelines for developers, which now specifically state that apps must disclose and obtain users’ permission before sharing personal data with third-party AI. The change comes ahead of the iPhone maker’s plan to introduce its own AI-upgraded version of Siri in 2026. That update will see Apple’s digital assistant offer users the ability to take actions across apps using Siri commands, and will be powered, in part, by Google’s Gemini technology, according to a recent Bloomberg report. At the same time, Apple is ensuring other apps aren’t leaking personal data to…

In the debut episode of the Build Mode podcast, host Isabelle Johannessen sits down with Deon Nicholas, co-founder of Forethought AI, to unpack what it really takes to build a lasting company with and for your customers from day one. Build Mode is TechCrunch’s new podcast that pulls back the curtain on how startups actually get built — the messy, tactical, real-talk version. Season 1: Product, Meet Market, goes beyond product-market fit to explore every aspect of getting your product into customers’ hands, from finding the right audience and earning their trust to turning early traction into lasting momentum. From…

Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin has landed the booster of its New Glenn mega-rocket on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean on just its second attempt — making it the second company to perform such a feat, following Elon Musk’s SpaceX. It’s an accomplishment that will help the new rocket system become an option to send larger payloads to space, the moon, and beyond. Thursday’s launch wasn’t just about the landing attempt, though. Roughly 34 minutes after takeoff, the upper stage of New Glenn successfully deployed the rocket’s first commercial payload: twin spacecraft for NASA that will travel to Mars…

If there’s one thing that VCs agree on when backing AI startups, it’s that AI requires a different investment approach than prior technological shifts. “It’s a funky time,” said Aileen Lee, founder and managing partner of Cowboy Ventures, onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. The longtime VC noted that the rules of investing have significantly shifted now that some AI companies are leaping from “zero to $100 million in revenue in a single year.” However, Lee also noted that, based on her firm’s research, Series A investors aren’t just seeking rapid revenue growth. “It’s an algorithm with different variables and different…

OpenAI on Thursday introduced a group chat feature for ChatGPT. The feature, currently being tested in select regions, including Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan, lets users collaborate directly within the app. The group chat is available to Free, Plus, and Team users on both mobile and web platforms. OpenAI says the pilot is designed to explore how people use group conversations in ChatGPT. The announcement comes after earlier reports that OpenAI had been testing a direct-message-style tool. The ChatGPT maker describes this pilot as just a “small first step” toward creating a more “shared experience” in the app.…

Legal AI might not sound like the sexiest category in Silicon Valley, but Harvey‘s CEO Winston Weinberg has captured the attention of virtually every top-tier investor in the Valley. The company’s cap table reads like a who’s who of venture capital: the OpenAI Startup Fund (its first institutional investor), Sequoia Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Elad Gil, Google Ventures, Coatue, and most recently, Andreessen Horowitz. The San Francisco-based company’s valuation skyrocketed from $3 billion in February 2025 to $5 billion in June to $8 billion in late October — a rise that reflects both the bonkers price tags awarded to AI companies…

As America’s aging roads fall further behind on much-needed repairs, cities and states are turning to artificial intelligence to spot the worst hazards and decide which fixes should come first.Hawaii officials, for example, are giving away 1,000 dashboard cameras as they try to reverse a recent spike in traffic fatalities. The cameras will use AI to automate inspections of guardrails, road signs and pavement markings, instantly discerning between minor problems and emergencies that warrant sending a maintenance crew.“This is not something where it’s looked at once a month and then they sit down and figure out where they’re going to…

TikTok is rolling out a new feature that will allow users to share content from Amazon Music to the social network, the company told TechCrunch exclusively. With a new “Share to TikTok” button, Amazon Music users can share songs, albums, playlists, and personal listening highlights from their Insights on Amazon Music directly to TikTok.  For context, Amazon Music Insights is a new personalized feature that gives listeners a detailed look at their music habits and stats. It includes “Monthly Recaps” that spotlight your top artists, songs, podcasts, and total listening time. Amazon Music users can now share these stats directly…

The Pixel 10 Pro Fold won’t look very different if you place it next to last year’s Pixel 9 Pro Fold. Besides Google’s AI chops, there is not much of an overhaul at first glance. However, this is the first foldable to receive an IP68 rating, and that counts for something. Ever since companies started launching foldables, durability has been the prime concern for users. The longevity of hinges, protection of the inner screen, and resistance of these devices against liquid and sand are always big considerations when buying a foldable as compared to a slab phone. Google’s Pixel 10…