AI

Exploring the future of voice AI with Mati Staniszewski at Disrupt 2025

Synthetic speech is no longer the stuff of science fiction. From audiobooks and dubbing to gaming and avatars, AI-generated voice is breaking into the mainstream — and Mati Staniszewski, CEO and co-founder of ElevenLabs, is helping lead the charge. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, he’ll take the stage to talk about what it takes to make

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Google’s former security leads raise $13M to fight email threats before they reach you

As AI is increasingly helping hackers to launch mass-scale email attacks, former Google security leaders have joined forces to build autonomous AI agents that aim to stop phishing, malware, and business email compromise threats before they ever reach user inboxes. That is the mission behind AegisAI, a new email security startup that has just emerged

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Sources: AI training startup Mercor eyes $10B+ valuation on $450M run rate

Mercor, a startup that connects companies like OpenAI and Meta with domain experts needed to train and refine their foundational AI models, is in discussions with investors for a Series C round, according to two sources familiar with the deal talks and a marketing document viewed by TechCrunch. The company is currently targeting a valuation

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Sources: AI training startup Mercor eyes $10B+ valuation on $450 million run rate

Mercor, a startup that connects companies like OpenAI and Meta with domain experts needed to train and refine their foundational AI models, is in discussions with investors for a Series C round, according to a marketing document viewed by TechCrunch and two sources familiar with the deal talks. Felicis, a returning investor, is considering doubling

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Microsoft to lessen reliance on OpenAI by buying AI from rival Anthropic

Microsoft will pay to use Anthropic’s AI in Office 365 apps, The Information reports, citing two sources. The move means that Anthropic’s tech will help power new features in Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint alongside OpenAI’s, marking the end of Microsoft’s previous reliance solely on the ChatGPT-maker for its productivity suite.  Microsoft’s move to diversify

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Apple’s new iPhone 17 devices don’t have an AI-powered Siri yet. It doesn’t matter.

At yet another splashy event, Apple on Tuesday introduced its latest lineup of iPhones: the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and a new slimmer version dubbed the iPhone Air. The “Air” branding is meant to bring to mind other lightweight — and sometimes less expensive — Apple products like the MacBook Air and

Apple’s new iPhone 17 devices don’t have an AI-powered Siri yet. It doesn’t matter. Read More »