A new report from the International Energy Agency (IEA) shows that $580 billion will be spent globally on AI data centers in 2025 alone. This is $40 billion more than will be spent on new oil supplies — leading us to conclude that data centers are the new oil fields. But is this a net positive for the environment or just a different kind of resource drain? On TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten […]
Are data centers the new oil fields? Read More »
OpenAI says ChatGPT will now ditch the em dashes if you tell it to. The telltale sign that supposedly signals text written by AI has popped up everywhere in recent months, including in school papers, emails, comments, customer service chats, LinkedIn posts, online forums, ad copy, and more. The inclusion of the em dash has
OpenAI says it’s fixed ChatGPT’s em dash problem Read More »
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
ElevenLabs struck a deal with actors Michael Caine and Matthew McConaughey to AI-generate their voices, the company announced this week. Hollywood and AI have an up-and-down relationship, with AI and its — or lack thereof — guardrails serving among the main concerns that led to the Hollywood strikes a few years ago. Since then, some artists have started to
ElevenLabs strike deals with celebs to create AI audio Read More »
A German court ruled that OpenAI’s ChatGPT violated the nation’s copyright laws by training its language models on licensed musical work without permission, multiple news outlets, including The Guardian reported. The decision came from a lawsuit that GEMA, the society that handles music rights in Germany, filed last November against OpenAI. The company was ordered to pay an undisclosed amount of damages to GEMA, but said it disagreed
Court rules that OpenAI violated German copyright law; ordered it to pay damages Read More »
January Ventures co-founder Jennifer Neundorfer stopped by the Equity podcast during TechCrunch Disrupt to chat about fundraising in this very AI-driven market. Founders and investors alike are obsessed with AI, and even Neundorfer said her firm is looking at ways to use AI to make their work more efficient, such as helping to do due diligence on the market and competition.
VC Jennifer Neundorfer explains how founders can stand out in a crowded AI market Read More »
On Thursday, the Laude Institute announced its first batch of Slingshots grants, aimed at “advancing the science and practice of artificial intelligence.” Designed as an accelerator for researchers, the Slingshots program is meant to provide resources that would be unavailable in most academic settings, whether it’s funding, compute power, or product and engineering support. In
Laude Institute announces first batch of ‘Slingshots’ AI grants Read More »
Amazon announced on Thursday the launch of Kindle Translate, an AI-powered translation service designed for authors using Kindle Direct Publishing to broaden their reach. The service initially translates text between English and Spanish and from German to English, as it’s still operating in beta. More languages will be supported over time. The retail giant noted
Amazon launches an AI-powered Kindle Translate service for ebook authors Read More »
Sora’s Android launch is off to an auspicious start. On its first day on the Google Play Store, the AI video app from ChatGPT maker OpenAI saw an estimated 470,000 downloads across the markets where it was available, according to new estimates from app intelligence provider Appfigures. That makes the Android launch more than four-times
Sora for Android saw nearly half a million installs on its first day Read More »
Meta announced on Thursday that Vibes, its short-form video feed of AI-generated videos, is launching in Europe in the Meta AI app. Think TikTok or Instagram Reels, but every single video you come across is AI-generated. The rollout comes six weeks after Meta introduced the feed in the U.S. A few days after Meta’s launch,
Meta brings its short-form video feed of AI slop to Europe Read More »
