AI

Legally embattled AI music startup Suno raises at $2.45B valuation on $200M revenue

Venture /

If you want insight into just how worried VCs (and Silicon Valley, generally) are over legal challenges to AI training on copyrighted material, look no further than AI music site Suno.  Suno, which allows anyone to create AI-generated songs through prompts, announced on Wednesday that it has raised a $250 million Series C round at […]

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Google Maps adds Gemini-powered tips section, EV charger availability predictions, and more

Apps /

Google Maps is rolling out new features designed to help users save time and feel more prepared, including a Gemini-powered “know before you go” tool. The navigation app is also launching an improved Explore tab and a new EV charger availability prediction feature. Now, when users search for places in Maps like restaurants, hotels, or

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TikTok now lets you choose how much AI-generated content you want to see

Apps /

TikTok, an app that was once just a place for user-generated content, is launching a new setting that lets users choose how much AI-generated content they want to see in their “For You” feed. The company is also introducing more advanced labeling technologies for AI-generated content. The new AI-generated content (AIGC) control is rolling out

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Hugging Face CEO says we’re in an ‘LLM bubble,’ not an AI bubble

AI /

Hugging Face co-founder and CEO Clem Delangue says we’re not in an AI bubble, but an “LLM bubble” — and it may be poised to pop. At an Axios event on Tuesday, the entrepreneur behind the popular AI platform and community site agreed that bubble talk is today’s “trillion dollar question,” but said he doesn’t

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Google rolls out its AI ‘Flight Deals’ tool globally, adds new travel features in Search

Apps /

Google is rolling out new AI-powered features to book and plan travel in Search, the company announced on Monday. The tech giant is expanding availability for its AI-powered “Flight Deals” tool, adding the ability for users to organize travel plans with its “Canvas” tool in AI Mode, and launching agentic booking capabilities to more people.

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Are data centers the new oil fields?

Venture /

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

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Apple’s new App Review Guidelines clamp down on apps sharing personal data with ‘third-party AI’

Privacy /

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

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ElevenLabs strike deals with celebs to create AI audio

AI /

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

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