As an AI engineer at Meta, Boris Valkov helped build PyTorch, one of the world’s largest machine learning libraries. During his time there, Valkov realized that artificial intelligence “was about to unlock capabilities…in the application layer in the software stack.” He left Meta in late 2021 to start Lace AI, a startup that has developed […]
Tech Crunch
India’s EV startup Ather cuts IPO size to $308M, seeking $1.4B post-money valuation
Ather Energy, the Indian startup manufacturing electric two-wheelers, has cut the size of its initial public offer by 18% to 26.26 billion Indian rupees ($308.3M), according to a new draft prospectus filed Tuesday. The Bengaluru-based startup confirmed to TechCrunch it’s targeting a post-money valuation of $1.4 billion. Last September, the startup sought a valuation of […]
Two undergrads built an AI speech model to rival NotebookLM
A pair of undergrads, neither with extensive AI expertise, say that they’ve created an openly available AI model that can generate podcast-style clips similar to Google’s NotebookLM. The market for synthetic speech tools is vast and growing. ElevenLabs is one of the largest players, but there’s no shortage of challengers (see PlayAI, Sesame, and so […]
Adaptive Computer wants to reinvent the PC with ‘vibe’ coding for non-programmers
Dennis Xu is a repeat tech startup founder, but he’s the first to admit he’s not a programmer. After co-founding AI note-taking app Mem — one of OpenAI’s earliest venture investments — he has now launched a new startup called Adaptive Computer. Its grandiose mission is nothing less than a complete reimagining of personal computer […]
Marks & Spencer confirms cybersecurity incident amid ongoing disruption
The company said it was necessary to make operational changes to protect the business.
Uber customers can now earn Delta SkyMiles from rides or deliveries
Delta SkyMiles members in the United States can now start earning points when they ride with Uber or order delivery through Uber Eats as part of a recently announced exclusive partnership between the two companies. The tie-up with Delta is designed to further align the ride-hail giant with airport travel, which has historically been a […]
Superpower wants to help people detect and address health issues before symptoms appear
A startup called Superpower is publicly launching what it calls the world’s first super-app that is designed to help people better understand and take care of their health. For $499, the startup offers biannual lab testing that analyzes over 100 blood biomarkers across 21 categories, giving people a more comprehensive look at their health than […]
Crowdsourced AI benchmarks have serious flaws, some experts say
AI labs are increasingly relying on crowdsourced benchmarking platforms such as Chatbot Arena to probe the strengths and weaknesses of their latest models. But some experts say that there are serious problems with this approach from an ethical and academic perspective. Over the past few years, labs including OpenAI, Google, and Meta have turned to […]
Social media is not wholly terrible for teen mental health, study says
We know that social media can be harmful to teens. Meta has found in its own research that Instagram makes body image worse for one in three teen girls, and Snapchat has been sued several times for not doing enough to mitigate cyberbullying. Even the former U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the risk […]
Manychat taps $140M to boost its business messaging platform with AI
Chatbots and other kinds of AI agents — and the companies that build them — may feel like a dime a dozen these days. But the truth is that, for both businesses and consumers, some may be infinitely more useful (and perhaps less dystopian) than others. Today, a startup that’s built a successful business around […]