Since AI tools went mainstream, filmmakers, writers, and actors have been scrambling to figure out whether these technologies can truly assist their creativity or if they might end up replacing humans. But there’s a larger concern to address before we get swept away by debate: AI can’t run without enormous data centers and energy infrastructure.
A new joint venture, dubbed Utopai East…
Adam, one of the most viral startups in Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 batch, has raised a $4.1 million seed round to power its next steps, TechCrunch learned exclusively.
After generating over 10 million social media impressions with the launch of its text-to-3D model…
Reddit CEO says chatbots are not a traffic driver
November 3, 2025
Reddit CEO Steve Huffman said AI chatbots aren’t a major traffic driver for the social platform despite companies like OpenAI and Google having seen progress in people using AI for search. During Reddit’s Q3 2025 call, the exec noted that Google search and direct…
Nvidia expands AI ties with Hyundai, Samsung, SK, Naver
November 3, 2025
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is visiting South Korea for the first time in 15 years to unveil new plans and deepen collaboration with major Korean tech companies – including Hyundai Motor, Samsung, SK, and Naver. During this week’s APEC Summit 2025, Nvidia and the South Korean government announced an expanded partnership to boost the country’s AI infrastructure and physical AI…
Box co-founder and CEO Aaron Levie doesn’t think AI agents will replace enterprise SaaS (software-as-a-service) companies. Instead, he believes that the more likely future is a hybrid combination of SaaS plus agents, he said, speaking onstage at the TechCrunch Disrupt…
Most people tracking their health today end up with scattered clues. Their smartwatch shows sleep duration. A fitness app logs steps. A nutrition app counts calories. Yet few tools help people understand how all of this fits together.
Bevel, a New York-based startup…
Google partners with Ambani’s Reliance to offer free AI Pro access to millions of Jio users in India
October 31, 2025
In a push to expand its AI footprint in emerging markets, Google has partnered with billionaire Mukesh Ambani-led Reliance Industries to bundle its AI Pro subscription with Jio 5G plans at no extra cost.
On Thursday, Google announced a partnership with Reliance, India’s largest company by market capitalization, to offer its AI Pro subscription free for 18 months to eligible Jio users. The…
How AI labs use Mercor to get the data companies won’t share
October 30, 2025
Instead of signing expensive contracts with companies for their data, AI labs these days are trying a new tack: tapping former senior employees from those companies for their industry knowledge, Mercor CEO Brendan Foody said at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 on Tuesday.
Speaking on…
Character.AI is ending its chatbot experience for kids
October 30, 2025
Teenagers are trying to figure out where they fit in a world changing faster than any generation before them. They’re bursting with emotions, hyper-stimulated, and chronically online. And now, AI companies have given them chatbots designed to never stop talking. The…
Phia’s founders on how AI is changing online shopping
October 30, 2025
When Phia‘s founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni decided to build an AI startup, they targeted an area they understood well: online shopping.
The founders, who met at Stanford when they were randomly paired up as roommates, understood e-commerce because they had spent hours upon hours trying to find the right items to expand their wardrobe. And AI, they realized, had the potential to help…
