AI & Robotics

There’s been a bunch of exciting research-focused AI labs popping up in recent months, and Flapping Airplanes is one of the most interesting. Propelled by its young and curious founders, Flapping Airplanes is focused on finding less data-hungry ways to train AI. It’s a potential game-changer for the economics and capabilities of AI models – and with $180 million in seed funding…

Airbnb has taken its time to launch AI features within the app, but CEO Brian Chesky on Friday said the company is now planning to bake in features powered by large language models that would help users search for listings, plan their trips, and aid hosts in managing their properties. Speaking at the company’s fourth-quarter conference call, Chesky said the company wants to increase its use…

“Join xAI if the idea of mass drivers on the Moon appeals to you,” CEO Elon Musk proclaimed yesterday following a restructuring that saw a stream of former executives exit the AI lab. This is an interesting recruitment strategy after the company’s merger with Musk’s rocket maker, SpaceX, and the combined company’s anticipated IPO. You might think that xAI employees…

The fight to tame spreadsheets with AI isn’t over yet. A new company called Meridian has emerged from stealth with a more comprehensive IDE-based approach to agentic financial modeling – and plenty of funding to build it. On Wednesday, the company announced $17 million in seed funding at a $100 million post-money valuation. “Our goal is to make financial modeling and spreadsheets…