BIGGEST AI RAISES THIS WEEK
- SpaceX $40B · Debt Financing
- DeepSeek $15BCATL
- Nvidia-backed Nebius $3.5B
- Flapping Airplanes $1B · Seed
- FuriosaAI $620M
- Bedrock Robotics $600M · Series C
TOP INVESTORS · 30 DAYS
- Abstract Ventures 3 deals · $210M in rounds
- South Park Commons 3 deals · $72M in rounds
- EQT Ventures 2 deals · $137M in rounds
- Forerunner 2 deals · $113M in rounds
BITCOIN, ETHEREUM, STABLECOINS AND THE RULES
BTC $79,741 ▼1.4%ETH $2,304 ▼2.1%SOL $99.46 ▼2.3%XRP $1.29 ▼3.3%24 hr · CoinGecko
Bitcoin dips below $80,000 as Samsung-led tech jitters and a hawkish Fed weigh on cryptoMystery Wall Street Journal ad sparks new fight over tokenized stocksTampered Ledger wallets cost Singapore users $2.7M: PoliceBitcoin Treasury Datavault AI Says It Can’t Access Its BTC, Stock TanksBitcoin-backed mortgages are coming to Canada, but borrowers are still unaware of the costMore crypto news →Here’s what happened in crypto todayMore Americans Have Tried Crypto, But Few Are Sticking With It: SurveyCoinbase says it wasn’t breached, but hackers don’t need to steal crypto to hurt usersRobinhood earnings miss, crypto weakness fail to shake Wall Street’s bullish outlookCrypto PAC spending before midterms possibly obscured after reported FEC hackDOTS · MUSE · GROK BOT · INSTINCT · GEMINI SPARK · OPENCLAW
DOTS OpenAI teases Dots for Europe, but its Berlin DevDay was really about building a platformDOTS OpenAI now allows texting your ChatGPT dots, but messages aren't end-to-end encryptedDOTS OpenAI lets US Pro users text their Dots through iMessage and RCSMUSE AMD Invests $1 Billion in Meta as Its Processors Already Power the Muse AI AgentMUSE Meta rolls out Muse AI agent in Singapore amid global safety, retail pushbackMore AI agent news →MUSE Don’t use Muse? Meta’s AI agent can still access your private messages – here’s howINSTINCT Simon Taylor: Instinct lets AI agents manage stablecoin balances with Visa payment optionGROK BOT Grok Bot can now add events, set reminders, and even turn off your lights for youINSTINCT The Tatkal test for AI agent Instinct: Can it beat India's ticketing rush?GROK BOT Grok Bot Can Now Make Phone Calls for You — Here's How It WorksAG TECH, FOOD AND THE MONEY BEHIND THEM
AI From stones to crop defects: Dutch growers embrace AI-powered sortingAI Exclusive: 2nd Nature, Kalsec Team Up to Discover Waste-Derived Natural Ingredients with AIROBOTS Kingman Ag autonomous tractors (also) for GNSS-denied environmentsAI Surprising ways AI may improve your farmROBOTS Carbon Robotics cuts nearly 50 jobs despite strong LaserWeeder salesMore farm & food news →AI From climate finance to AI’s impact on smallholders, here’s what to expect at COP31TurtleTree Partners with Nizo Food Research to Advance Women’s Health with Cow-Free LactoferrinStacked Farm outlines the long game for vertical farming ahead of US expansion🎥 Amatera tackles plant breeding bottleneck with high-throughput cell screening platformVibe genes? Natural(ish) language comes to protein, genome design softwareTHE WEEK'S AI WRITING, ONE POST PER WRITER
NOTABLE ESSAYS
- The Future Is for EveryoneMark Zuckerberg · Aug 2026
- Policy on the AI ExponentialDario Amodei
- The Adolescence of TechnologyDario Amodei · 2026
MEDICINE, WELLNESS, HOSPITALS AND THE FDA
STAT+: Why every health care AI company must face EpicZocdoc invites AI agents to book appointments on behalf of patientsEarly progress on accelerating drug development with ClaudeHow AI Is Changing the Pace of Discovery for Millions Living With DementiaA Market, Not a Mandate, Is the Fastest Way to Bring AI Into HospitalsMore AI in health →Opinion: Could long-term AI use lead to isolation? We need to find out — but researchers need better access to dataSTAT+: AI drug firm Pathos raises $237 million, pushing valuation to $3 billionAI LABS
Image: AWS Machine Learning
Building an Agentic AI Platform on Amazon Bedrock AgentCore Distributed training with Ray Train DLCs and EFA on EKS Gemini 4 Carbon: Our next frontier model Thin, Light and Built for Everything: NVIDIA RTX Spark Windows Laptops Gain New Models, Agent Tools and Games NVIDIA Nemotron 3.5 Transcribe and Granary v2: Intelligent Multilingual Transcription You Can Prompt and AdaptThe future of the firm Build specialized multimodal models with LFM3 Genie 4: A new generation of world simulation More AI labs news →Retell uses OpenAI models to help power 100M monthly calls OpenAI expands partnership with Oracle to bring its apps to ChatGPT
ON THE RISE
WHAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE BUILDING
The next young builder featured here could be someone you know.
Know a young person building with AI? Tell us →How Check Point accelerates vulnerability research with Daybreak Greptile takes bug detection beyond code review with GPT-6 Astra
ANTHROPIC · OPENAI · GOOGLE · GROK · CHINA · OPEN MODELS
CHINA DeepSeek V5 Placeholder IDs Show Up in Harness Code; V4.1-Flash Leads Open Weights on FrontierCodeGOOGLE Google launches Gemini 4 Carbon with a ‘significant leap’ in cybersecurityANTHROPIC Anthropic just launched tools to show companies what their AI spending is buyingGOOGLE Google Deepmind releases Gemini 4 Carbon just two weeks after Argon with gains across the boardGOOGLE Google AI gets cagey when asked who won the 2020 electionsMore LLM news →ANTHROPIC Claude for Legal now verifies sources automatically, then hands the file to a lawyerGROK xAI is buying out homeowners who promise not to sue over data center noiseOPENAI OpenAI and ServiceNow expand partnership across enterprise workflowsANTHROPIC With AI writing the code, entrepreneurial thinking is now what counts most for newcomers at AnthropicCHINA Doubao Work and Tencent WorkBuddy Both Push Desktop Agents Further Onto the PhoneCHINA Baidu reportedly developing world model as autonomous-driving ambitions expandGROK Elon Musk’s Grok Gives First Look at AI-Generated Film Odyssey With 7-Minute Release: Video InsideGROK Elon Musk actually follows through on Grok AI adaptation of 'The Odyssey'NEW IN HAVE I BEEN PWNED
AfD: 345,439 accountsAssurance Retraite: 70,372 accountsGîtes de France: 117,574 accountsCrunchbase: 559,908 accountsBreach data: Have I Been Pwned (CC BY 4.0)
AI COMPANIES AND PRODUCTS THAT SHUT DOWN OR WENT BANKRUPT
We Investigated Character.AI and Found a Horror Show. Now It’s Bankrupt.12 Million Monthly Users Couldn't Prevent Character.AI’s BankruptcyLAWS, RULES AND GUIDANCE FROM GOVERNMENTS
Accelerating software delivery with agentic QA automation using Amazon Nova Act – Part 3A First Amendment Approach to Regulating AI Model WeightsShould AI Decide Your Court Case? This Judge Says YesThe sleep framework: A new way for LLMs to retain knowledge in continual learningCan we trust LLMs to judge whether a research idea is novel?More AI policy →Virginia governor orders statewide plan to address AI cyberattacksOpenAI urges Newsom to strengthen California’s AI safety law with additional safeguardsSMALL TEAMS TAKING ON THE GIANTS
MICROSOFT Meta AI director Rohit Patel leaves company after eight years; plans startup to take on Microsoft Office and Google Workspace; says adding AI to spreadsheets ‘kills my…’ADOBE I finally found a free, open-source Adobe After Effects clone, and it was built mostly with AIGOOGLE 'Scrcpy' is an open-source alternative to Phone Link for Android mirroring that barely uses any RAMOPENAI Hob - Open-source, on device alternative to Claude Cowork and ChatGPTADOBE GIMP finally has an open-source rival that competes on its level — and it actually feels like PhotoshopMore David and Goliath stories →MICROSOFT Denmark gives up on replacing Microsoft Office, for nowMICROSOFT My favorite alternative to Notion isn't Obsidian or OneNote, it's something that works offline and still syncs everywhereMICROSOFT My top 5 Linux alternatives to Windows (none of them are Mint)THE BIG APPS Strafe: A new open-source, E2E Encrypted, and federated alternative to DiscordTHE BIG APPS Opus 5.5 made a fully featured Figma clone in 3 hours / 8 promptsAI NEWS
Photo: Image Credits / TechCrunch
Microsoft hits 10 quarters of record-breaking revenue in a row The Work Moves Outward Creating AI value with enterprise context Wiz’s CTO on PHP2Shell and the coming ‘vulnpocalypse’ The ‘Vulnpocalypse’ is coming for the internet’s aging code, says Wiz’s CTOMicrosoft is ending Copilot support on smart TVs I Put a Bunch of AI Agents in Charge of a Fantasy Soccer Team. They’re Not Better Than Humans—Yet Chrome’s AI-powered Autofill can now dig through your Gmail to fill out forms More AI news →As AI agents reshape the web, Google opens Gemini and Search to more apps Google opens Android development to third-party AI agents and unveils new Gemini APIs
Meta says it’ll probably delay its controversial new business terms again Nvidia's open Nemotron 3.5 Transcribe combines transcription, translation, and speaker recognition New Artificial Analysis index widens the gap between open and closed models Pairing industrial AI autonomy and human control AI Emergency Alerts Are Coming. Humans Might Not Be Ready
"No human at the helm": Delaware plan would let AI agents run entire businesses Anthropic IPO warns its AI could blackmail people, become sentient, end humanity Anthropic Says It Will Revolutionize Biology—Some Day Vibe genes? Natural(ish) language comes to protein, genome design software DeepMind unveils Genie 4 world model promising more realistic physics and humans
Industrial Intelligence: The next growth opportunity for manufacturing Will the real Anthropic please stand up
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WHO'S HIRING, WHO'S CUTTING, AND THE WORK ITSELF
AI at work: Employees, employers may not be on the same page'Black Swan' Author Nassim Taleb Says AI Will Trigger a ‘Collapse in Hiring’ Before Mass Layoffs: ‘Existing Jobs Are Sticky’Xobin Introduces AI Interview Auditor to Make AI-Led Hiring More TrustworthyChevron's Eimear Bonner: 'We have to invest in our workforce to leverage AI'Netherlands Plans 25,000 Job Cuts as Government Turns to AIMacmillan Staff Say the Publisher Threw a Party for a Workplace AI Assistant That Was Later KilledOpsio Launches Hiveforce, Merging Human Leadership and an AI WorkforceAI Layoffs Are Boomeranging—6 Moves If Your Old Boss CallsMore AI and jobs news →Toshiba CHRO: Entry-level workers need to use AI more — not lessAs AI threatens entry-level jobs, Gen Z is souring on if another degree can help—U.S. business school applications have plunged 25%United CEO Scott Kirby says he had an 'epiphany' after hiring an AI tutor and vibe-coding a sports betting tool10 Jobs AI Agents Are Making Redundant In 2027AI helped me automate some of my wealth advisor job. Here's why I'm not worried about it stealing my edge.Entry-Level Workers Are Being Relegated To AI Babysitting And We Ought To Be Worried Sick About ItHow Dropbox plans to prevent AI brain rot in its workersTech Layoffs 2026: 196,000 Workers Affected as Amazon, Meta, and Microsoft Cut JobsNOW HIRING
1,348 open AI roles · 315 new this week · most wanted: Solutions & customer · top pay $850K
INTEL AI Software Development Engineer - Neuromorphic Computing US, California, Santa ClaraANTHROPIC Anthropic Research Resident London, UKTRUIST Associate AI & Data Consultant - Enterprise Data Retention and Disposition 2 LocationsDATABRICKS Forward Deployed Engineer London, United KingdomWELLS FARGO Lead Quantitative Analytics Specialist - Python, SQL, Machine Learning Model Building, Gen AI Bengaluru, IndiaAll active AI listings →Hiring for AI? List your jobs →SCHOOLS, TEACHERS, STUDENTS AND CAMPUSES
Dartmouth Provost Resigns Over AI UseHow K–12 Districts Can Achieve Advanced Cybersecurity MaturityDoes an AI Pause Protect Students, or Leave Some Behind?What Playgrounds Can Teach Us About AI in SchoolsOpinion: States Don’t Have to Solve the AI Education Equation Alone. Tennessee Shows HowMore AI education news →Watch & Learn: New York Charter School Adopts Smart Building TechnologyAnthropic trained Claude on illegally obtained Stanford professors' booksThe data retention challenge for online exam platformsCybersecurity incidents hit over 50% of schools and districts in past yearAI, Elections and the Making of an Informed ElectorateTOP TECH, AI & BUSINESS PODCASTS THIS WEEK
RISING FAST a16z Podcast up 310% on last week · now #6
- 1Lex Fridman Podcast: AI Crisis in Math: Navier-Stokes, Riemann Hypothesis & Complexity Theory744K views this week · 1 episode NEW
- 2Prof G Pod: The Real AI Threat Isn't Your Job. It's the Truth.716K views this week · 6 episodes ▲2
- 3All-In: AI Cyber Panic, Ken Griffin’s Bubble Warning, The Fall of France?661K views this week · 1 episode ▼2
- 4Moonshots: Anthropic’s $2T IPO, Elon Predicts Neocloud Death, and China’s Kimi Catches Up447K views this week · 2 episodes ▼2
- 5Hard Fork: A Spoiler-Filled Guide to 'You Can See Everything'375K views this week · 1 episode ▼2
US firm unveils Lego-like modular kits to build tailored AI, robotics, and drone hubsInterview with Faraday Future chairman: Moving from Chinese robot sourcing to US manufacturingNeura Robotics and TUM open €17 million RoboGym and unveil new humanoidMaxinsights raises $30 million to build training data platform for physical AINorth American robot orders climb 24.8% in Q3 of 2026, says A3More robot news →What Symbotic’s Walmart growth teaches robotics startups about anchor customersWarp Sciences emerges from stealth, to apply robotics to drug researchTesla’s rocket-shaped Robotaxi map in Houston is partly ‘fake’Tesla’s Cybercab battery design could make robotaxis even cheaperWaymo adds nearly 250 square miles of robotaxi coverage in 5 citiesHOLLYWOOD, MUSIC, TV AND GAMES
After ‘AI bots’ swamp Raye’s London show sign-up, Sam Fender delays UK homecoming presale over ‘sophisticated bot attack’A Flop at the Chinese Box Office Shows AI Still Has a Tough Road Ahead in TheatersEvent tech startup Easol secures $30M in new funding, launches AI agents for festival promotersApple releases iOS and macOS 27.2 with new Siri AI features, new Music logoEpic Games CEO calls Steam's AI disclosure policies "a political act"More AI entertainment news →Shogun 2 – Complete Edition was "not a Creative Assembly developed game," says Total War VP after it was pulled amid generative AI concernsONLINE AND BRICK-AND-MORTAR
Etsy CEO addresses friction of AI vs. human creativityThe rise of the intelligent store: How edge AI is transforming physical retailInstacart to stop offering smart cartsRetailers are still figuring out how to tie AI goals to executive compensationEtsy updates AI policy, noting concerns about buyer trustMore AI retail news →AI try-on kiosks gain traction as retailers seek to reduce returnsBUILDERS & RESEARCH
Quoting Ted Sanders Gemini 4 Carbon GitHub Octoverse 2026 The October inflection point for vibe game development Quoting Terk TerkowitzSurvival LLM: AI assistant and emergency library that runs on your own computer Game Boy Color on My Conference Badge Anthropic trained Claude on illegally obtained Stanford professors' books More builders & research →GPT-6.1 Terra OpenAI and Anthropic cut their LLM prices by up to 80% within a few months. Why?