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OpenAI Co-Founder Secures $1 Billion to Build "Safe" AI at New Startup

Ilya Sutskever, a co-founder of AI powerhouse OpenAI, has secured a staggering $1 billion in funding for his new venture focused on developing what he calls "safe" artificial intelligence. The startup, Safe Superintelligence (SSI), announced the funding round in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday. SSI

US Regulators Call for Probe into Temu and Shein

Popular online retailers Temu and Shein are facing mounting scrutiny over the safety of products sold on their platforms. Two US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) commissioners are now urging a formal investigation into the companies, citing concerns over the alleged sale of dangerous items, including some posing risks to

Lyft Slashes Jobs, Scales Back Bikes and Scooters in Efficiency Push

Ride-hailing company Lyft announced another round of layoffs on Wednesday, as reported by the Wall Street Journal, this time targeting its bikes and scooters division. The move comes as CEO David Risher continues his efforts to streamline operations and boost profitability at the Uber rival. While Lyft will maintain its

MongoDB COO: GenAI Holds Long-Term Promise

MongoDB sees significant long-term opportunities from generative AI but acknowledges the near-term impact of macroeconomic headwinds on consumption growth, Chief Operating Officer Michael Gordon said Tuesday. Speaking at the Citi Global TMT Conference, Gordon outlined three key areas where GenAI is poised to benefit MongoDB: increased developer productivity leading to

Snap Bets on Ads, AR to Counter Competition

Snap Inc. CEO Evan Spiegel is striving to boost morale amidst a challenging year for the company, which has seen its stock price plummet by nearly 50%. In an internal letter obtained by Bloomberg, Spiegel reassured employees that Snap is on track for record annual revenue and remains committed to

OpenAI Chooses TSMC's Cutting-Edge A16 Node for its AI Chip Debut

OpenAI is taking a major leap into custom silicon. According to reports from Taiwan, the AI powerhouse has chosen TSMC, the world's leading chip manufacturer, to produce its first-ever AI chips. These chips will be manufactured using TSMC's advanced 1.6-nanometer A16 process node, slated for

Asana's Q2 Earnings Beat Marred by Weak Revenue Outlook, Sending Shares Tumbling

Work management software provider Asana Inc. presented a mixed bag of results in its fiscal 2025 second-quarter earnings report, exceeding analysts' expectations on earnings and revenue but falling short on forward-looking guidance. The news sent Asana's shares tumbling nearly 13% in after-hours trading. Asana reported an adjusted

Salesforce Acquires AI Voice Agent Startup Tenyx in Bid to Bolster AI Capabilities

Salesforce announced Tuesday its agreement to acquire Tenyx, a developer of AI-powered voice agents, signaling a renewed focus on strategic acquisitions to fuel growth in the competitive AI landscape. While the financial details of the deal remain undisclosed, Salesforce confirmed that the acquisition is expected to close in the third

Nvidia Hit With DOJ Subpoenas in Escalating Antitrust Investigation

Nvidia shares tumbled further in after-hours trading Tuesday following a report by Bloomberg that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has issued subpoenas to the chipmaking giant as part of an ongoing antitrust investigation. This news comes on the heels of a brutal day for Nvidia, which saw its stock plummet

Canva's Price Shock, Nvidia's AI Power Play, and ByteDance's Big Borrow

SaaS & Infra | AI | Consumer | Venture SaaS & Infra Canva Price Hike Sparks Backlash Australian design platform Canva is facing criticism for a significant price increase to its Canva Teams product. Some users have seen their annual bills more than triple, prompting complaints about affordability and the value proposition of

Samsung Acquires French AI Ultrasound Startup Sonio for €86 Million

Samsung Medison, the medical equipment subsidiary of tech giant Samsung Electronics, has finalized its acquisition of Sonio, a French startup specializing in AI-powered ultrasound technology, for €86 million ($93 million). This strategic move highlights Samsung's growing interest in leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance its healthcare offerings. Founded in

CrowdStrike Braces for Legal and Congressional Firestorm Following Global IT Meltdown

Cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike is facing a multi-front battle in the wake of a disastrous software update that crippled millions of computers worldwide in July. Alongside mounting lawsuits from disgruntled customers and shareholders, the company is now set to be grilled by US lawmakers over the incident. As reported by TechCrunch,

Nvidia: From Chip Powerhouse to AI Data Center Architect

Nvidia, already a dominant force in AI chips, is aggressively expanding its reach to encompass the entire data center ecosystem. The company's CEO, Jensen Huang, envisions Nvidia as a "one-stop shop" for building "AI factories," offering not just its renowned chips but also software,

Canva Sparks Outrage With Steep Canva Teams Price Hike

Graphic design platform Canva is facing backlash from users following a significant price increase for its Canva Teams product, as reported by the Australian Financial Review. The change, which introduces a per-user pricing structure, has sparked accusations of being "outrageous" from long-time subscribers. Under the new model, US-based

ByteDance Seeks Record $9.5 Billion Loan

ByteDance, the Chinese tech giant behind TikTok, is seeking a massive $9.5 billion loan, aiming to secure the largest dollar-denominated corporate facility ever seen in Asia, excluding Japan. This news comes from separate reports by Reuters and Bloomberg. Citigroup, Goldman Sachs, and JPMorgan are reportedly coordinating the loan, structured

Snowflake Stock Stumbles Despite Earnings Beat as AI Concerns Persist

Snowflake Inc. (SNOW) shares took a tumble on Wednesday, plunging 14.7% despite reporting second-quarter earnings that beat analyst expectations. The stock's decline stemmed from a combination of a modest earnings beat and a guidance update that failed to quell investor worries about the company's AI

Squarespace Buyout Battle, SoftBank's AI Chip Hunt, and FTC's Google Scrutiny

Cloud & Infra | AI | Consumer | Venture WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 2024 Cloud & Infra Squarespace Investor Opposes $6.9 Billion Buyout Deal Glazer Capital, a shareholder in Squarespace Inc., has publicly opposed the website builder's proposed $6.9 billion acquisition by Permira. Glazer, which claims to control 5.4%

OpenAI on a Buying Spree, CrowdStrike Soaring High, and Election Boosts Meta

OpenAI Acquires Multi, Eyes Remote Collaboration Market: OpenAI has been on a rapid acquisition spree, recently purchasing two companies in a matter of days, as reported by TechCrunch. Following the acquisition of database technology firm Rockset, OpenAI has acquired Multi, a startup that developed a video-first collaboration platform designed for

Coursera: Deep Dive Interview with Former Executive

Coursera: Deep Dive Interview with Former Executive

Below is an edited transcript for an interview with a former executive at Coursera. Key issues discussed in this interview include: Why the reach of Coursera matters * How Coursera acquires content and audience * The differing motivations of university partners and industry partners * How Coursera faces multiple competitors on multiple fronts