Why AI will eat McKinsey’s lunch — but not today

Why AI will eat McKinsey’s lunch — but not today

Navin Chaddha, managing director of the 55-year-old Silicon Valley venture firm Mayfield, is betting big on AI’s ability to transform people-heavy industries like consulting, law, and accounting. The veteran investor, whose wins include Lyft, Poshmark, and HashiCorp, recently discussed at TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC evening in Menlo Park why he believes “AI teammates” can create software-like margins … Read more

This AI-powered startup studio plans to launch 100,000 companies a year — really

This AI-powered startup studio plans to launch 100,000 companies a year — really

Henrik Werdelin has spent the last 15 years helping entrepreneurs build big brands like Barkbox through his startup studio Prehype. Now, with his new, New York-based venture Audos, he’s betting that AI can help him scale that process from “tens” of startups a year to “hundreds of thousands” of aspiring business owners. The timing certainly … Read more

Meta’s recruiting blitz claims three OpenAI researchers

Meta’s recruiting blitz claims three OpenAI researchers

In the fight for top AI talent, Meta just reportedly snagged a win, poaching three OpenAI researchers despite rival Sam Altman’s public mockery of Mark Zuckerberg’s lavish hiring tactics. The latest victory in Zuckerberg’s widely-reported recruiting blitz: Lucas Beyer, Alexander Kolesnikov, and Xiaohua Zhai – who established OpenAI’s Zurich office – have joined Meta’s superintelligence … Read more

Court filings reveal OpenAI and io’s early work on an AI device

Court filings reveal OpenAI and io’s early work on an AI device

Legal filings submitted earlier this month from lawyers representing OpenAI and Jony Ive’s io reveal new details about the companies’ efforts to build a mass-market AI hardware device. The filings are part of a trademark dispute lawsuit filed this month by iyO, a Google-backed hardware startup developing custom-molded earpieces that connect to other devices. Over … Read more

OpenAI pulls promotional materials around Jony Ive deal due to court order

OpenAI pulls promotional materials around Jony Ive deal due to court order

OpenAI has pulled a much-discussed video promoting the friendship between CEO Sam Altman and legendary Apple designer Jony Ive (plus, incidentally, OpenAI’s $6.5 billion deal to acquire Ive and Altman’s device startup io) from its website and YouTube page. Does that suggest something is amiss with the acquisition, or with plans for Ive to lead … Read more

European leaders worry they’re too reliant on U.S. tech

European leaders worry they’re too reliant on U.S. tech

European governments may be reconsidering their use of American technology and services, according to a new report in The New York Times. The flashpoint seems to come after President Donald Trump sanctioned Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, over the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin … Read more

Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab closes on $2B at $10B valuation

Mira Murati’s Thinking Machines Lab closes on B at B valuation

Thinking Machines Lab, the secretive AI startup founded by OpenAI’s former chief technology officer Mira Murati, has closed a $2 billion seed round, according to The Financial Times. The deal values the 6-month-old startup at $10 billion.  The company’s work remains unclear. The startup has leveraged Murati’s reputation and other high-profile AI researchers who have … Read more