Startups Weekly: It’s the dawning of the age of AI — plus, Musk is raging against the machine | TechCrunch

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we did Drowning This week in AI news. Google’s I/O set the pace: In its keynote, The word “AI” occurs on average once per minute During his two-hour keynote. Yogers! Here’s the DL on Google’s AI plans,

OpenAI has just released GPT-4o – AI model that’s ChatGPT on steroids. This new “omni” wonder-child can handle text, speech and video like a multitasking prodigy high on espresso shots. Also, co-founder and chief scientist of OpenAI Ilya Sutskever decided to jump ship, The man who originally helped build the brains of our future AI overlords is ready to chase some “personally meaningful” rainbows.

Meanwhile, OpenAI is now considering AI-generated porn. Yes, you read that right – it looks like our future includes robots with artistic talents for NSFW content. the company wants Generate clear images “responsibly” And recite without violating laws or rights. Between you and me, letting Skynet get involved in adult entertainment seems like nothing but responsibility, but I guess you’ll have to stay tuned for more updates on this roller-coaster ride because it looks like we’re speeding up. Moving towards an

Oh, and it’s also worth noting that Anthropic has let kids join the AI ​​party, but only if the developers play by the company’s rules. Teens can access third-party apps using Anthropic’s AI – not just Anthropic’s own apps – provided these apps include Security features like age verification and content filtering And a wall of “Comply with COPPA” signs has been installed on every surface.

Did something happen? Outside AI of the land? Sure, let’s take a look…

The most interesting startup stories of the week

Are you ready to hand over your love life to a robot? Bumble’s Whitney Wolfe Herd believes now is the time for bots to date other bots, all in the name of promoting “healthy and equitable relationships.” Picture this: An AI “dating concierge” critiques your insecurities and then sends your own bot on a test run with another bot. If sparks fly, you might find a match! This is basically Tinder meets “Black Mirror” episode “Hang the DJ” Except for the dystopian charm. While some people are being sarcastic, others are wondering if living vicariously through digital avatars is any worse than swiping right on someone because their profile picture has a cute dog. Truly, the most modern romance.

• Ring Ring, who’s that? your creaking bones:Ready to feel ancient? Oura’s new smart ring features promise to tell you how weak your heart really is with the Cardiovascular Age metric. Its Like a magic mirror, but for your arteries,
• from cradle to cradle: Gather together, weary, weary parents and eco-warriors! Alora Baby is here to save you from the endless parade of landfill-bound baby gear. The startup has decided that your little angel’s leftover cradle Shouldn’t be a one-way ticket to trashville. Instead, it is pioneering “reconditioned” products that are as good as new (or so they claim).
• Domo Arigato: Kyle Vogt, the man who, with Cruise, brought us self-driving cars that sometimes forget about pedestrians, is back with a new venture: robots to do your chores. Vogt’s latest brainchild, bot company, has already secured $150 million in funding. One can only hope that these bots will have better spatial awareness than his previous project.

The most interesting fundraising this week

Have you ever lost a bet and eventually founded a company? Nicholas Johnson has, and now he’s here to save apartment-dwelling EV owners from the slow death of the 120-volt outlet. Insert orange charger, Selling $750 Smart Outlet It will make your trip enjoyable and homeowners won’t have to worry much about installation costs. Company raises oversubscribed seed round of $6.5 million

In a plot straight out of a Silicon Valley soap opera, Permira is taking Squarespace private in a $6.9 billion cash deal, The website builder you probably used to start your now-abandoned blog has been bought by some very serious people with very deep pockets. After riding the roller coaster of public trading and watching its stock yo-yo as if it were auditioning for Cirque du Soleil, Squarespace will once again be kept out of the market’s sight.

• layer? I barely know ‘er!:QuickBooks, meet your new nemesis: Layers. The San Francisco-based startup just invested $2.3 million to oust the accounting giant embedding bookkeeping tools Directly on platforms like Square and Toast.
• Spicy Noms: In a world where Cisco and US Foods reign supreme, Pepper is a mighty underdog It’s shaking up the B2B food e-commerce landscape. With a new cash investment of $30 million led by ICONIQ Growth, Pepper is giving smaller distributors some serious tech muscle to fight against the big boys.
• Won’t you be my neighbor?: Welcome to the world of PayHOA, where Kentucky charm meets SaaS talent. This once bootstrapped startup just made a decent income $27.5 million in Series A funding – It seems even your local HOA needs cloud-based financial wizardry these days.

Other unforgettable TechCrunch stories…

In the latest episode of “Elon Musk Does What He Wants,” the social media platform formerly known as Twitter now flags the terms “cis” and “cisgender” as offensive. Yes true. Whereas Real Hate speech targeting marginalized groups using a term recognized by medical and government officials will get you a full-screen warning. It’s almost like Elon is trying to make an unfavorable environment For anyone who isn’t connected to his new extremist fan base. Ignore the fact that most of the people on the stage are Are Cisgender – If you use the word (or just enjoy basic human decency), consider this your cue to exit stage left.

Oh, and Musk is doing whatever he wants… Guess what happens when you put Elon Musk and a profitable division in the same room? Of course, you fire it! Tesla’s Supercharger network – an EV owner’s dream with over 50,000 global charging ports – is now in complete disarray After Musk fired the entire team,

• are you gonna Go My Way?: Uber’s latest brainwave to solve concert traffic nightmares: shuttle buses. Inspired by his success in India and Egypt, Uber is launching shuttle services in US cities For concerts, sporting events, and airport trips this summer — because everyone loves being packed like sardines with strangers.
• crushing disappointment: Buckle up, friends, because Apple’s latest attempt at marketing the new iPad Pro is a masterclass in how to Ignite Your Creative Fan Base, In its “Crush” ad, they thought it would be great to show an iPad destroying traditional art supplies. Spoiler: It wasn’t.
• Are you in tonight?: Have you ever wondered how to manage a crowd of frontline workers without losing your mind? enter goldThe superhero workforce management platform that received $27.5 million to revolutionize shift scheduling and timesheets for all the people who keep society running while we watch Netflix.
• Zikar and you will find: Geely-owned Chinese luxury EV brand Zeekar made a grand entry on the New York Stock Exchange, becoming the first major US listing from China since 2021. investors went wildDue to which Zeekar’s share price increased by 38% within minutes and its value was estimated at $7 billion.
• light solution to heavy problem: In a world where everyone is either on fad diets or taking miracle weight loss pills, Sammy Fakery decided to do something actually useful: create a startup that Helps registered dietitians start their own practice And get covered by insurance.