Author: Jason
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Apple reportedly partners with Alibaba after rejecting DeepSeek for China AI launch
According to a report published Tuesday by The Information, Apple is partnering Alibaba to bring its Apple Intelligence platform to China. The deal is said to arrive after the iPhone maker reportedly explored – but ultimately rejected – a potential partnership with uber-buzzy AI startup, DeepSeek, as well as with Bytedance. Apple initially selected Baidu… Read more
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Mast Reforestation hatched a plan to restore wildfire-ravaged forests. Investors took notice.
Mast enables reforestation without landowners needing to wait decades to harvest timber or claim carbon credits. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Read more
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BuzzFeed is taking on Instagram, TikTok, X with a new social platform designed to spread ‘joy’
BuzzFeed, the media site known for its celebrity news and quizzes, announced on Tuesday that it’s developing its own social media platform, in a move to counter the current negativity on the internet. Semafor first reported BuzzFeed’s plan for the platform this past week. Details on the new platform are not yet public. However, the… Read more
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BYD to offer Tesla-like driver assist, even on its cheapest models
Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD unveiled “God’s Eye,” an advanced driver assistance system that will be install on its entire model lineup, including its $9,600 Seagull hatchback. BYD founder Wang Chuanfu said at a live streamed event Monday that “we’re entering an era where autonomous driving is for everyone,” according to The Financial Times. God’s… Read more
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Pinkfish helps enterprises build AI agents through natural language processing
As the chief product officer for AI customer service startup TalkDesk, Charanya “CK” Kannan said that enterprises often say they want to automate different workflows but that it’s really hard to implement AI. Enterprises are dealing with clunky, legacy software, that often doesn’t have APIs, creating a daunting task their IT departments weren’t prioritizing. “Every… Read more
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YouTube AI updates include auto dubbing expansion, age ID tech, and more
In his annual letter, YouTube CEO Neal Mohan dubbed AI one of the company’s four “big bets” for 2025. The executive pointed to the company’s investments in AI tools for creators, including ones for video ideas, thumbnails, and language translation. The latter feature will roll out to all creators in YouTube’s Partner Program this month,… Read more
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Google leads $230M convertible note for Boston quantum computing startup QuEra
Quantum computing, long relegated to the realm of theoretical, feels like it is back on the agenda as a potentially viable alternative to the expensive race for more powerful compute. On the heels of some notable advancements in quantum chips and error correction (two of the key areas that have kept quantum computers from becoming… Read more
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CISA election security officials placed on leave: report
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has reportedly placed several members of its election security team on administrative leave. The Associated Press, citing a person familiar with the situation, reports that 17 CISA employees have been placed on leave pending review. The employees had worked with election officials to counter a range of… Read more
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Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei calls the AI Action Summit a ‘missed opportunity’
In a statement on Tuesday, Dario Amodei, the CEO of AI startup Anthropic, called the AI Action Summit in Paris this week a “missed opportunity,” and urged the AI industry — and government — to “move faster and with greater clarity.” “We were pleased to attend the AI Action Summit in Paris, and we appreciate… Read more
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3D mood board and marketplace Mattoboard picks up $2M to launch AI visual search
Mattoboard, the makers of web-based software designed to simplify the creative process for interior designers and architects, is getting into AI. On Tuesday, the startup announced its $2 million seed funding round, which will support the launch of a new feature called Design Stream, an AI-driven visual search and discovery tool. The company’s software, a… Read more