September 03, 2026

OpenAI launches Astra, its powerful (and controversial) new model: OpenAI claims that Astra represents "a new frontier on computer and browser use," and that it handles tasks with unmatched "speed, accuracy, and safety." Read More

The Cybercab is Tesla's ‘fork in the road’ moment : The company is about to formally launch the gold two-seater, with no steering wheel or pedals -- a move that could change Tesla forever. Read More

Accel reportedly in talks to lead $1B round for Thinking Machines at $40B valuation: The high-profile startup's annual revenue run rate stands at over $100 million. Read More

Qualcomm backs Ultrahuman in $70M round on bet to turn smart rings into computers: Ultrahuman is targeting a $200 million annual revenue run rate by January 2027 as it builds a new Qualcomm-powered smart ring. Read More

Nvidia confirms it will buy Hugging Face for $12.9 billion: Nvidia said Hugging Face hosts over 3 million models and is used by over 18 million developers. Read More

Amazon's Zoox expands its robotaxi service to Las Vegas airport: Zoox is expanding to this critical ride-hailing destination a few weeks after it started charging for robotaxi rides. Read More

Abliteration.ai is making a business out of removing AI guardrails: Abliteration.AI is making powerful AI models without guardrails easier to access, arguing that giving defenders the same tools as bad actors could ultimately improve cybersecurity. Read More

Google's latest AI weather model gives you no excuse to forget your umbrella: WeatherNext 3 is the latest wave of a sea change in meteorology brought out by deep learning techniques. Google says it will start feeding into weather information users see in search, Google Maps, and Gemini. Read More

Find out what product leaders are getting wrong about AI-native analytics. See how top teams ship embedded intelligence: in-product actionable answers, not an outdated chart.

Volunteer at TechCrunch Founder Summit in Boston: Our rebranded Boston event, TechCrunch Founder Summit (formerly All Stage), is back on November 4th! And we are looking for some incredible volunteers to help us make this event happen. If you are interested in finding out what goes into building tech events, apply to volunteer. If you are selected, not only will you get a behind-the-scenes look at how events are produced, but you’ll also earn a ticket to enjoy the event before or after your shift. On top of that, you'll get a free pass to experience Disrupt in 2027. Talk about added value! Whether you dream of becoming a startup founder, marketer, or event coordinator, this is a great way to see what it takes to produce a world-renowned startup event. Plus, you can attend all of the expert-led workshops covering essential topics like accelerating user growth, finding funding, and building your brand after you volunteer. We expect around 1,100 people at Founder Summit, and volunteers will handle a variety of tasks to help make this event a worthwhile experience for everyone. At any given time, you might help with registration, wrangle speakers, direct attendees, scan tickets, or help with general event setup. Lend us a helping hand and gain valuable event experience and still have plenty of time to take in all the goodness TechCrunch Founder Summit has to offer. Volunteer spots are limited, so apply before October 19th to be considered! Read More

Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here

September 03, 2026

Nvidia confirms it will buy Hugging Face for $12.9 billion: Nvidia said Hugging Face hosts over 3 million models and is used by over 18 million developers. Read More

OpenAI’s new reasoning technique alarms AI safety experts: OpenAI’s new Astra model will use “recurrent depth,” a technique that allows the model to operate outside of the sequential thinking that characterizes most reasoning models. Read More

It sure looks like hackers breached a major ID card verification service: An identity theft search site claimed to have more than 150 million driver's license photos stolen from an ID verification service. The crime site has now shut down. Read More

AI has made it faster than ever to bring an idea from concept to launch.  

But it hasn't made it easier to build something durable.  
 
Disrupt 2026's programming is built around that challenge, delivering practical sessions on what actually holds up and how to build it with leaders from OpenAI, Anthropic, Replit, Amazon, and more.

Volunteer at TechCrunch Founder Summit in Boston: Our rebranded Boston event, TechCrunch Founder Summit (formerly All Stage), is back on November 4th! And we are looking for some incredible volunteers to help us make this event happen. If you are interested in finding out what goes into building tech events, apply to volunteer. If you are selected, not only will you get a behind-the-scenes look at how events are produced, but you’ll also earn a ticket to enjoy the event before or after your shift. On top of that, you'll get a free pass to experience Disrupt in 2027. Talk about added value! Whether you dream of becoming a startup founder, marketer, or event coordinator, this is a great way to see what it takes to produce a world-renowned startup event. Plus, you can attend all of the expert-led workshops covering essential topics like accelerating user growth, finding funding, and building your brand after you volunteer. We expect around 1,100 people at Founder Summit, and volunteers will handle a variety of tasks to help make this event a worthwhile experience for everyone. At any given time, you might help with registration, wrangle speakers, direct attendees, scan tickets, or help with general event setup. Lend us a helping hand and gain valuable event experience and still have plenty of time to take in all the goodness TechCrunch Founder Summit has to offer. Volunteer spots are limited, so apply before October 19th to be considered! Read More

The Builders Stage brings practical strategies for scaling startups to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: The Builders Stage is returning to TechCrunch Disrupt, bringing together founders, startup operators, and investors for practical conversations on what it takes to build and scale. Read More

MapQuest is now the No. 1 US app after bucking Trump's 'Lake America' renaming: The once-dominant mapping app has surged to the top of Apple’s U.S. App Store after refusing to adopt Trump’s “Lake America” name, drawing more than half of its 2026 U.S. downloads in just six days. Read More

Palo Alto Networks paid $500M for Thrive-backed Console, sources say: The acquisition also leaves Sequoia-backed Serval as the de facto startup leader in AI IT service automation, industry watchers believe. Read More

US government sides with OpenAI on issue of training LLMs on copyrighted material: "The United States has a strong interest in continuing to develop a robust and competitive artificial intelligence industry that sets the standard for the practice and procedure of AI use globally," the brief reads. Read More

Not everyone needs a keynote slot to make noise at Disrupt 2026. Sometimes the best way to meet investors, customers, and partners is by exhibiting directly in the Expo Hall.

And by exhibiting, you get 10 passes to Disrupt to share with your team!

TikTok comments are getting more interactive with voice comments, polls, and more: With the additions, the app is borrowing features from messaging apps as it looks to deepen engagement on its platform. Read More

Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here