May 05, 2026

OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 Instant, a new default model for ChatGPT: The company said the model reduces hallucination in sensitive areas such as law, medicine, and finance, while maintaining the low latency of its predecessor. Read More

Pennsylvania sues Character.AI after a chatbot allegedly posed as a doctor: According to Pennsylvania's filing, a Character.AI chatbot presented itself as a licensed psychiatrist during a state investigation, and also fabricated a serial number for its state medical license. Read More

Threads finally brings messaging to the web: By bringing messaging to the web, Threads is aligning its desktop experience more closely with competitors like X and Bluesky. Read More

Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum.

Investors don’t just listen to what you say - they look at how your company operates. Is ownership clear? Do your numbers match your story? Can you answer follow-up questions without digging through spreadsheets? The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips founders with the materials investors expect to see, before pressure is on. Because confidence in the room doesn’t come from slides. It comes from preparation. 

Volkswagen becomes Rivian’s top shareholder, displacing Amazon: VW Group's stake will continue to grow under the $5.8 billion joint venture with Rivian. Read More

Kaspersky suspects Chinese hackers planted a backdoor into Daemon Tools in 'widespread' attack: The cybersecurity company says it's seen thousands of infection attempts, and at least a dozen successful hacks after users installed malicious versions of the popular Windows software. Read More

Hackers steal students' data during breach at education tech giant Instructure: The data breach at education tech giant Instructure includes students' private data, according to a sample of the allegedly stolen data seen by TechCrunch. Read More

4 days left: Get 50% off a second TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 pass to make more deals faster: For the next four days only, you can buy one pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 and get 50% off a second of the same ticket type. That window closes May 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT. After that, prices go up, and you’ll pay more to bring a partner or colleague. Register today to get your plus-one pass at 50% off. Read More

Apple plans to make iOS 27 a Choose Your Own Adventure of AI models: With Apple's latest operating system updates, users will reportedly have their pick of which third-party AI models they want to use for a host of tasks. Read More

From now until May 8, 11:59 p.m. PT, buy one pass and get a second of the same type for 50% off. Bring a partner or colleague with you and get more out of Disrupt together. Tap into 200+ sessions, make high-value connections, and gain insights that can move your startup forward or shape your next big investment. Register before time runs out.

Amazon bets Nobel Prize-based dehumidification can cut its energy use: Amazon will buy a new type of HVAC system for its commercial buildings to slash energy use. Read More

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