OpenAI reportedly disbanded its preparedness team
According to the Financial Times, OpenAI disbanded its preparedness team at the end of last month. The job of the preparedness team was to assess if models posed serious risks and develop ways to mitigate those risks. (You know, like the possibility that it could go rogue and hack another company.) According to FT, responsibility has instead been divided up for specific areas like bio and cyber, then moved into existing teams. This is the latest change at the company, which has been in upheaval
Stripe will reportedly acquire AI gateway startup OpenRouter for $7B+
OpenRouter's CEO recently described the startup as Stripe for AI.
Why people aren’t buying Mark Zuckerberg’s AI future
On the latest episode of Equity podcast, we discuss why not everyone is buying Zuckerberg’s vision.
Open Mike Eagle and Kenny Segal crafted a hip hop breakup masterpiece
In every possible universe? | Image: Backwoodz Studioz "Breakups are… tough." It's the opening lines of an interlude towards the end of DOOMED! Called "It Happens in Every Universe." It's also basically the thesis of the entire record. It's no grand revelation, but it's a well-trodden subject that Open Mike Eagle manages to mine for artistic gold. Eagle's subject matter is usually personal, and his productions tinged with nostalgia. But DOOMED! is his most intimate album yet. A lot of that is
Amazon is trying to crush class-action suits before they get started
On Friday, Amazon customers received an email alerting them to an update to the site's terms and conditions. Most notably, it stated that disputes would now be resolved through arbitration and said users agree to a class action waiver. Amazon framed this as a "fast and efficient" way to resolve issues, but it notably would prevent customers from seeking the involvement of a judge or jury in most circumstances. Customers can still take Amazon to small claims court in certain circumstances, thoug
TechCrunch Mobility: The shifting flight path of electric air taxis
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.
ChatGPT’s Computer History tracks your clicks and keystrokes
ChatGPT's desktop app on macOS has a new feature called Computer History that turns your actions into training data, learning how you work, suggesting automations, and even picking up tasks you left half done. It uses your activity to build a timeline that ChatGPT and Codex can reference when you make a request. The feature is opt-in, rather than opt-out, and you can exclude certain apps and websites from Computer History, and you can delete entries if you want finer-grained control. Ari Weinst
Rogue AI aren’t science fiction anymore
This is The Stepback, a weekly newsletter breaking down one essential story from the tech world. For more on AI safety, follow Robert Hart. The Stepback arrives in our subscribers' inboxes at 8AM ET. Opt in for The Stepback here. How it started It all started in July, when one of OpenAI's autonomous AI agents went rogue during a cybersecurity test. The agent escaped its isolated testing environment, accessed the internet, and hacked another company, Hugging Face. A few years ago, that might hav
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold8 and Galaxy Z Fold8 Ultra Review: The Right Shape
Nearly a decade after its debut, Samsung’s Galaxy Fold finally comes into its own.
Astronomers Discover the Existence of a Black Hole Star
An object observed by the James Webb Space Telescope lends credence to a strange explanation for the mysterious red spots in the early universe.
It’s Never Too Early to Start Planning for the Next Two Solar Eclipses
In 2027 and 2028, there will be two spectacular, long-duration solar eclipses. Here’s what you need to know about them.
Someone Finally Fixed Installing Apps on a Mac
The installation utility EasyDMG makes it so you never drag and drop an icon again.
TerraMow V1000 Review: Show Your Lawn Some Love
With automatic mapping, Spot Mode functionality, and smart AI cameras, the TerraMow V1000 is the complete package.
Wildfire smoke now bigger prenatal threat than human sources of air pollution
Regulations reduced prenatal exposure to harmful emissions, but wildfire smoke is erasing gains.
Inside the Experimental Traps Scientists Set for Ghostly Neutrinos
Observatories have been built in mines, deep under the Antarctic ice sheet, and elsewhere in an effort to detect the fleeting particles.
The Best Cat Water Fountains of 2026: Petlibro, Petkit, Oneisall
Ensuring your cat stays hydrated is one of the best ways to keep your pet healthy. The right pet water fountain can help.