Bench, the accounting and tax startup that was bought in a fire sale last December, has conducted a round of significant layoffs, it confirmed to TechCrunch. Bench didn’t specify how many people were affected, but one person who works there estimated that Bench was eliminating dozens of positions – that’s a big chunk of the […]
Ai2’s new small AI model outperforms similarly-sized models from Google, Meta
‘Tis the week for small AI models, it seems. On Thursday, Ai2, the nonprofit AI research institute, released Olmo 2 1B, a 1-billion-parameter model that Ai2 claims beats similarly-sized models from Google, Meta, and Alibaba on several benchmarks. Parameters, sometimes referred to as weights, are the internal components of a model that guide its behavior. […]
Nvidia takes aim at Anthropic’s support of chip export controls
Nvidia clearly doesn’t agree with Anthropic’s support for export controls on U.S.-made AI chips. On Wednesday, Anthropic doubled down on its support for the U.S. Department of Commerce’s “Framework for Artificial Intelligence Diffusion,” which would impose sweeping AI chip export restrictions starting May 15. The next day, Nvidia responded with a very different take on […]
May Mobility to launch robotaxis on Uber platform this year in Texas
Startup May Mobility plans to deploy its autonomous vehicles on the Uber platform by the end of 2025, starting in Arlington, Texas, as part of a multi-year partnership. The tie-up with Uber offers May a chance to grow beyond offering shuttles within campuses and planned communities, while Uber adds May Mobility to its growing roster […]
Epic Games is launching webshops to allow developers to circumvent app store fees after new ruling
Epic Games is taking a victory lap. After notching a big win against Apple in a years-long legal dispute, Epic announced that its Epic Games Store will allow developers to open webshops, which can offer players out-of-app purchases to circumvent fees from Apple and Google. Epic has been in a long legal battle with Apple […]
Anthropic lets users connect more apps to Claude
Anthropic on Thursday launched a new way to connect apps and tools to its AI chatbot Claude, as well as an expanded “deep research” capability that allows Claude to search the web, enterprise accounts, and more. The new app connection feature, called Integrations, and expanded deep research tool, dubbed Advanced Research, are available in beta […]
Fivetran acquires Census to become end-to-end data movement platform
After nearly 13 years in business, Fivetran will now be able to offer its customers an end-to-end data movement solution. Fivetran, which helps enterprises move data from a variety of sources into cloud databases, announced on Thursday it has acquired Census, a reverse extract, transform, and load (ETL) platform that enables companies to transfer data […]
Read the juiciest bits from the court ruling against Apple over its anticompetitive App Store practices
Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers is pissed off at Apple. Really, really pissed off. In Rogers’ newly released 80-page decision, she took Apple and its executives to task for defying the court’s orders in its original case with Fortnite maker Epic Games. Though Apple largely won that round, as it was determined the tech giant was […]
Google’s AI Mode gets expanded access and additional functionality
Google is expanding access to AI Mode, its experimental feature that allows users to ask complex, multi-part questions and follow-ups to dig deeper on a topic directly within Search. The tech giant is also adding more functionality to the feature, including the ability to pick up where you left off on a search. Google launched […]
Last call to volunteer at TechCrunch Sessions: AI
TechCrunch Sessions: AI is just over a month away! We’re doing a last call for exceptional volunteers to join us in bringing this event to life. If you’ve ever wondered about the inner workings of tech events, now’s your chance to get involved. Volunteer spots are limited, so don’t miss out. Apply before the May […]