At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, the AI Stage is back to dig into the single hottest topic in the community for the past few years, presented by Google for Startups.
Thinking Machines co-founder Lilian Weng left the company citing health reasons, then joined OpenAI
Weng previously served as the VP of AI Safety Research at OpenAI.
Winamp aims for a comeback with a new music player powered by Deezer
Winamp is preparing to relaunch with a Deezer-powered premium music service, betting its nostalgic brand and a new all-in-one music player can stand out in today’s crowded streaming market.
The Hugging Face AI break-in, as told through an increasingly committed bear metaphor
Another way to think about the whole thing is to picture a bear at a campsite. (Really, we are going there.)
Claude Opus 5 became downright ruthless when tasked with running a vending machine
Andon Labs’ latest vending machine simulation shows Opus 5 lied and colluded its way to become the best AI capitalist ever.
Sorry, haters. Ferrari’s first EV is doing just fine
To the horror of commenters across the internet, the Ferrari Luce appears to be a sales success.
Waymo robotaxis are starting to return to freeways
Waymo robotaxis are now using freeways in Phoenix with more cities to follow in the coming days.
US government bans new foreign-made humanoids, robot dogs, and solar inverters, citing risks to national security
The ban largely affects U.S. imports from China, which currently dominates the global market for making humanoid robots and solar inverters.
Google brings its age-assurance technology to Android developers worldwide
Google is expanding its Play Age Signals API, giving Android developers a privacy-preserving way to tailor experiences based on users’ age ranges.
Elon Musk’s X settles multiyear legal battle with the World Federation of Advertisers
X sued the WFA in 2024 for conducting what it called a “systematic illegal boycott” of the platform after it saw a decline in advertising revenue following Musk’s $44 billion takeover of the social network