AI News
Recent AI news and official updates
Follow recent AI announcements and reporting with concise PopAIExplorer summaries and direct original-source links.
Is this the dawn of the Tokenpocalypse?
TechCrunch AI published: We're likely to see more price increases as the big AI companies plan to go public.
OpenAI is still working on that ‘super app’
TechCrunch AI published: "Chat is dead" — at least, according to a senior OpenAI employee.
OpenAI unveils Lockdown Mode to protect sensitive data from prompt injection attacks
TechCrunch AI published: Even with Lockdown Mode, ChatGPT could be vulnerable to prompt injections, but the goal is to reduce the likelihood that sensitive data gets shared in the process.
Sriram Krishnan is leaving his role as White House AI advisor
TechCrunch AI published: Krishnan is reportedly starting a new institution to continue shaping Trump's AI policy.
The Trump administration might take an equity stake in OpenAI
TechCrunch AI published: President Donald Trump said he's discussing deals "where the American people can benefit from the success of AI."
The crucial human component in computing and AI
MIT News AI published: The MIT Ethics of Computing Research Symposium brought together experts and researchers working at the heart of ethical and social impact in technology.
Google will pay SpaceX $920M per month for compute
TechCrunch AI published: In a statement, a Google representative described the deal as a result of unexpected demand for its recently launched AI products.
The most interesting startups right now want to get you off your phone
TechCrunch AI published: While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck creators are going viral crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the AI-free browser crowd, this doesn’t just feel like backlash, […]
The token bill comes due: Inside the industry scramble to manage AI’s runaway costs
TechCrunch AI published: "The whole conversation shifted from tokenmaxxing and 'go fast' to 'we need guardrails, how do we control this?'"
The ‘together tech’ wave might be the most intriguing startup bet of 2026
TechCrunch AI published: While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck creators are going viral crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the AI-free browser crowd, this doesn’t just feel like backlash, […]
AirTrunk commits $30B to build 5GW of AI data centers in India
TechCrunch AI published: The Australian data center operator plans to set up 5GW of capacity in India.
The Download: AI hacking beyond Mythos, and chatbots’ impact on our brains
MIT Technology Review published: This is today’s edition of The Download, our weekday newsletter that provides a daily dose of what’s going on in the world of technology. The Meta hack shows there’s more to AI security than Mythos On Monday, reports emerged that attackers had used Meta’s AI customer support agent to steal Instagram accounts. Their approach was…
Are AI chatbots making us lose control of our brains?
MIT Technology Review published: This week I’ve been at SXSW London. There’s been music, film, and a lot—and I mean a lot—of talk about AI. I also had the opportunity to sit down with Gloria Mark, a psychologist at the University of California, Irvine, who has spent the last 30 years studying how people interact with digital technologies. Early…
The Meta hack shows there’s more to AI security than Mythos
MIT Technology Review published: On June 5, 404 Media reported that attackers had been using Meta’s AI customer support agent to steal Instagram accounts. Their approach was simple: They asked the agent to link the accounts to email addresses that they controlled, and the agent complied. One attacker broke into the dormant Obama White House account and made pro-Iran…
Ahead of its IPO, Anthropic’s Daniela Amodei shrugs off doubts about AI’s returns
TechCrunch AI published: Anthropic has been growing at a breakneck pace. The company announced that annualized revenue crossed $47 billion in May, up dramatically from roughly $9 billion at the end of 2025. That trajectory faces a real test, though.
Airbnb’s Brian Chesky plans to launch a new AI lab
TechCrunch AI published: The Airbnb CEO said last year it hasn't struck an LLM partnership because existing products weren't quite ready.
Defense tech, AI, and fundraising take center stage at StrictlyVC Los Angeles on June 18
TechCrunch AI published: On Thursday, June 18, at The Aerospace Corporation Campus, investors, founders, and tech leaders will gather for an evening of conversation exploring some of the most consequential shifts taking place across venture capital, defense technology, artificial intelligence, and advanced industry. Secure your spot today.
PATH to boost AI training and career opportunities for industry-aligned jobs
MIT News AI published: MIT RAISE and Georgia State University announce an initiative to connect universities, community colleges, industry, and government to expand industry-aligned AI training and career pathways.
Apple approves Poke as the first AI agent on its Messages for Business platform
TechCrunch AI published: Poke, the startup that lets people use AI agents through simple text messages, has become the first AI agent approved for Apple’s Messages for Business platform.
Meta rolls out a new AI creator assistant on Facebook
TechCrunch AI published: Creators often have to parse through charts and dashboards to understand their performance, but with the new AI assistant, they can get quick answers to questions like "When should I post?" and "What are people saying in my comments?"