Ex-OpenAI researcher dissects one of ChatGPT’s delusional spirals
A former OpenAI researcher looked into how ChatGPT can mislead delusional users about their reality and its own capabilities
AI
Perplexity’s Comet AI browser now free; Max users get new ‘background assistant’
AI search startup Perplexity is making its new Comet browser available to everyone in the world for free as it works to position the product against big browsers and search engines. For certain paid subscribers, the startup has also launched a new ‘background assistant’ to handle multiple tasks via Comet.
A new a16z report looks at which AI companies startups are actually paying for
a16z releases its first AI spending report that shows which AI-native application layer companies startups are actually spending money on .
Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni share the playbook for scaling consumer AI and winning Gen Z at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025
Phia co-founders Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni are redefining how Gen Z shops with AI. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025, they’ll share how they’re scaling one of the year’s hottest startups into a lasting consumer brand. Register to join.
The good, the bad, and the future of AI agents
Hey there, and welcome to Decoder! I’m Hayden Field, senior AI reporter at The Verge and your Thursday episode guest host. I’ll be subbing in for Nilay for a couple more episodes, and I’m excited to keep diving into the good, the bad, and the questionable in the AI industry. Today, I’m talking with David […]
Last chance alert: Founder and Investor Bundle savings for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 ends tomorrow
Founder and Investor Bundle savings for TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 end tomorrow, October 3. Groups of 4–9 founders save 15% and investors save 20%. Access top VCs, pitch-ready startups, and hands-on sessions.
Music’s biggest labels are weeks away from major AI licensing deals
Universal Music and Warner Music, record labels whose catalogs include Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, and Charli XCX, are within weeks of striking licensing deals that could redefine how the music industry handles the AI era, according to the Financial Times. Talks are underway with tech heavyweights like Google and Spotify and a slew of AI […]
Amazon says its AI will let NBA fans track brand-new stats
New analysis of basketball players and games is coming to NBA fans live and online this 2025–2026 season thanks to Amazon Web Services’ AI and some seriously detailed movement tracking. The new stats come as part of the rollout of a new basketball intelligence platform called “NBA Inside the Game.” Fans will get more granular […]