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Like many leaders in tech, Arvind Krishna, the CEO of IBM, thinks federal R&D funding for AI and related technologies should be increased — not the other way around. “We have been an extremely strong advocate — and this is both the company and me personally — on that federally funded R&D should be increased,” Krishna said in an interview with TechCrunch. “That’s the position, which is unequivocal, and we strongly believe in that.” President Donald Trump and his cabinet have sought to make deep cuts to federal grantmaking and scientific research programs in pursuit of a far different set…

Redditors around the world were scandalized last week after learning that a team of researchers released a swarm of AI-powered, human-impersonating bots on the “Change My View” subreddit. The large-scale experiment was designed to explore just how persuasive AI can be. The bots posted over 1,700 comments, adopting personas like abuse survivors or controversial identities like an anti-Black Lives Matter advocate.  For Reddit, the incident was a mini-nightmare. Reddit’s brand is associated with authenticity — a place where real people come to share real opinions. If that human-focused ecosystem is disturbed with AI slop or becomes a place where people…

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has made his much-anticipated first visit to the White House, as his country and the United States continue to spar over trade, tariffs and the prospect of reimagining their shared borders. Seated across from Carney in the Oval Office on Tuesday, US President Donald Trump continued to advocate for Canada becoming part of its southern neighbour. But Carney reiterated his firm commitment to defending Canadian sovereignty, in one of the few moments he interjected during his half-hour public appearance with Trump in the Oval Office. “As you know from real estate, there are some places that…

We’re ecstatic to announce that Kisson Lin, founder and CEO of Tanka, will be joining us at TechCrunch Sessions: AI for a provocative — and instructive — interview titled “Your Next Co-Founder Will Be AI.” She’s among the many excellent speakers joining the event June 5 at UC Berkeley’s Zellerbach Hall, and there’s still plenty of time to register to get your seat at the table to learn from their expertise. If you don’t already know Lin, her company powers an AI messenger with long-term memory that self-learns and evolves with teams. Before founding Tanka, Lin worked at several tech…

FutureHouse, an Eric Schmidt-backed nonprofit that aims to build an “AI scientist” within the next decade, has released a new tool that it claims can help support “data-driven discovery” in biology. The new tool comes just a week after FutureHouse launched its API and platform. The tool, called Finch, takes in biology data (primarily in the form of research papers) and a prompt (e.g. “What can you tell me about molecular drivers of cancer metastasis?”) and runs code before generating figures and inspecting the results. In a series of posts on X, FutureHouse co-founder and CEO Sam Rodriques compared it to…

Skechers founders Robert Greenberg (left) and Michael Greenberg (right) started the brand more than 30 years ago in Manhattan Beach.Los Angeles Times via Getty Images On Monday, Brazilian investment firm 3G Capital, whose past bets include Burger King and Tim Hortons, agreed to pay nearly $9.5 billion to buy Skechers – known for its trendy and comfortable footwear – in a deal that will also take the company private. Skechers was founded in 1992 in Manhattan Beach, California by father-son duo Robert and Michael Greenberg, who will continue to run the newly private company together as CEO and president, respectively,…

OpenAI said on Monday it is pursuing a new restructuring plan after conversations with Delaware’s and California’s attorneys general, both of whom were closely watching as OpenAI tried to break free of its odd corporate structure. Currently, OpenAI’s nonprofit board governs the organization’s for-profit operations. Under the new plan, OpenAI’s for-profit arm will become a public benefit corporation (PBC) but will still be controlled by OpenAI’s nonprofit. The new restructuring plan may be enough to appease regulators and OpenAI’s investors, who’ve poured billions into the company in expectation of a return someday. But it could also throw a wrench into…

Particle, the startup behind an AI-powered newsreader that aims to help publishers, not just steal their work, is bringing its product to the web. On Tuesday, the company announced the launch of the new Particle.news website that connects news consumers with headlines and AI summaries from a variety of sources, plus the ability to delve into various categories like Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Politics, Science, Crime, Economics, and Video Games, in addition to browsing the day’s most popular stories on the home page. The company thinks that bringing its product to the web will help to reach more readers, giving them…

With AI introducing efficiency, automation, and reduced operational costs, organizations are embracing AI tools and technology with open arms. At the user level, more employees resort to personal AI tools to save time, work smarter, and increase productivity. According to a study in October 2024, Seventy-five percent of knowledge workers currently use AI, with 46% stating they would not relinquish it even if their organization did not approve of its use. Organizations are confronting the challenge of shadow AI, as employees utilize unauthorized AI tools without company consent, leading to risks related to data exposure, compliance, and operations. Applying the…

Google’s iOS app is getting a new “Simplify” feature that uses AI to make complex or technical text on the web easier to understand, all without leaving a web page. Simplify features a prompt refinement approach developed by Google Research, and uses Gemini to make complicated text more digestible, without losing key details. Google says its testing found that the simplified text allowed users to better understand and retain the original information. By offering a built-in feature like Simplify, Google is likely hoping that people will stay within its ecosystem of tools and services for help with complex topics, rather…