Latest AI News
OpenAI is still working on that ‘super app’
OpenAI plans to roll out a revamped version of ChatGPT in the coming weeks — one that will serve as a “super app” with coding tools and AI agents,according to the Financial Times. The company’s goal is reportedly to become more competitive with Anthropic, particularly among business customers, and to get closer to profitability before an IPO. That means turning ChatGPT into a gateway leading free users to products they might actually pay for, such as coding product Codex. In fact, the FT quotes one senior OpenAI employee as declaring, “Chat is dead.” Thibault Sottiaux, who leads OpenAI’s core product and platform, said the company is working towards a product “where you have your own personal agent that is capable of helping you … across everything in your life, be it personally or at work.” If this sounds familiar, it’s because there have beenreports about OpenAI’s super app ambitionssince last year. In March, The Wall Street Journal reported that these plansrepresent a major strategy shiftfor the company after launching a variety of standalone products in 2025; OpenAI executives now saythey’re abandoning “side quests” likevideo generator Sora.
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Notion restores access to Anthropic after service disruption
Notion’s integration with Anthropic apparently had a hiccup this weekend. Early Sunday morning, the companyposted, “Anthropic’s Opus 4.7 and 4.8 models are experiencing degraded performance, which is causing a higher rate of failures for users selecting these models in Notion AI.” As a result, Notion said it was disabling use of “all Anthropic models” in its automated productivity tool. Twelve hours later, Notion’s head of product Max Schoeningwrotethat he was “astonished” at “the amount of people RT-ing this because they want a story around model quality to be the reason.” (According to the public stats on X, Notion’s post has been reposted around 1,200 times.) “The degraded performance was a temporary service disruption,” Schoening said. “This happens. It happens to Notion, GitHub, AWS, your OpenClaw, and everything in between.” He added that Notion has restored access to Anthropic’s models. Meanwhile, an Anthropic spokesperson said in a statement, “A brief infrastructure issue caused elevated errors on multiple Claude models for a short period of time. The issue has since been resolved. We’re grateful to our users for their patience while we worked to restore service.”
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Why Forecasting India's Weather Is One of AI's Hardest Challenges
As heat waves scorch the country and monsoons confound forecasters, a research organisation is working with India's meteorological establishment to bring hyperlocal, AI-powered weather intelligence to every neighbourhood.
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What to expect from WWDC 2026: Siri’s highly anticipated revamp and Apple Intelligence updates
As Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference, WWDC 2026, approaches, the excitement is building around what Apple has in store for us this year. From Siri’s overhaul to new Apple Intelligence updates, there’s a lot to look forward to. The annual Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off Monday at 10 a.m. PT/1 p.m. ET. For those eager to tune in, the event will be streamed live via theApple Developer app,Apple’s website, and the Apple DeveloperYouTube channel. The most anticipated announcement is a major AI upgrade to Siri, transforming it into a more conversational assistant capable of understanding context, handling multi-step tasks, and interacting more naturally across apps and services. The revamped Siri will leverageGoogle’s Gemini technologyto enhance its capabilities. Additionally, recent leaks from Bloomberg have unveiled astandalone Siri appthat aims to compete with advanced AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. Apple may also introduce a feature reminiscent of messaging apps, enabling users to set timers forautomatically deleting conversationsafter 30 days, a year, or keeping them indefinitely. According toThe Information, Apple plans to introduce an AI agent integration with the app store. While details are scarce, agents allow users to delegate tasks such as booking reservations, managing everyday tasks, editing documents, or controlling smart home devices. A new “Visual Intelligence” section isanticipatedto be introduced within the Camera app, taking the place of the previous Visual Intelligence feature found in the Camera Control button. This upgrade will introduce a dedicated Siri mode that exists next to options like Photo, Video, Portrait, and Panorama. The Visual Intelligence feature leverages Google Image Search to accurately identify objects captured by the user. In addition, the Photos app is set to receive exciting enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence. These may include intelligent scene recommendations for optimizing photos, automatic object removal for cleaner images, and an innovative AI photo editing feature that allows users to request edits simply by using natural language, new productivity functionalities in visionOS. Apple is set to upgrade the Image Playground app, introducing higher-quality image generation, more artistic styles, better character consistency, and richer editing controls. The interface for creating new images will be simplified, offering fewer controls and a “describe a change” option for editing. Additionally, we might see a suggested Genmoji feature that proposes custom emojis based on users’ media and text interactions. Users may also be able to generate AI wallpapers that reflect various themes and moods. Notable updates are rumored to be coming to the Wallet app, particularly a new bill-splitting feature that will simplify sharing expenses among friends or family. Users will be able to photograph a receipt and generate payment requests to different parties effortlessly. Alongside this, the Wallet app will also include a “Create a Pass” option that enables users to generate digital passes from physical items such as movie tickets, concert passes, or gym membership cards. Apple is expected to enhance its AI-powered Siri experience across its devices, as well as likely incorporate more AI features and stability updates.
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OpenAI unveils Lockdown Mode to protect sensitive data from prompt injection attacks
OpenAIannounceda new feature that it says will provide additional protection from prompt injection attacks, where malicious chatbot instructions are hidden in webpages and other content sources. Among other things, Lockdown Mode will disable live web browsing (so you can only access cached content), the retrieval and display of images from the web (you can still generate images), deep research, and agent mode. The company says that even with Lockdown Mode turned on, ChatGPT could still be vulnerable to prompt injections — which could, for example, “appear in cached web content or in an uploaded file, and could still affect the behavior or accuracy of a response.” But the goal is to reduce the likelihood that sensitive data gets shared in the process. “Lockdown Mode isnotintended for everyone,” OpenAI says. “It is designed for people and organizations that handle sensitive data and want stricter protection from data exfiltration risks related to prompt injection.” The company says it’s currently rolling Lockdown Mode out to self-serve ChatGPT Business accounts, as well as eligible personal accounts.
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The Trump administration might take an equity stake in OpenAI
President Donald Trump said on Friday that he’s spoken to AI companies about striking deals “where the American people can benefit from the success of AI.” Trump does not seem to have mentioned specific companies in his comments, but OpenAI is a likely candidate, especially after CNBC reported thatthe Trump administration has indeed been discussing an equity stakewith the AI company. CNBC said some of that equity could be used to seed a “Public Wealth Fund”recently proposed by OpenAI. As outlined by the company, proceeds from the fund “could be distributed directly to citizens, allowing more people to participate directly in the upside of AI-driven growth, regardless of their starting wealth or access to capital.” According to Bloomberg, when reporters on Air Force Oneasked Trump about the idea, he replied that he’s been talking to AI executives about “concepts where pieces could be given to the American public, where the American public essentially becomes a partner with the companies.” Bloomberg also reports that CEO Sam Altman has been discussing the idea of a government stake in major AI companies since early 2025. This seems to align with Trump’s broader interest in government ownership of for-profit companies — most notably, withthe government taking a 10% stakein struggling chipmaker Intel last year. The idea has also found some traction on the left, with Senator Bernie Sanders this weekproposing a one-time, 50% taxthat companies like OpenAI, Anthropic, and xAI (which ispart of SpaceX) would pay in the form of stock. With all of those businesses potentially going public this year, Sanders argued this tax would “give the public a direct role in determining the future of this technology” and “guarantee that the trillions of dollars potentially generated by A.I. are used to improve the lives of all of us.” David Sacks, an investor and podcaster who recentlystepped down from his role as Trump’s AI and crypto czar, posted that he cansee why Sanders’ idea resonates, “including with many on the right,” but warned it would actually “accelerate the corporate-government fusion we’re already sliding toward.” (Sacks now co-chairs the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology.) Elsewhere on social media, former Microsoft employee Dare Obasanjosuggested, “The groundwork is already being laid for a government bailout of OpenAI.”
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Sriram Krishnan is leaving his role as White House AI advisor
Former tech executive and VC Sriram Krishnan is leaving the Trump administration at the end of June. “It is hard to express how big a privilege it has been to serve the American people and how grateful I am to have had the opportunity to do so,” Krishnan said ina post on X. “First and foremost, it has been an honor to serve under President [Donald Trump]. Without his leadership, we would not be leading in the AI race.” Krishnan, who’s been serving asa senior policy advisoron artificial intelligence at the White House, was one of a number of tech industry figures totake roles in the second Trump administration. Krishnan has led product teams at Microsoft, Twitter, Yahoo, Facebook, and Snap, and he was most recently a partner at Andreessen Horowitz, a firm whose foundersthrew their support behind Trumpduring the 2024 election. In his post, Krishnan highlighted some “key public accomplishments,” starting with the administration’s AI Action Plan, which prioritized data center construction over regulation and safety. Since then, Trump has signed several executive orders around AI, including one thatseeks to challenge state-level AI regulationsand another focused on oversight that wasdelayed and narrowed after industry pushback. Trump has also endorsed the idea thatthe government could take an equity stake in major AI companies. Krishnan noted that the person he “worked [most] closely with over the last 18 months” was David Sacks, the investor and podcaster whostepped down as AI and crypto czarearlier this year and became co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. “[Sacks’] continuing advocacy for America winning on AI has been and continues to be crucial,” Krishnan said. Next, Krishnan said he will be “building institutions” that tackle big challenges for “America and its allies.”According to The Washington Post, he’s planning to start an outside institution that will still give him a role in influencing Trump’s AI policy. “Whether it is energy, data centers or a clear path for Americans to experience the benefits of AI, there are many tough issues we all need to navigate together,” Krishnan said.
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How an Engineer Used Claude to Reclaim Ancestral Property in Uttar Pradesh
A decade after his father passed away, Zahid Khan still couldn’t point to his family’s ancestral land on a map. He then turned to AI.
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He Inherited Land in Uttar Pradesh. Claude Helped Him Find It.
A decade after his father passed away, Zahid Khan still couldn’t point to his family’s ancestral land on a map. He then turned to AI.
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The ‘together tech’ wave might be the most intriguing startup bet of 2026
While the AI fundraising machinekeeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money forBoard, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences.Cyberdeck creators are going viralcrafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike theAI-free browser crowd, this doesn’t just feel like backlash, but also people genuinely gravitating toward things that feel a little more human. On this episode of TechCrunch’sEquitypodcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into the week’s headlines, from the “together tech” wave to what Anthropic’s confidential IPO filing means against the backdrop of Alphabet’s $80 billion AI raise, and whether the money is all flowing back to the big guys anyway. Listen to the full episode to hear: Subscribe to Equity onYouTube,Apple Podcasts,Overcast,Spotifyand all the casts. You also can follow Equity onXandThreads, at @EquityPod.
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Google will pay SpaceX $920M per month for compute
SpaceX has lined up another compute deal ahead of its historic IPO, this time with Google. The company announced the dealin a regulatory filing on Friday. Under the terms of the deal, Google will pay SpaceX $920 million per month from October 2026 through June 2029 for access to “approximately 110,000 NVIDIA GPUs, CPUs, memory, and other related components.” The deal is similar in length and scope to the one SpaceXannouncedwith Anthropic in late May. As part of that deal, Anthropic agreed to pay SpaceX $1.25 billion per month through 2029 to rent all the available compute from its Colossus 1 data center near Memphis, Tennessee, that xAI — now part of SpaceX — originally built for its own artificial intelligence efforts. Google’s deal appears to be paying for roughly half the amount of compute that Anthropic has access to at Colossus 1. SpaceX didn’t say which specific data center Google would be using. CEO Elon Musk has previously suggested his company would reserve the Colossus 2 data center for xAI. Anthropic was significantly limited in its compute capacity prior to its deal with SpaceX, raising usage limits on the same day the deal was announced. Google is in a very different position, with some estimates naming it as the world’slargest single owner of AI compute. In a statement, a Google representative described the deal as a result of unexpected demand for itsrecently launched AI products. “Google Cloud and SpaceX are long-time partners,” Google said in a statement. “This is a short-term, timely agreement to ensure we have bridge capacity to meet surging customer demand for our agent platform, Gemini Enterprise, which has been even higher than we expected.” But its parent company Alphabet is on a spending spree. Alphabet has alreadycommittedto more than $180 billion in capital expenditures this year and has said it expects that to “significantly increase” in 2027. To help with that, Alphabet recently announced an $80 billion equity sale. Also like the Anthropic deal, the agreement with Google includes a cancellation clause. Both SpaceX and Google have the option to terminate the agreement with 90 days’ notice after December 31, 2026. Google’s access to the data center will ramp up “through September at a reduced fee,” according to the filing. “If we fail to deliver access to the committed amount of GPUs by September 30, 2026, then following a one-month grace period, Google may immediately terminate the agreement or accept the number of GPUs provided” with a reduction in the monthly fees, it reads. SpaceX announced the deal just one week before the company’s stock is expected to start trading on the Nasdaq exchange. Paperwork filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission shows the company is aiming to raise around $75 billion at a valuation of around $1.75 trillion — making it the largest in history. Google is a longtime investor in SpaceX. Its stake in Musk’s company is expected to be worth more than $100 billionafter the IPO. The companies are alsoreportedlyin talks to try to build orbital data centers — a major component of SpaceX’s future plans post-IPO.
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Startup Battlefield 200 applications officially close in 3 days
Founders, your window to enterStartup Battlefield 200closes in just three short days. Applications for Startup Battlefield 200 officially close on June 8, 11:59 p.m. PT. Do not wait any longer. Secure your shot at competing on the Disrupt Stage atTechCrunch Disrupt 2026this October at San Francisco’s Moscone West. Thousands of startups have already stepped forward. If you’re building a company with the potential to reshape an industry, now is the time to make your move. Apply or nominate a startup before the deadline. Startup Battlefield 200is where ambitious early-stage startups go from unknown to impossible to ignore. Selected founders will take the spotlight atDisrupt, pitching live in front of top investors, influential media, and the global startup ecosystem. One startup will take home $100,000 in equity-free funding, but every selected company gains exposure that can accelerate growth, attract customers, and open doors to future fundraising opportunities. Over the years, Startup Battlefield alumni have collectively raised more than $32 billion and achieved more than 250 exits. Alumni have gone on to be acquired by companies such as Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Uber, and Amazon. The competition has also helped launch companies such as Dropbox, Discord, Mint, Fitbit, and Trello. In a competitive fundraising market, standing out has never been more important.Startup Battlefield 200offers founders a rare opportunity to put their companies directly in front of investors, media, customers, and potential partners. Selected startups receive: TechCrunch is looking for bold early-stage startups with a working MVP and a vision capable of disrupting an industry. Bootstrapped, pre-seed, and seed-stage startups are encouraged to apply. Select Series A startups in capital-intensive sectors may also qualify. If you’re building a category-defining company,this is your opportunity to prove it on one of the biggest stages in tech. The application window closes June 8, and every application is reviewed by the TechCrunch team. With only three days remaining, this is your chance to put your startup in front of investors, media, customers, and future partners all in one place. Apply or nominate a startupbefore the deadline, and earn your place among the next generation of Startup Battlefield competitors.
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