Author: TechBrunch
AI doesn't just crunch data. It helps humans dream bigger. In 2025, three leaders from TechCrunch, Twelvelabs, Wonder Dynamics (Autodesk Company) and Pocket Entertainment will explore how machines are co-creators in storytelling, film and media at the intersection of creativity and AI. Together, they dive into how AI blurs the line between artists and algorithms, shapes storytelling, and opens new creative frontiers. Join us in this AI-focused discussion. Only participate in the AI stage with over 10,000 startup leaders, VCS and Tech Innovators, and only in the AI stage of Disrupt. Get a 20% discount on your group pass by…
Mike Plitkov said he knows what it's like to carry on your life in stress. He said he worked long hours and gained weight while building his first company. After leaving his company (Adtech company called Appness), he said he tried a lot to lose the pound: extreme training, calorie tracking, fasting. “Consistency was a difficult part while it was working,” he told TechCrunch. What he really wanted was a coach to hold him accountable, he said. So in 2019 he launched Simple, a health coaching app with AI to help people lose weight. Then, in 2023, he added that…
According to the financial era, where British officials allegedly filed a new secret order requesting the construction of a backdoor, the UK government is trying to gain access to encrypted iCloud data. On Wednesday, a British newspaper reported that the Home Office had sent an order to Apple in the beginning of September, requesting that the tech giant create a system that would allow officials to access encrypted cloud backups of British citizens. Privacy activists warn that compliance with such orders is a mistake, and that anything that affects the privacy of users around the world is a mistake. Apple…
Westjet, Canada's second-largest airline, said the personal information of 1.2 million passengers was stolen earlier this year in cyberattacks and data breaches. The airline has revealed the number of passengers affected by a submission to the Maine Attorney General. According to the notice, the stolen data may include passenger names, date of birth, postal address, and travel documents including passports and government-issued identity documents, as well as other passenger accommodations such as requests and complaints. Westjet said information related to customer compensation may also be taken, such as point balances and other information related to compensation accounts. The Canadian airline…
There are only three days left to lock in on TechCrunch's 2025 group pass. Founders and Investors – Save up to 20% with groups of 4-9 until 11:59pm on Friday, October 3rd. The 2025 disruption will take place in Moscon West, San Francisco from October 27-29, and will unite more than 10,000 founders, investors and operators to tackle the biggest opportunities and toughest questions of technology. This one-week only opportunity is your chance to maximize your value from the ultimate startup launchpad of the year. The ultimate startup experience awaits confusion In addition to over 200 sessions spanning five industry…
Korea is world-renowned for hosting global technology brands such as Hyundai, LG and Samsung as a leader in fiery high-speed internet, nearby broadband coverage and digital innovation. However, this highly successful set the country a major target for hackers and revealed how vulnerable cybersecurity defenses are. The country has swayed from a series of well-known hacks, affecting credit card companies and communications, and affecting the vast stripes of Koreans. In both cases, ministries and regulators seemed to scramble in parallel, sometimes postpone each other rather than move in unison. Critics argue that South Korea's cyber defense is hampered by a…
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) blocked efforts to pass laws that would extend data privacy protections for federal lawmakers and civil servants to everyone in the United States. On Monday night, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) asked for unanimous consent from his fellow senators to ask for his law s.2850. Wyden's bill was designed to obtain bipartisan provisions designed to protect government officials, lawmakers and their families, if passed, and to allow personal information to be sold or traded by data brokers to extend to all Americans and people living in the United States. “Members of Congress should not be treated specially,”…
The regular lab came out of stealth on Tuesday with a $300 million war chest as a seed round. The technology industry's Who's: backed by Andreessen Horowitz, DST, Nvidia, Accel, Elad Gil, Jeff Dean, Eric Schmidt and Jeff Bezos. The Period Lab was founded by Ekin Dogus Cubuk and Liam Fedus. Cubuk led the materials and chemistry teams for Google Brain and Deepmind. For example, one of his projects was an AI tool called Gnome. The tool discovered over 2 million new crystals in 2023. This is a material that can be used one day to drive a new generation…
What happens if the first 10 employers are not at all people? TechCrunch, which takes place in Western Moscon in San Francisco from October 27-29, is delving into a new wave of startups that stumbled 2025 and replaced or augmented early employees with AI agents. Think outbound sales, billing, and customer support. It has been automated since day one. Hosted on Builders Stage, the panel features a combination of technical founders and veteran operators who are actually doing it, debating where the boundaries between humans and machines should be drawn, and how far it is. Meet the speaker Caleb Peffer,…
The tech layoff wave is still kicking in 2025. Last year saw more than 150,000 job cuts across 549 companies, according to independent layoffs tracker Layoffs.fyi. So far this year, more than 22,000 workers have been the victim of reductions across the tech industry, with a staggering 16,084 cuts taking place in February alone. We’re tracking layoffs in the tech industry in 2025 so you can see the trajectory of the cutbacks and understand the impact on innovation across all types of companies. As businesses continue to embrace AI and automation, this tracker serves as a reminder of the human…