Author: TechBrunch
Microsoft announced on Wednesday that its AI-powered Designer app is officially out of preview and available to all iOS and Android users. The Canva-like app uses text prompts to generate images and designs to create stickers, greeting cards, invitations, collages, and more. Designer is currently accessible in over 80 languages on the web, as a free mobile app, and as a Windows app. The app features “prompt templates” designed to jump-start the creative process. Templates include styles and instructions that you can experiment with and customize, and you can share templates with others so you can build on each other's…
When Jacqueline Rice Nelson and Noah Gale launched AI talent and services company Tribe AI in 2019, the duo had to convince companies of the importance of having an AI strategy. Since the release of ChatGPT in 2022, which sparked an AI boom, the startup has seen a “massive boom” in demand, Gale told TechCrunch. Tribe CEO Reiss Nelson told TechCrunch that he saw an early sign when he was working as VP of growth at Alphabet's growth fund CapitalG, when companies it backed (from Stripe to Airbnb) were looking to Google for help with machine learning and data science.…
If you play Wordle every day and also enjoy playing chess, we have great news for you. Echo Chess, a game developed by a company called Echo Chunk, is trying to be the Wordle of chess. Instead of playing Wordle, you just guess words like “QUEEN” and “CHECK.” Echo Chess is a daily puzzle where you have to capture all the pieces on the board. The company just raised $1.4 million from investors including a16z early stage games accelerator and angel investors in the games industry. Why would a chess website need money? Because it wants to create more puzzles…
Spotify's AI DJ feature, an AI guide that presents personalized music selections, is now available in native languages other than English. On Tuesday, Spotify announced the launch of a Spanish-speaking AI DJ, confirming TechCrunch's previous coverage of the in-development feature. While the original AI DJ “X” voice was modeled after a current Spotify employee (Xavier “X” Jernigan), the Spanish voice is also modeled after a real person — in this case, Olivia “Livi” Quiroz Roa, a senior music editor at Spotify who lives in Mexico City. Spotify's AI DJ, first released last year, aims to act as a smart audio…
The threat of deepfakes is growing as AI tools to create them become more widely available. According to deepfake authentication provider Sumsub, there will be a 245% increase in deepfakes worldwide from 2023 to 2024, with the increase driven in part by the approaching election cycle. Deepfakes are also impacting the corporate sector, with a recent survey by Business.com finding that 10% of businesses have faced fraud involving deepfakes, such as cloned voices. Not surprisingly, the trend has been a windfall for companies selling tools to protect against deepfakes and the technology used to create them. One such company, Pindrop,…
Renegade Partners co-founders Renata Quintini and Rosanne Winczek have seen it all in their careers, but over the past four years they've not only launched their first fund during the COVID-19 pandemic but have also weathered the economic rollercoaster that followed. Now, with plans to launch their second $128 million fund and write checks of up to $10 million to 20 startups, Quintini and Wincek spoke with TechCrunch editor Kirsten Korosec on Equity about the early days of their first fund, what they look for in startups, and what's driving the move away from megafunds. Quintini and Winczek recalled a…
There's only a short time left to save up to $800 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 ticket prices through this week's Disrupt Deal Days, available until 11:59PM PST on July 19. Take advantage of this limited-time opportunity to get back early bird prices and secure your seat to the most anticipated tech event of the year. Purchase your tickets here. What's in store for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 offers an unparalleled opportunity to learn, share and grow your network. Find out why thousands of startup leaders choose Disrupt 2024. Connect directly with 10,000 startup leaders through 1:1 or cohort…
SaaS (Software as a Service) is an industry in constant evolution. We'll be talking to some of the industry's brightest experts: executives from early- and late-stage SaaS companies, leaders of the infrastructure companies that drive it, and the venture capitalists who fund them. Have fun exploring, and join us on the SaaS stage at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024. TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 SaaS Stage Agenda Please see the tentative agenda below and continue to check back for updates, with more items scheduled to follow. New Data Pipeline George Fraser (Fivetran), Chet Kapoor (Datastax), Vanessa Larko (NEA) The rise of modern AI applications…
There had been rumours that the UK's new Labour government would introduce legislation specifically on artificial intelligence, announcing a full programme of legislation amid the pomp of the opening of Parliament. But the King's Speech contained a much more tentative promise: “We will seek to bring in appropriate legislation that imposes requirements on those working to develop the most powerful artificial intelligence models”. A spokesperson for 10 Downing Street and the Department for Innovation, Science and Technology (DSIT) confirmed that there are no plans for an AI bill yet, and did not provide details when asked by TechCrunch about plans…
Supply chain management remains a challenge for many mid-sized businesses that can't afford SAP or lack the IT resources to manage complex programs. Early-stage startup Didero decided to build an AI-powered tool to ease the burden for these companies. Today, the company announced a $7 million seed round of funding, at the same time the startup is coming out of stealth and launching its product to the public. “We're trying to build an end-to-end suite that enables procurement teams to manage suppliers across the various point solution markets that exist,” product lead and co-founder Tim Spencer told TechCrunch. This includes…