Author: TechBrunch

That's all. European Union lawmakers have given final approval to create the bloc's flagship risk-based regulation on artificial intelligence. In a press release confirming the approval of the EU AI Law, the Council of the European Union said the law was “groundbreaking” and “as the first of its kind in the world, it can set global standards for AI regulation.” The European Parliament had already approved the bill in March. Council approval means the bill will be published in the EU's Official Journal within a few days and come into force across the EU 20 days later. The new rules…

Zen Educate, an online marketplace that connects schools and teachers, has raised $37 million in Series B funding. The pay increases come as the teacher shortage crisis deepens on both sides, with a recent report from the ADP Institute finding that the global pandemic has disrupted existing demand due to “stagnant wages and stressful working conditions.” It points out that this has exacerbated the supply imbalance. Founded in London in 2017, Zen Educate replaces traditional third-party recruitment agencies that use analog workflows and often charge exorbitant fees. Zen Educate digitizes everything through its self-service platform, removing expensive middlemen from the…

OpenAI removes one of the voices used in ChatGPT. The company announced on Monday that users said it resembled Scarlett Johansson, and that Johansson herself had hired a legal commission to investigate Sky's voice and obtain exact details on how it was developed. issued a statement. Sky is currently suspended after OpenAI used it last week to demo its new GPT-4o model. “We believe that AI voices should not intentionally imitate a famous person's distinctive voice. Skye's voice is not an imitation of Scarlett Johansson, but rather another professional actress's voice, based on her own natural speaking voice. used and…

While many climate change investors are focused on innovative deep technology solutions, Patrick Sheehan of ETF Partners has other ideas. “I don't really have anything against carbon capture and storage, other than the fact that it's probably been too long since commercialized,” he told TechCrunch. Instead, Sheehan and his colleagues are diving into more software-centric companies that promise to continue to be game-changing. “Some people say it's the police's fault,” Sheehan said. “The more I look, the more I disagree with that idea. We need to find companies that can rapidly scale to have an impact within the lifespan of…

Microsoft wants to bring generative AI to the forefront of Windows and the PCs that run it. In a keynote ahead of this week's annual Build developer conference, the company announced a new lineup of Windows machines it calls Copilot+ PCs, as well as leveraging AI such as Recall to help users find apps, files, and other content they've viewed. announced the generation function. In the past. Copilot, Microsoft's brand of generative AI, will soon be more deeply integrated into the Windows 11 experience. And new Microsoft Surface devices are also coming. We've compiled all the major announcements here. Copilot+…

Microsoft wants to bring generative AI to the forefront of Windows and the PCs that run it. In a keynote ahead of this week's annual Build developer conference, the company announced a new lineup of Windows machines it calls Copilot+ PCs, as well as leveraging AI such as Recall to help users find apps, files, and other content they've viewed. announced the generation function. In the past. Copilot, Microsoft's brand of generative AI, will soon be more deeply integrated into the Windows 11 experience. And new Microsoft Surface devices are also coming. We've compiled all the major announcements here. Copilot+…

When I attended Automate in Chicago a few weeks ago, several people thanked me for TechCrunch's semi-regular robotics jobs report. I always learn from receiving direct feedback. While it's true that the industry has experienced ups and downs in recent years, both in terms of funding and employment, there has never been a more exciting time for robotics. Whether in established categories like manufacturing and fulfillment or emerging areas like humanoids and home robots, things are moving faster than ever before. But what surprises me most when compiling these lists is not just the fact that there are more openings…

Contour Venture Partners, a longtime New York-based seed investor, is making progress with its latest flagship fund. The company closed on Contour Venture Partners Fund V with $42 million raised from 64 backers, according to a May 17 SEC filing. The company is targeting $90 million for its fifth flagship fund and began raising money in May last year, according to filings. Say. The company previously raised $20 million of this as part of a separate parallel fund, according to a December filing. Contour Venture Partners declined to comment. The past few years have been tough for venture funds looking…

Meta's oversight board has now expanded its scope to include the company's newest platform, Instagram Threads. Designed as an independent appellate board that hears cases and makes precedent-setting content moderation decisions, the commission has previously investigated Facebook's banning of Donald Trump, COVID-19 misinformation, She has made decisions on lawsuits such as the removal of breast cancer photos. The board has now begun hearing a lawsuit brought out by Meta's Twitter/X competitor, Threads. This is a key differentiator between Threads and rivals like X. On X, Elon Musk and other users rely heavily on crowdsourced fact-checking through community notes, supplementing otherwise…

SeekOut, an eight-year-old recruitment startup that uses AI to find candidates, cut about 30% of its workforce on Thursday, TechCrunch learned. In a letter to employees, SeekOut CEO Anoop Gupta and CTO Aravind Bala said, “These days, we spend about $2 for every $1 we make, and in the last year… There was a large amount of cash burn.” “Unfortunately, to put our company on a sustainable trajectory, we will need to significantly reduce our workforce.” According to the letter, the company has made the decision to refocus and prioritize a small number of initiatives that have the greatest impact…