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Microsoft expects some AI capacity constraints this quarter
TechCrunch· 2025-04-30 23:02
Microsoft customers could encounter service disruptions when using AI services due to demand outpacing the company’s ability to bring data centers online, an executive warned during the company’s earnings callMicrosoft’s EVP and CFO Amy Hood said during the company’s fiscal 2025 third-quarter earnings call Wednesday the company may face AI capacity constraints as early as June because demand is higher than its data centers can handle. “We had hoped to be in balance by the end of Q4 but we did see some inc ...
Amazon updates Q Business to let companies build public-facing chatbots
TechCrunch· 2025-04-30 20:00
Core Insights - Amazon has announced that its Q Business AI assistant now supports anonymous user access, allowing companies to create public-facing chatbots for various applications [1][2] - The new feature enables guest users to utilize Amazon Q Business for quick access to product information, technical answers, and troubleshooting without requiring user authentication [2] - Q Business applications with anonymous access will operate on a consumption-based pricing model [3] Company Developments - Q Business was launched two years ago at the AWS re:Invent conference and has since been rebranded with enhanced features, including the ability to perform tasks across third-party applications [4] - Amazon's CEO Andy Jassy highlighted that the company is developing over 1,000 generative AI applications, with AI revenue growing at "triple-digit" year-over-year percentages, contributing to a "multi-billion-dollar annual revenue run rate" [5]
Apple notifies new victims of spyware attacks across the world
TechCrunch· 2025-04-30 18:01
Core Insights - Apple has notified several individuals that they were targeted by government spyware, continuing its practice of alerting users about potential cyber threats [1][6] - The notifications were sent to affected users in 100 countries, indicating a widespread issue [3] - Two individuals, Ciro Pellegrino and Eva Vlaardingerbroek, have publicly confirmed receiving these notifications [2][4] Group 1: Notifications and Responses - Pellegrino, an Italian journalist, received an email and text from Apple indicating he was targeted with spyware, and he noted that he was not the only one [2] - Vlaardingerbroek, a Dutch activist, shared her notification on social media, interpreting it as an attempt to intimidate her [4] - Apple expressed high confidence in the detection of the spyware attack, emphasizing the seriousness of the warning [4] Group 2: Context of Spyware Attacks - The specific spyware campaign related to the notifications remains unclear, but Apple has previously alerted users about similar threats [6] - Pellegrino is the second Italian journalist this year to be notified about being targeted by spyware, highlighting a concerning trend [7] - WhatsApp had previously notified Pellegrino's colleague about a spyware attack linked to Paragon Solutions, an Israeli company [7][8]
Meta's LlamaCon was all about undercutting OpenAI
TechCrunch· 2025-04-30 00:15
Group 1 - Meta held its first AI developer conference, LlamaCon, announcing a consumer-facing AI chatbot app and a developer-facing API for Llama models [1] - The releases aim to expand the adoption of Meta's open Llama AI models, with a primary goal of competing against OpenAI [2][5] - The AI chatbot app features a social feed for sharing AI chats and offers personalized responses based on user activity within Meta apps [3] Group 2 - The Llama API simplifies app development by allowing developers to connect to Llama models with a single line of code, reducing reliance on third-party cloud providers [4] - Meta's strategy includes undercutting proprietary AI model providers like OpenAI, with executives previously focused on surpassing OpenAI's GPT-4 [5] - Meta views any AI lab that makes its models openly available as allies against closed model providers, emphasizing the value of open-source models [6][7] Group 3 - Meta's approach may also be influenced by regulatory considerations, as the EU AI Act provides advantages to companies distributing "free and open source" AI systems [7] - The company appears willing to launch AI products that bolster the open model ecosystem, even if it means not delivering the most advanced models [8]
Waymo and Toyota are dating. If they get serious, a new autonomous vehicle could be created.
TechCrunch· 2025-04-29 23:41
Core Insights - Waymo and Toyota have signed a preliminary agreement to explore the development of an autonomous vehicle platform aimed at ride-hailing services and integrating self-driving technology into consumer vehicles [1][2][3] Group 1: Partnership Goals - The collaboration aims to combine Waymo's technology with Toyota's automotive expertise to create a new autonomous vehicle platform for a robotaxi service [3] - The partnership also seeks to incorporate Waymo's self-driving technology into future Toyota consumer vehicles [3] Group 2: Company Statements - Toyota's executive, Hiroki Nakajima, emphasized the company's commitment to zero traffic accidents and a shared vision with Waymo for advancing safety through automated driving technology [4] Group 3: Market Context - The announcement follows Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai's comments regarding Waymo's interest in personally owned autonomous vehicles, marking a significant public acknowledgment of this direction [5] - Waymo has transitioned from a research phase to commercial operations, currently offering robotaxi services in multiple cities including San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix [6] Group 4: Operational Changes - Recently, Waymo has begun partnering with other companies for operational aspects, such as hiring Moove for fleet management in Phoenix and collaborating with Uber for robotaxi operations in Austin and Atlanta [7]
Snapchat abandons plans for a simplified version of its app
TechCrunch· 2025-04-29 21:19
Core Insights - Snap has decided to abandon its plans for a simplified version of its app, which was being tested for seven months, and will instead experiment with a refined five-tab interface that retains all existing tabs and enhances access to Spotlight [1][2][3] Group 1: App Design Changes - The initial three-tab design was found to be difficult for power users who frequently utilized the map and stories features, leading to the decision to evolve towards a five-tab design [3] - The new five-tab interface aims to combine the best elements of both the simplified and traditional designs, improving access to Stories and Spotlight [4] Group 2: User Engagement and Metrics - Snap reported a loss of 1 million users in North America, with daily active users (DAUs) dropping to 99 million from 100 million in the previous quarter and year [4] - Despite the user loss in North America, Snap's first-quarter revenue reached $1.36 billion, marking a 14% year-over-year increase, driven by the growth of its Snapchat+ subscription service and advertising solutions [5] - The company achieved over 900 million monthly active users (MAUs) globally, with DAUs increasing to 460 million, an increase of 38 million year-over-year [5]
Meta says its Llama AI models have been downloaded 1.2B times
TechCrunch· 2025-04-29 17:41
Core Insights - Meta's Llama AI model family has achieved significant growth, reaching 1.2 billion downloads, an increase from 650 million in early December 2024 [1][2] - Meta AI, powered by Llama models, has garnered around 1 billion users, indicating a strong user adoption [2] - Despite the rapid growth of Meta's Llama ecosystem, the company faces stiff competition from other major players in the AI sector, such as Alibaba, which recently launched its Qwen 3 model family [2]
Amazon's first 27 internet satellites launch to space
TechCrunch· 2025-04-29 17:38
Group 1 - Amazon has successfully launched the first 27 satellites for its Kuiper space-based internet network, aiming to compete with Starlink [1] - The total planned number of Kuiper satellites is 3,226, significantly fewer than Starlink's over 8,000 satellites [2] - Amazon's focus is on serving unserved and underserved communities globally, as stated by founder Jeff Bezos [2] Group 2 - The first half of the Kuiper network is expected to be launched by mid-2026, as mandated by the Federal Communications Commission [2] - There may be up to five additional Kuiper launches in the current year, according to the CEO of United Launch Alliance [2] - The Kuiper project is reportedly facing production issues that could delay the completion of its satellite constellation [2]
A Tesla board member actually bought some stock
TechCrunch· 2025-04-29 17:27
Summary of Key Points Core Perspective - The acquisition of approximately 4,000 shares of Tesla stock by board member Joe Gebbia, valued at about $1 million, is notable due to the rarity of direct stock purchases by Tesla board members [1][2]. Company Actions - Joe Gebbia now owns a total of 4,111 shares in Tesla following his recent purchase [2]. - Historically, Tesla board members have favored options or stock sales over direct purchases, with notable examples including James Murdoch acquiring about 531,787 options in March and board chair Robyn Denholm selling $32 million worth of shares recently [3]. Market Context - Robyn Denholm has been actively selling Tesla stock, with significant sales of $33.7 million in March and $43.2 million in February, indicating a trend among board members to liquidate shares rather than acquire them [3].
Meta launches a standalone AI app to compete with ChatGPT
TechCrunch· 2025-04-29 15:38
Core Insights - Meta is launching a standalone AI app that integrates its AI capabilities across WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, and Messenger, similar to existing AI assistant apps like ChatGPT [1] - The app aims to leverage Meta's extensive user data to provide personalized experiences, differentiating itself from competitors like OpenAI and Anthropic [2][3] User Personalization - The AI app can utilize information users have shared on Meta platforms to generate personalized responses, enhancing user engagement [3] - Users can provide additional personal information for the AI to remember, improving the relevance of recommendations [4] Social Features - The app includes a Discover feed that allows users to share their AI interactions with friends, fostering a social aspect around AI usage [7] - This feature may promote trends in generative AI, as users engage in creative activities and share their experiences [8]