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Meta signals major expansion into autonomous personal AI agents
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has outlined plans for a major expansion into personal AI agents that could work continuously on users’ behalf in areas such as health, relationships and finances. The initiative matters because Meta sees these agents as a future source of products and revenue, while seeking to compete with AI companies focused on…
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Qualcomm is raising phone chip prices starting September 1st
Qualcomm has confirmed it will raise prices across its phone processor line-up from 1 September, a move CEO Cristiano Amon flagged during the company’s earnings call. The increase, previously rumoured to be a “double-digit percentage,” comes as Qualcomm reported a 20% year-on-year drop in handset revenue, its lowest since 2021, which it attributes to soaring…
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Meta misses earnings forecasts after Zuckerberg media push to promote AI
Meta’s share price fell almost 8% after the company reported weaker-than-expected second-quarter earnings, despite a media blitz by chief executive Mark Zuckerberg in the days beforehand promoting the benefits of artificial intelligence. The disappointing results undercut Zuckerberg’s efforts to reassure investors and the public that Meta’s enormous AI spending is justified, at a time when…
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Discover what’s next for AI, from the SaaS reckoning to the agent security gap, at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
TechCrunch has previewed the AI Stage programming for its Disrupt 2026 conference, running 13–15 October at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Presented by Google for Startups, the stage will focus on how AI is reshaping the way startups price products, secure their systems and build go-to-market strategies, reflecting broader industry shifts as AI models become…
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Thinking Machines co-founder Lilian Weng left the company citing health reasons, then joined OpenAI
Lilian Weng, co-founder of AI startup Thinking Machines, has stepped down from the company citing health concerns, before rejoining former employer OpenAI. Weng said in an internal Slack message, also posted publicly, that she could no longer sustain the pace and stress of startup life, having reached a decision after several months of consideration. Her…
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xAI’s last-minute scramble to stop Minnesota’s anti-nudification app law
xAI, Elon Musk’s AI company, has sued Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison in a bid to block a new state law targeting “nudification” apps just days before it takes effect. The company argues the statute is unconstitutional under the First Amendment, claiming its harsh penalties leave xAI with “no practical choice” but to restrict image-editing…
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Michelle Mendelovitz & Cory Bennett Lewis Launch Warrior Productions, Set Initial Development Slate
Entertainment executives Michelle Mendelovitz and Cory Bennett Lewis have launched Warrior Productions, a new film and television company that will develop projects based on both original ideas and existing intellectual property, working with established and emerging creators. The launch reunites the pair, who briefly overlapped at Mattel Television Studios, and marks their first joint venture…
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Meta Stock Tanks In Jittery Market On Massive AI Investment, Mixed Q2
Meta’s shares plunged more than 8% in after-hours trading after the company said it plans to invest between $130 billion and $145 billion on AI this year, unnerving investors already anxious about whether such enormous spending will pay off. The parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp also missed Wall Street’s earnings-per-share forecast and guided towards…
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Xbox revenue drops 10 percent as Microsoft’s cloud and AI business surges
Xbox recorded another weak quarter, with revenue from content and services such as Game Pass falling 10 percent and hardware sales dropping 13 percent, according to Microsoft’s fourth-quarter earnings report. The decline comes as Microsoft’s cloud and AI operations continue to expand rapidly, highlighting a growing divide between the struggling gaming division and the rest…
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Merck Mercuriadis to Deliver Keynote at Music Tectonics Conference 2026
Merck Mercuriadis, founder and former CEO of catalog investment group Hipgnosis, will deliver the keynote at the Music Tectonics conference 2026 in Santa Monica, California. The announcement, made on 29 July, highlights Mercuriadis’s influence in establishing music as a recognised asset class, and organisers say his address will focus on collaboration across the industry to…