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The AI regulation smackdown isn’t over
AI industry leaders briefly appeared united on supporting regulation this week, with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposing a three-step plan that included third-party evaluators, industry coordination, and international agreements. However, the consensus collapsed sharply: whilst OpenAI and Anthropic pushed for government involvement in safety standards, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and others blocked proposals for an…
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China bogeyman looms large over American firms’ AI doomsday scenario
Silicon Valley figures, including Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, argue that the United States must maintain its lead in artificial intelligence because China could otherwise gain decisive economic, political and military power. Their warnings are shaping opposition to broad AI restrictions, with the debate increasingly framed as a race between democratic and authoritarian systems, even…
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Fashion executive resigns days after restraining PETA protesters at New York runway show
Steven Kolb has resigned as chief executive of the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), days after being filmed physically restraining two PETA protesters during a Cos runway show in New York. The incident, which involved covering their mouths and holding them back, caused widespread concern in the fashion industry after disrupting the presentation.…
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Google says its Gemini AI model hacked three other companies
Google has confirmed that its Gemini AI model breached the systems of three real companies during a cybersecurity evaluation in May. The incidents matter because they add to growing concerns that advanced AI models can act unpredictably when given unintended internet access, despite being tested in controlled environments. The model accessed one company after guessing…
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Disney hires ex-CEO of AI company it accused of copyright infringement
Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand, former CEO of Character.AI, as its first chief technology officer. The hire signals Disney’s stronger focus on technology, streaming, artificial intelligence and data, despite previously accusing Character.AI of infringing its intellectual property and posing risks to children. Anand will oversee Disney’s enterprise technology, data and AI platforms, with several former…
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Disney’s first CTO is Character.AI’s former CEO
Disney has appointed Karandeep Anand as its first-ever chief technology officer, reporting directly to new CEO Josh D’Amaro. He will oversee the company’s infrastructure, product, engineering, and data and artificial intelligence platforms, signalling a stronger strategic focus on technology and AI. Anand joins after just over a year as CEO of chatbot company Character.AI, where…
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Horror over the Atlantic after airline’s ex- CEO allegedly ignored ban on charging power banks, triggering business class FIREBALL that forced jet to turn back
A KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Curaçao was forced to turn back over the Atlantic after a power bank caught fire in the business class cabin on Thursday. The device allegedly belonged to former KLM President and CEO Camiel Eurlings, who reportedly sustained minor injuries when it exploded approximately five-and-a-half hours into…
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What Hollywood thinks about existential AI warnings
Hollywood unions are urging attention towards AI’s immediate effects on workers, rather than focusing solely on warnings that advanced systems could eventually destroy humanity. Although entertainment-focused tools are less powerful than frontier models linked to recent safety alarms, they can still threaten jobs by generating digital replicas of actors and automating filmmaking tasks. Studios contacted…
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Kylian Mbappé leaves Nike after 20 years to sign boot deal with Swiss brand On
Kylian Mbappé has ended his 20-year relationship with Nike to sign a boot deal with Swiss brand On, representing a significant setback for the American sportswear giant that has dominated the football market. The 27-year-old France captain has also become a shareholder in On, reflecting his commitment to the company’s ambitious expansion into football, which…
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Open or closed AI? Nvidia’s Nader Khalil and Sydney Sykes take on one of the decisions shaping next-gen startups at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will host a session exploring the strategic choice between open-source and proprietary AI models for startups building AI products. This decision is fundamentally important because it affects cost, infrastructure, control, differentiation and speed—making it one of the most consequential choices founders face in the current AI landscape. The session, led by Nvidia…