Theresa Loconsolo

5 days ago | techcrunch.com | Theresa Loconsolo

At Stripe’s Sessions conference this week, Mark Zuckerberg pitched what he calls the “ultimate business machine”: a fully automated, end-to-end AI ad engine promising to replace agencies, creatives, and media buyers with a single black box. You just need to connect your bank account first.

1 week ago | techcrunch.com | Theresa Loconsolo

What if cheating was just…the future of work? That’s the pitch behind Cluely, the viral AI startup that claims its stealthy browser overlay is “undetectable” and can help users bluff their way through everything from job interviews to exams. The company has raised $5.3 million and sparked a wave of backlash from startups building tools to catch cheaters. Cluely’s response? They’ll just build smart glasses or brain chips.

2 weeks ago | techcrunch.com | Theresa Loconsolo

It’s feeling a lot like Groundhog Day for Google, which once again, finds itself in court over its dominance in search and ads. The tech giant already lost one big antitrust case and is now facing another, but the latest trial comes with some twists, including OpenAI exec Nick Turley testifying this week that his company would be interested in buying Chrome if it were for sale (which it’s not).

3 weeks ago | techcrunch.com | Theresa Loconsolo

This week, OpenAI inked a five-year, $11.9 billion deal with CoreWeave, the GPU-heavy cloud provider, securing its own AI computing pipeline — and a $350 million equity stake in the company. With CoreWeave’s pending IPO and deep ties to Microsoft, OpenAI’s deal marks a significant shift in the AI cloud wars.

3 weeks ago | techcrunch.com | Theresa Loconsolo

Kodiak Robotics made a financial move that was ubiquitous in 2021. Yup, the self-driving truck startup plans to go public through a merger with Ares Acquisition Corporation II, a special purpose acquisition company. It’s a bold bet in a market where SPACs have lost their shine and the autonomous vehicle space has numerous shutdowns, including Embark and TuSimple.