TechCrunch

1 day ago | techcrunch.com | Amanda Silberling

Character.AI, a leading platform for chatting and roleplaying with AI-generated characters, unveiled its forthcoming video generation model, AvatarFX, on Tuesday. Available in closed beta, the model animates the platform’s characters in a variety of styles and voices, from human-like characters to 2D animal cartoons. AvatarFX distinguishes itself from competitors like OpenAI’s Sora because it isn’t solely a text-to-video generator.

2 days ago | techcrunch.com | Amanda Silberling

We know that social media can be harmful to teens. Meta has found in its own research that Instagram makes body image worse for one in three teen girls, and Snapchat has been sued several times for not doing enough to mitigate cyberbullying. Even the former U.S. Surgeon General issued an advisory on the risk of youth social media use. But a new report shows how social media can sometimes have positive impacts on teenagers, despite its harms.

2 days ago | techcrunch.com | Cindy Zackney

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2 days ago | techcrunch.com | Amanda Silberling

Bluesky announced on Monday that it is rolling out blue check verification, confirming previous rumors that this feature was on its way to the platform. Like Twitter’s original blue check (RIP), Bluesky’s blue check will verify that notable accounts are legitimate, making it easy for users to trust that an account’s posts are real. In its earliest phase, Bluesky will work with a select few “Trusted Verifiers,” which are independent organizations that can verify accounts as members of their team.

4 days ago | techcrunch.com | Karyne Levy

Welcome back to Week in Review! We’ve got tons of stuff for you this week: antitrust lawsuits against Google and Meta; Grok can now remember; Bolt CEO Ryan Breslow wants to make his mark; and much, much more. Have a great weekend!It’s over: Google violated antitrust laws in the ad tech market, a judge ruled, ending a two-year battle after eight states filed complaints against the Big Tech giant.