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Wed, Mar 25, 2026, 12:22 PM EDT

Tech

AI Summary

  • Meta faces significant legal challenges, including a $375 million fine and courtroom defeats concerning child safety measures on its platforms, while simultaneously launching initiatives to foster entrepreneurship and AI adoption.
  • The AI sector continues its explosive growth with substantial funding rounds, such as Kleiner Perkins' $3.5 billion AI investment and Granola's $125 million raise, signaling a strong industry focus on AI development and enterprise solutions.
  • Major tech players are refining their AI strategies; Meta is integrating AI into shopping experiences, Google is enhancing AI music generation, and Anthropic is releasing safer AI models, though OpenAI has controversially shut down its Sora video generation app.
  • The evolving creator economy sees platforms like Reddit implementing 'human verification' to combat bots and X pausing creator revenue-sharing changes due to backlash, indicating a push for authenticity and stability in monetization.
  • Traditional industries are also embracing tech innovation, with Arbor Energy utilizing rocket turbine tech for power grids and Amazon acquiring a startup focused on humanoid robots for manufacturing, while the EV sector sees setbacks like the dissolution of the Sony-Honda joint project.

TechCrunch

  • Reddit takes on the bots with new ‘human verification’ requirements for fishy behavior 31 minutes ago by Sarah Perez
    AI, Apps, Social, bots, dead internet theory, Reddit, spam

    Reddit will require suspected automated accounts to verify they’re human, as it ramps up efforts to curb bot-driven spam and manipulation.

  • How soap opera-TikTok hybrids became a billion-dollar business an hour ago by Theresa Loconsolo
    Startups, Media & Entertainment, Social, creator economy, reelshort, consumer apps, Equity Video, watch club, microdramas

    Over the past few years, a new category of mobile apps has quietly exploded into a multi-billion dollar business. They’re called “micro dramas” — short-form, mobile-first scripted shows designed to be watched vertically on your phone. Think soap opera meets TikTok, complete with secret billionaire romances, disapproving werewolf mothers-in-law, and cliffhangers engineered to keep users tapping. The leading […]

  • Harvey confirms $11B valuation: Sequoia triples down an hour ago by Julie Bort
    Startups, TC, Venture, AI, Harvey, legal, legal tech, Sequoia

    Investors like Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, Elad Gil can't get enough of AI legal tech startup Harvey.

  • Granola raises $125M, hits $1.5B valuation as it expands from meeting notetaker to enterprise AI app 2 hours ago by Ivan Mehta
    AI, Apps, Fundraising, granola, Index Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Meeting notetakers

    Granola's valuation jumped from $250 million to $1.5 billion with this round, and it has added more support for AI agents after users previously complained.

  • Meta launches new initiative to support entrepreneurship, drive AI adoption 2 hours ago by Aisha Malik
    AI, Apps, business, In Brief, Mark Zuckerberg, Meta, smb

    Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a memo to staff that small businesses have always been a big part of the company's business model, and that while tens of millions of entrepreneurs already use its platforms to grow and connect with customers, the company wants to do more in the space.


Hacker News


Engadget

  • Spotify is testing a tool to help real artists deal with AI slop on their profiles 31 minutes ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Software, Music, Media, Arts & Entertainment, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    Low-quality, mass-produced AI songs have been flooding music streaming platforms like Spotify for a couple of years now. This is annoying, but relatively easy for fans to avoid. However, it leads to real problems for artists. There's so much slop coming in that some gets falsely attributed to actual musicians on these platforms. This messes with brand identity and audience retention, but Spotify is testing a new tool to help real artists exercise more control over their profiles. The platform's Artist Profile Protection feature lets musicians review releases before they go live and become associated with their profiles. Spotify This should prevent AI

  • Reddit will prompt some accounts to 'verify humanness' in latest bot crackdown 31 minutes ago by Karissa Bell
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Karissa Bell

    Reddit CEO Steve Huffman has detailed the company's latest plan to fight bots and it means that some accounts will need to "verify humanness," though the company is stopping short of widespread identity verification. In an update, Huffman said that in "rare" cases accounts that seem "fishy" will be prompted for additional verification. Such prompts "will not apply to most users," according to Huffman, but will apply to accounts where Reddit detects signs of automated posting or bot-like behavior. If the account doesn't pass the verification test, it may be "restricted" from the platform. For now, verification will take the form

  • Sony's upcoming Bravia 3 II is a mid-range LED TV available in sizes up to 100 inches 41 minutes ago by Lawrence Bonk
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Lawrence Bonk

    Sony just revealed the upcoming Bravia 3 II mid-range LED TV. It'll be available in sizes all the way up to 100 inches, for those in need of a home theater centerpiece. It's considered a mid-range device, but is still outfitted with plenty of tech typically reserved for the company's high-end displays. First of all, these TVs ship with Sony's XR processor. This grants access to the company's proprietary Clear Image algorithm, auto HDR tone mapping and more. It's nice to see these features expand beyond flagship products. The 4K LED display supports Dolby Vision, Atmos and DTS:X, with refresh rates up

  • Sony adds the Bravia Theater Bar 5 and Bar 7 to its soundbar lineup 41 minutes ago by Billy Steele
    Technology & Electronics, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Billy Steele

    Sony already has a robust collection of soundbars in its Bravia Theater lineup. Today, the company is adding two more, as well as new rear speakers and three new subwoofers. The Bar 7 will sit in Sony’s premium tier, alongside the existing (and larger) Bar 8 and Bar 9 models, while the Bar 5 will offer a more compact and more affordable solution just below the current Bar 6. The Bravia Theater Bar 7 utilizes nine total drivers to produce Dolby Atmos, DTS:X and IMAX Enhanced sound. More specifically, that arrangement includes three woofers, two tweeters, two up-firing units and two

  • X is changing its revenue-sharing policy to deter users pretending to be Americans an hour ago by Mariella Moon
    Internet & Networking Technology, site|engadget, provider_name|Engadget, region|US, language|en-US, author_name|Mariella Moon

    X is updating its revenue-sharing incentives to give more weight to engagement from a user’s home region, Nikita Bier, the company’s Head of Product has announced. Bier said the change in policy was to “encourage content that resonates with people in [the user’s] country, in neighboring countries and people who speak [their] language.”  Bier continued that while X appreciates everyone’s opinion on US politics, the company is hoping the new policy can “disincentivize gaming the attention of US or Japanese accounts.” The US and Japan have the largest number of users on X. Bier didn’t mention it outright, but dozens of


The Verge

  • Reddit accounts with ‘fishy’ bot-like behavior will soon need to prove they’re human 31 minutes ago by Emma Roth
    AI, Apps, News, Reddit, Social Media, Tech

    Reddit is taking new steps to identify bots on the platform - a process that may require some users to confirm that they're human. In a post on Wednesday, Reddit CEO Steve Huffman writes that the company will introduce a labeling system for accounts registered as bots, and ask users with "automated" or "fishy behavior" to verify that they're human using methods like fingerprint scanning or submitting their ID. With this update, developers can register automated accounts with Reddit, which will then receive an "[APP]" label. However, Reddit also notes that it will be on the lookout for unlabeled accounts with

  • Google Lyria 3 Pro makes longer AI songs 41 minutes ago by Terrence O’Brien
    AI, Entertainment, Google, Music, Tech

    Six times the slop. | Image: The Verge Google is expanding the capabilities of its Lyria 3 music-making AI, enabling it to create tracks up to three minutes long and from within multiple other Google Products. Until now, Lyria had been limited to 30-second clips. Lyria 3 Pro not only increases the maximum length sixfold, it also allows the user to prompt for specific elements like intros, choruses, and bridges for greater control over arrangements. Lyria 3 Pro works much like other popular music generation tools, such as Suno and Udio. Describe a mood, style, or instrumentation, and it spits out a

  • Live-service games are such a mess even Fortnite is struggling an hour ago by Andrew Webster
    Analysis, Entertainment, Fortnite, Gaming, Report

    For years, major game publishers and developers have been chasing a particular north star: Fortnite. With its internet-shaking live events and copious celebrity cameos, Epic's battle royale shooter became the epitome of what a live-service game could be, one that reached a level of cultural ubiquity that few other entertainment products could match while also raking in all kinds of money. And much of the games industry followed suit in an attempt to get a Fortnite-like cash cow of their own. The results were disastrous. The biggest live-service games soaked up all of players' time and money, leaving everyone else to

  • Senate Democrats are trying to ‘codify’ Anthropic’s red lines on autonomous weapons and mass surveillance 2 hours ago by Lauren Feiner
    AI, Anthropic, Law, Policy, Politics, Report

    Anthropic's fight with the Pentagon is expanding to Congress. Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA) is working on a new bill to "codify" Anthropic's red lines and ensure humans make the ultimate decisions in questions of life and death, and Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI) recently introduced a bill to limit the Defense Department's ability to use AI for mass surveillance of Americans. The Trump administration blacklisted Anthropic earlier this month after it set limits on how the military could use its AI models, designating it a supply-chain risk. Anthropic has filed suit, accusing the government of violating its constitutional rights. It's insisted that

  • You can install these wireless security cameras over half a mile away 2 hours ago by Andrew Liszewski
    Cameras, Gadgets, News, Smart Home, Tech

    First announced earlier this year at CES 2026, Xthings is planning to release two new long-range wireless security camera kits sometime in the second quarter of this year, with pricing ranging from $489.99 to $989.99 depending on the number and types of cameras included. The cameras will use the Wi-Fi HaLow (802.11ah) protocol to wirelessly transmit video at distances of up to 1,000 meters (over 0.6 miles) even with obstacles like buildings in the way, simplifying installation for large facilities and properties. The Ulticam Long-Range Wireless AI Security Kit is the smaller of the two kits. It pairs four of the


Wired

  • Ultrahuman Is Back: Can the Ring Pro Beat Oura in the US Market? an hour ago by Boutayna Chokrane
    Gear, Gear / Gear News and Events, Gear / Products / Health and Fitness, Gear / Products / Lifestyle, Full, Circle

    Ultrahuman is officially back in the US and looking to disrupt the status quo with its most advanced smart ring yet.

  • The Ex-CIA Agent Going Viral Asking for a Trump Pardon 2 hours ago by Makena Kelly
    Politics, Politics / Politics News, Inner, Loop

    John Kiriakou went to prison after exposing the CIA's torture program. Now he's going viral as he campaigns to get his name cleared and his pension restored.

  • OpenAI Enters Its Focus Era by Killing Sora 2 hours ago by Maxwell Zeff
    Business, Business / Artificial Intelligence, RIP

    As the ChatGPT-maker eyes an IPO, it's ditching Sora in favor of a unified AI assistant and enterprise coding tools.

  • New Bernie Sanders AI Safety Bill Would Halt Data Center Construction 3 hours ago by Molly Taft
    Politics, Yelling, Stop

    The US senator said on Tuesday that a moratorium would give lawmakers time to "ensure that AI is safe." Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez will introduce a similar bill in the House in the weeks ahead.

  • When Satellite Data Becomes a Weapon 4 hours ago by Gia Chaudry
    The Big Story, Security, Security / National Security, Security / Security News, Nixed, Signals

    As war reshapes the Gulf, the satellite infrastructure the world relies on to see conflict clearly is being delayed, spoofed, and privately controlled—and nobody is sure who is responsible.


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