Welcome again to Week in Review. This week we’re OpenAI doubtlessly charging $20,000 a month for a specialised AI agent, the surprising return of early-internet darling Digg, an organization genetically engineering mice to have mammoth-like fur, and extra! Let’s do that.
OpenAI may cost as much as $20,000 per thirty days for specialised AI “brokers.” According to a report from The Information, OpenAI intends to launch a number of “agent” merchandise tailor-made for various functions. One of the rumored brokers, stated to be priced at $20,000 a month, can be geared toward supporting “PhD-level analysis.” The jaw-dropping determine is indicative of how a lot money OpenAI wants proper now: The firm misplaced roughly $5 billion final yr after paying for prices associated to operating its companies and different bills.
Scale AI is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor for compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, which regulates unpaid wages, misclassification of staff as contractors, and unlawful retaliation towards staff. The investigation has been lively since at the least August 2024 and remains to be ongoing, in response to a supply aware of the matter. A spokesperson for Scale AI instructed TechCrunch that the investigation was initiated in the course of the earlier presidential administration and that the startup felt its work was misunderstood by regulators then.
A federal choose denied Elon Musk’s movement for an injunction that might have halted OpenAI’s deliberate transition right into a for-profit firm, citing inadequate proof. However, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers stated the courtroom is ready to carry an expedited trial primarily based on the declare that OpenAI’s conversion plan is illegal. It’s the newest flip in Musk’s lawsuit, which accuses OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman of abandoning its unique nonprofit mission.
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News
Welcome again, Digg: One of the net’s early information aggregators is again beneath the possession of its unique founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Rose instructed TechCrunch that the revived Digg gained’t be like “your old-school boards.” Read extra
Google, have a look at my display: Google unveiled a brand new Gemini characteristic known as “Screenshare” at Mobile World Congress 2025 that can let customers share what’s on their cellphone’s display with the AI chatbot and ask questions on what it sees in actual time. Read extra
An “AI cellphone” for lower than $1K: Deutsche Telekom introduced that it’s constructing an “AI Phone,” a low-cost handset created in shut collaboration with Perplexity. DT plans to unveil the gadget within the second half of the yr, and it’ll begin promoting it in 2026 for lower than $1,000. Read extra
It’sa me, synthetic intelligence! UCSD analysis org Hao AI Lab threw AI fashions right into a Super Mario Bros. emulator to benchmark efficiency. Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 carried out the most effective, whereas OpenAI’s GPT-4o struggled. Read extra
Volkswagen’s least expensive EV ever: Volkswagen this week revealed the ultra-cheap EV known as the ID EVERY1. According to a supply aware of the brand new mannequin, the small four-door hatchback would be the first to roll out with software program and structure from Rivian. Read extra
Going ghost mode: Getting ghosted is rarely enjoyable — particularly if you happen to’re a founder looking for capital from traders. TechCrunch spoke to a number of VCs about why they ghost and the way founders could make a extra significant impression. Read extra
ChatGPT can straight edit your code: The latest model of the macOS ChatGPT app can straight edit code in supported developer instruments. ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers can use the characteristic now, and the corporate plans to roll it out to extra customers subsequent week. Read extra
A cool use case for AI: Wildlife researchers use digicam traps to check animal populations, however it may possibly take weeks to sift via all that information. Now Google has open sourced SpeciesNet, an AI mannequin that may establish animal species by analyzing images from digicam traps. Read extra
A brand new method to watch YouTube ad-free: YouTube Lite is a brand new subscription tier that lets customers watch most movies ad-free for $7.99 per thirty days. However, it gained’t have Premium options like downloads, background play, or the flexibility to observe music movies ad-free. Read extra
All hail the woolly mouse: Colossal Biosciences, which is attempting to resurrect the woolly mammoth by 2028, has made an lovely inroad by genetically engineering mice to have mammoth-like fur. These are the cutest issues I’ve ever seen. I can not advocate watching the video sufficient. Read extra
Analysis
Why is Signal such successful within the Netherlands? Privacy-focused messaging app Signal has been flying excessive within the Dutch app shops this previous month, usually sitting on the high as essentially the most downloaded free app on iOS and Android throughout all classes. While it’s troublesome to pinpoint one particular cause as to why, Bits of Freedom senior coverage adviser Rejo Zenger is just not stunned. Recent developments within the U.S. have seen the massive platform suppliers align with the brand new Trump administration, and Europe’s reliance on know-how from large personal U.S. firms has change into a focus in that debate. Read extra
