Latest news with #RebeccaBellan
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Business
- TechCrunch
Who really benefits from the AI boom?
If you've been hearing about Trump's AI Action Plan and wondering who it actually benefits, you're not alone. On today's episode of Equity, Rebecca Bellan caught up with Amba Kak and Dr. Sarah Myers West from the AI Now Institute, a think tank focused on the social implications of AI and the consolidation of power in the tech industry. Their recent report, dubbed Artificial Power, lays out the political economy driving today's AI frenzy and what's at stake for everyone else. Artificial Power pushes back on what AI Now calls the 'too big to fail' myth, arguing that AI companies are pouring billions into massive compute infrastructure and foundational models, often with government support, despite shaky business models and limited public accountability. That push to scale and reach AGI, or artificial general intelligence, before 2030 has real-world consequences that don't disappear with the promises that AI will someday solve humanity's hardest problems. In the short term, societies are already facing environmental degradation, discriminatory algorithms, dismantled democratic institutions, lack of data privacy, and national security risk. Kak and West say these outcomes are the result of a series of choices, not an unpreventable reality. 'The future we're being sold is not inevitable,' Kak explained. Listen to the full episode to hear about: AI's growing consolidation and how it mirrors Big Tech's power dynamics. Why Silicon Valley is cheering on Trump's AI agenda, and the challenges of regulating AI. The disconnect between AGI hype and current, real-world harms. What a democratic, just, and accountable AI future could look like. Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, so stay tuned. Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
TechCrunch
23-07-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
AI's talent arms race is starting to look like pro sports
AI is entering a new phase where access to top talent is becoming as important as, if not more important than, compute or data. The market for AI researchers is so overheated, it's starting to look a lot like pro sports — complete with outsized contracts and unprecedented infrastructure needs. On today's episode of Equity, Rebecca Bellan chatted with Deedy Das, principal at Menlo Ventures. Das has seen this shift from multiple angles, first as an engineer and product leader at Google, Facebook, and AI startup Glean, and now as an investor helping technical founders figure out how to build enduring companies in this new AI landscape. 'The reason people are being paid this much is because there's a disparity between the prize to be made in a short amount of time and the amount of people who have the talent to get you to that prize,' Das explained. 'As long as that gap remains, you pay up and you get the talent. […] Over time, there will be less prize in AI. I imagine a lot of that value will be captured by a few people, and there will be a lot more talent to fill the supply.' Listen to the full episode to hear: Why Meta is spending billions on both compute and researchers. How compensation packages and acquisitions are warping startup hiring and retention. What motivates top researchers to leave, even when they've already made millions. How VCs are thinking about key-person risk in the AI era. Equity will be back Friday with our weekly news roundup, so stay tuned. Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
TechCrunch Mobility: Applied Intuition's eye-popping valuation, the new age of micromobility, and Waymo's wild week
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation. Sign up here for free — just click TechCrunch Mobility! Waymo might be the largest commercial robotaxi operator — offering 250,000 paid rides per week — but it is hardly smooth. The past seven days in Waymo's world illustrates just how dynamic the burgeoning robotaxi business can be. The company limited service nationwide on June 13 ahead of scheduled 'No Kings' protests against President Donald Trump and his policies. Days later, Waymo announced it was expanding its robotaxi service area by another 80 square miles in Los Angeles, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Silicon Valley. And now Waymo is eyeing the biggest city in the United States: New York City. One note on NYC: This will be a marathon for Waymo. The company is applying for a permit to test its autonomous vehicles in the city, but even if it gets approved, it won't mean driverless testing. A truly driverless (no human behind the wheel) vehicle will require a change in state law. Expect lobbying activity to ramp up in the state. Let's get into the rest of the news. Got a tip for us? Email Kirsten Korosec at or my Signal at kkorosec.07, Sean O'Kane at or Rebecca Bellan at Or check out these instructions to learn how to contact us via encrypted messaging apps or SecureDrop. Applied Intuition keeps attracting investors, and it has an eye-popping valuation to show for it. The buzzy startup, which makes software that helps companies and government agencies develop autonomous vehicle solutions such as simulation software and managing data, closed a $600 million Series F and tender offer. That round, which was co-led by BlackRock-managed funds and Kleiner Perkins, pushed its valuation up to $15 billion. Yes, $15 investors included Qatar Investment Authority, Abu Dhabi Investment Council, Greycroft, and more. Existing investors General Catalyst, Lux, Elad Gil, and Mary Meeker's growth fund Bond also participated. Reminder: The round comes just one year after it completed a $250 million Series E, which put the company at a $6 billion valuation. Archer Aviation raised an additional $850 million through a registered direct offering of 85 million shares at $10 per share. The company noted in its announcement that this followed President Trump's executive order to implement an eVTOL Integration Pilot Program in the United States. stems, a Southern California-based startup developing wire harnesses for aerospace, raised $25 million in a round co-led by Dylan Field, the co-founder and CEO of design software company Figma; VC firm CIV; General Catalyst; Peter Thiel's Founders Fund; Sequoia Capital; Joe Lonsdale's 8VC; and Andreessen Horowitz. This newsletter used to have a dedicated section for micromobility, a reflection of its popularity at the time. Micromobility went through a period of consolidation and tightening capital, which forced the industry to grow up. But it hasn't disappeared, and that's why I'm bringing it back this week (and occasionally in the future).Reporter Rebecca Bellan hosted a roundtable with Voi CEO Fredrik Hjelm, Bird co-CEO Michael Washinushi, and Dott/Tier CEO Henri Moissinac at the Micromobility Europe event in Brussels. Here are some of her insights from the panel and from the broader event: Honda launched an all-electric last-mile delivery vehicle called the Fastport eQuad. The eQuad comes in two sizes built on the same basic platform, small and large. Both are smaller than the smallest Mini Cooper but can carry between 320 and 650 pounds. They have pedals, and their top speed is limited to 12 mph (20 kph), both requirements to keep them bike-lane legal. VanMoof is back and has launched its first e-bike since bankruptcy. Reporter Rebecca Bellan digs into what is the same and what has changed at VanMoof. Bellan also provided a list of startups rolling out of Europe's early-stage micromobility scene. Zoox has opened its first full-fledged production facility, where it expects to one day build 10,000 robotaxis per year. Tesla has partnered with Electrify Expo to launch full-weekend EV test drives. This is an interesting move by Tesla, which has historically used other methods besides third-party events like auto shows or expos to attract new customers. It also could make Electrify Expo a target of protestors who are behind the Tesla Takedown movement. Zoomcar, the Indian car-sharing marketplace, said a hacker accessed the personal data of at least 8.4 million customers, including their names, phone numbers, and car registration numbers. The company became aware of the incident after some of its employees received external communications from a threat actor who claimed to have gained access to the company's data. The Paris Air Show included lots of news under the ever-evolving category I call 'Future of flight.' Too much to cover everything here, but there were a few highlights: an announcement from U.S. DOT Secretary Sean Duffy that the Federal Aviation Administration and four other regulators will collaborate on an advanced air mobility (AAM) roadmap; Archer Aviation showcased its Midnight aircraft and hosted delegations from more than 20 countries; and Beta Technologies' Alia became the first electric aircraft to fly at the show. Sign in to access your portfolio
