Also: What the US consumer electronics tariff exemptions mean
Welcome to TechCrunch AM! This morning, we're looking at Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk's latest bright idea; OpenAI's ID requirements; and what the consumer electronics tariff exemptions really mean. We've also got a fresh SPAC in the making, Nvidia's onshoring attempts, fresh funds for solar startups; Meta's antitrust trial, and more. Let's go! – Rebecca | | | Image Credits: MARCO BELLO/AFP / Getty Images | 1. How convenient: Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk say they want to delete all IP law. Shocking, I know. The two billionaires have faced some backlash as some describe them as "tech execs declaring an all-out war on creators who don't want their life's work pillaged for their profit." Read More 2. Show me some ID: OpenAI might soon ask organizations to complete ID verification to access certain future AI models. The company's stated goal is to avoid the small minority of developers who "intentionally use the OpenAI APIs in violation of our usage policies." Read More 3. Don't get used to it: The Trump admin late last week said that consumer electronics like laptops and smartphones would be exempt from the tariffs, but U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick feels we may not be out of the woods yet. Read More | | | Image Credits: Kodiak Robotics | 🚛 Didn't see that coming: Self-driving truck startup Kodiak Robotics is going public via a SPAC deal, and I'm wondering if I've stepped into a time machine to 2021. The move is interesting for several reasons, particularly given that most SPACs tend to fail and the volatility of the public markets today. Read More 🏭 But this one, I did: Nvidia has commissioned a huge manufacturing space to build and test AI chips in Arizona and Texas. Makes sense given the tariffs hanging over everyone's head, until you remember that this was likely decided months ago, and the tariffs threaten the supply of the raw materials needed to even build the chips here. Read More 🔋 It's electric: A startup by former engineers from Lucid and Apple's EV project brings a fresh spin on electric hub motors. Conifer's motor is free of rare earth elements, which not only reduces cost but limits supply chain risk. The startup just raised a $20 million seed round. Read More 💰 Stay focused: Intel is selling 51% of its Altera semiconductor business to private equity firm Silver Lake. The deal values Altera at $8.75 billion and will make the company "operationally independent," letting Intel sharpen its focus and cut costs, per new CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Read More ☀️ Sunny skies: Bill Gates-backed Arnergy has raised $15 million to bring solar power systems to Nigeria. Arnergy is jumping on policy shifts in the country, like the removal of Nigeria's fuel subsidy in 2023, which made petrol prices skyrocket and solar power look more attractive. Read More 💸 Where are my bees and honey? British startups only raised £16.2 billion last year, compared to the £65 billion raised by their counterparts in Silicon Valley during the same period. And U.K. founders are getting more frustrated by the gap in funding. Read More | | | ↘️ Small business woes: Wired details why it's impossible for most small businesses to manufacture in the U.S., and why tariffs won't be enough to shift production stateside. Read More 🧑⚖️ Face off: Meta's antitrust trial, in which the U.S. will challenge the company's social media dominance, begins today. The main question, per The New York Times, is whether Meta broke the law to stay dominant by acquiring startups that stood in its way. Read More | | | 😆 Next level banter: Silicon Valley crosswalks were hacked over the weekend with AI-generated audio snippets imitating the voices of Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk. One in Zuck's voice said: "It's normal to feel uncomfortable or even violated as we forcefully insert AI into every facet of your conscious experience. I just want to assure you…there's absolutely nothing you can do to stop it." Read More | | | Featured jobs from CrunchBoard | | | Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. | | | Update your preferences here at any time | | Copyright © 2024 TechCrunch, All rights reserved.Yahoo Inc. 680 Folsom Street,San Francisco,CA | | | | |
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