Plus: Insight Partners details what was stolen in January cyberattack
Welcome to TechCrunch AM! This morning, we're looking at OpenAI's newest hire; the Insight Partners cyberattack; Apple's move to protect a revenue stream; and why asking chatbots to be consice causes more hallucinations. We've also got layoffs at Match; Hims & Hers's new CTO; Tesla's failed attempt to trademark "robotaxi"; and more. Let's dive in! | | | 1. It's the season of change: OpenAI is bringing on Instacart CEO Fidji Simo as CEO of Applications. Simo, already a board member, will report directly to Sam Altman as she helps the AI startup scale "traditional" company functions. Read More 2. Venture espionage: VC firm Insight Partners has finally disclosed that a cyberattack in January compromised personal data about employees, as well as information related to the firm's LPs, funds, management companies, portcos and more. Read More 3. Deny, defend: Apple has filed an emergency motion to suspend a ruling that forces it to let iOS app developers in the U.S. redirect users to external payment systems and avoid paying a commission to the firm. Read More | | | Image Credits: tommy / Getty Images | 🗣️ Ramble on: A recent study has shown that asking AI chatbots to be concise actually makes them hallucinate more, particularly when it concerns ambiguous topics. Why? Possibly because models need the "space" to point out mistakes. Read More 💔 And another one: Match Group is laying off 13% of its staff, or about 325 employees, as it reorganizes to reduce costs, simplify its structure and boost margins. Management is getting hit the hardest, with about one in five managers affected. (PS: See TechCrunch's layoffs tracker here.) Read More 👀 Being careful: Telehealth and wellness company Hims & Hers has hired an autonomous vehicle veteran – former Cruise CEO Mo Elshenawy – as its new CTO. The decision to look to AV companies was apparently intentional, because H&H wants to double down on AI while making sure it doesn't run afoul of regulations. Read More ⛔ Nice try: Tesla's attempt to trademark the term "robotaxi" has been refused by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The office said the term was too generic and widely used to be owned by Tesla alone. Tesla's application for "cybercab" has also been halted. Read More ✈️ Racking up the points: YC startup Rove wants to help travelers without credit history earn airline miles without having to use credit cards. Founded by a 22-year-old Harvard dropout, the startup claims to offer the first universal mile loyalty program. Read More 🦅 Bullish on North America: Bosch Ventures has closed a $270 million fund that will focus on investing in North America. It may seem like an odd strategy given the economic and geopolitical turmoil, but the firm's managing director Ingo Ramesohl says deal flow in this neck of the woods — deep tech — is stronger than ever. Read More | | | 🐶 Dr. Doolittle: Baidu has filed a patent to use AI to translate animal behavior. The tech would look at sounds, body language, behaviors, and other biological signs to deliver a human language rendering of an animal's current state of being, reports the South China Morning Post. Read More 🧑🔬 You may recall that during WWII, some of Germany's best and brightest fled to the U.S. Now, that's playing out in reverse as the U.S. cuts scientific funding and closes the door on promising researchers. Wired has a look at the EU's Choose Europe for Science Program. Read More 🤝 Blockchained together: Coinbase has agreed to acquire Deribit, a huge bitcoin and ether trading platform, for $2.9 billion, according to The Wall Street Journal. It's the latest in a series of crypto dealmaking after President Trump promised to turn America into a "bitcoin superpower." Read More | | | ✝️ In nomine YouTube: TC's Amanda Siberling has some musings about what exactly society gets out of watching the Papal "conclave cam," which shows a livestream of the Sistine Chapel's exterior as Cardinals sit inside choosing the next pope. She says it's "slow TV," a chance to come together and bask in the alluring quietness of an unmoving screen. 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 © 2025 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. Yahoo Inc.. 680 Folsom Street, San Francisco, CA | | | | |
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