August 13, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

OpenAI hires new CRO as executive shake-up continues: Dali Rajic will take over as OpenAI's top salesperson. Read More

Anthropic set AI agents loose on the same task. They started a turf war.: Anthropic researchers found AI agents can clash, collude, and coordinate in unexpected ways, raising new questions about whether today’s safety tests capture the risks of multi-agent systems. Read More

Ford on track to complete $2B factory overhaul for Fathom EV truck: Ford expects to begin prototype builds of the Fathom EV in the first quarter of 2027. Read More

Afternoon Must-Reads

In a first, US will allow some private firms to carry out cyberattacks: The new order sweeps away decades of existing U.S. cybersecurity policy prohibiting private companies from conducting 'hack back' attacks or offensive cyber operations. Read More

Microsoft kills off unsuccessful AI features while merging its separate Copilot apps: Microsoft is simplifying Copilot by combining its consumer and business apps, and dropping AI-generated podcasts, Group Chats, Deep Research, and its Mico character. Read More

Instagram introduces a redesigned wordmark: The social media giant says it was time for a sharper and more modern look after a decade. Read More

If Apple sends you a push notification alerting you to a spyware attack, take it seriously: Apple now sends out push notifications to iPhone lock screens when the company identifies government spyware targeting someone's devices. Read More

OpenAI introduces 'Ultrafast,' a new mode that makes GPT-5.6 Sol work at 14x the speed: OpenAI is launching a preview of a sped up version of its latest, most powerful model, in an effort to court enterprise users. Read More

Last but Not Least

Nvidia's new $500B plan is risky but brilliant, especially for aging GPUs: Nvidia has a plan to make sure its GPUs won't lose value. It wants to convince a new crop of financiers to keep lending for AI buildouts. Read More