DM’ing with AI

Quick Hits

AI-vatars arrive: TikTok ads add AI actors.

Speak Finch?: MIT introduces new language.

Not lovin’ it: McDonald's kills AI chatbot.

Social caution: Expert wants warning labels.

Social payment: X unveils Venmo-like feature.

French connection: Voodoo acquires BeReal.

McCourt-ing: Billionaire bids on TikTok.

Immersive social: Snap adds AR tools.

Immersive news: BBC backs 3D streaming.

Hidden fees: U.S. sues Adobe.

Princess power: Nintendo unveils new Zelda.

Language launch: Bilingual Gemini arrives in India.

Grocery boom: Amazon Fresh expands in India.

Scaling Threads: Meta launches API.

Labor lament: Amazon fined $5.9M.

Indonesia layoffs: ByteDance trims staff.

Crypto startups pass $100B milestone Crypto startups have attracted $100B in venture funding since the industry’s inception, fueled by a recent surge in investment and the rise of Bitcoin and other major tokens. Acquisitions and IPOs in this arena have “definitely taken longer than I think you normally expect from traditional VC,” says one investor.

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YC is half AI startups The recently concluded Y Combinator batch showcased a surge in AI startups, with half of the cohort leveraging artificial intelligence technologies. Funded companies are bringing AI-enabled tools to legal tech, recruiting, code development, and medical record keeping.

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Vietnam's richest man bets big on EVs

A Vietnamese billionaire is wagering $2B on his EV startup, VinFast Auto, as it takes on industry giants like Tesla to conquer the U.S. market.

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Tempus AI passes IPO test

Tempus AI, the SoftBank Group-backed AI-based genetic testing company, surged 8% in its Nasdaq debut, reaching a valuation of $6.6B.

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DM’ing with AI

A former Snap engineer introduced Butterflies, a social network that allows people to send messages to AI personas.

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Algorithm predicts crop yields

Scientists from Europe and South America developed an AI algorithm to count flowers on fruit trees using smartphone images, enabling predictions of harvest size months in advance, with up to 90% accuracy.

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Weekly Pulse

?Poll of the week

Recently funded companies

Bengaluru-based rampp.ai Raises $500k for AI Insights

Deleware’s Gracia AI Raises $1.2M for Photorealistic Video

Bengaluru-based Ayna Raises $1.5M for AI Generated Photos

California’s Loop Golf Raises $1M for Booking Platform

Bay Area’s Proofs Raises $2.6M to Accelerate Proof-of-Concept

India's Alyve Health Raises $5.5M for Healthtech Platform

Ohio-based RapidFlight Secures $10M Air Force Contract

Warsaw-based CampusAI Raises $10M for AI Learning

London’s SurrealDB Raises $20M for Multi-Model Database

NYC-based Nomad Health Raises $22M for Jobs Marketplace

Europe’s CuspAI Raises $30M for AI-Designed Materials

Bay Area’s Decagon Raises $35M for AI Powered Customer Service

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Post of the week

What we're reading?

• AI Isn’t Making Much Money For Software Companies — Yet (Bloomberg)
• Why artists are becoming less scared of AI (MIT)
• Understanding the visual knowledge of language models (MIT)
• What about Human Training? (Venture Capitalist at Theory)
• Early career conversations young workers need to have (Fast Company)
• Microsoft Admits That Maybe Surveilling Everything You Do on Your Computer Isn’t a Brilliant Idea (Futurism)

Podcasts of the Week

Simplifying HR for Maximum Impact with Dr. Jeff Smith (HR Superstars)

The Truth About eNPS and Employee Engagement with Lattice's Colby Nesbitt (Voice of HR)

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? Startups hiring now

Clover Health: Helping members live their healthiest lives | 7 open roles

Justpoint: We use AI to protect health and secure justice | 2 open roles

Genies: Empowering humans to create and own their own avatar ecosystems | 10 open roles

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