General Motors to use Google AI chatbot for its OnStar service
General Motors has found a new way to get in on the generative AI buzz. The automaker is now using Google Cloud’s conversational chatbot, dubbed Dialogflow, to handle some non-emergency OnStar features. GM announced the collaboration alongside a keynote from Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai at the Google Cloud Next 23
Read moreTechCrunch Disrupt 2023 Startup Battlefield 200: AI and Security edition
After months of vetting thousands of applications, the Startup Battlefield 200 (SB 200) cohort for TechCrunch Disrupt 2023 is complete. You do not want to miss this incredible, curated collection of early-stage startups you’ll find exhibiting on the expo floor. We want to highlight them, but listing all of them
Read moreDeepMind partners with Google Cloud to watermark AI-generated images
In partnership with Google Cloud, Google Deepmind, Google’s AI research division, is launching a tool for watermarking and identifying AI-generated images. But only images created by Google’s own image-generating model. The tool, called SnythID and available in beta for select users of Vertex AI, Google’s platform for building AI apps
Read moreFBI brings down massive botnet that infected more than 700,000 computers
Illustration by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge The US government just helped dismantle a massive network of computers infected with one of the world’s most notorious pieces of malware. According to the FBI, a multinational effort led by the US took down Qakbot, a malware that made its way
Read moreNHTSA raises more concerns about Tesla’s Autopilot safety
Once again, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is requesting more information from Tesla regarding the safety of Autopilot. In a special order dated July 26, the regulator shared concerns about a change to Tesla’s advanced driver assistance system that allows drivers to use the system for extended periods
Read moreStarfish Space pulls Otter Pup servicing vehicle back from “the brink of death”
Against all odds, Starfish Space has managed to pull its first orbital mission back from the brink of catastrophe, with the startup saying Tuesday that it has re-gained control over the Otter Pup spacecraft that had been rapidly tumbling through space. The Kent, Washington-based startup said it will now move
Read moreMeta shut down a disinformation campaign tied to Chinese law enforcement
A massive social media disinformation campaign linked to Chinese law enforcement is no more, according to Meta. In its latest report on what Facebook and Instagram’s parent company calls “coordinated inauthentic behavior” — usually covert state-sponsored social media campaigns designed to shape public opinion — Meta detailed the discovery of
Read moreAnnouncing the complete AI Stage agenda at TechCrunch Disrupt 2023
AI — the tech that’s everywhere and touching everything — keeps evolving at a pace that’s surprising even in an industry where change is just about the only constant. It’s complicated, unregulated, thrilling and unnerving all at once. At TechCrunch Disrupt 2023, we’re dedicating a day and a stage to
Read moreStellar magnitude
Imagine the following dialog. “Logarithms are usually taken to integer bases, like 2 or 10.” “What about e?” “OK, that’s an example of an irrational base, but it’s the only one.” “Decibels are logarithms to base 101/10.” “Really?!” “Yeah, you can read about this here.” “That’s weird. But logarithms are always
Read moreTwitch just made it a little easier to qualify for the Partner Plus program
Earlier this summer, Twitch offered some good news to streamers frustrated with the platform’s default revenue share, which splits earnings between the company and the creator 50/50. With the launch of Twitch’s new Partner Plus program, streamers could soon qualify to take home 70% of their earnings instead — but
Read more