Sesame Raises $250M, Betting On Voice

The browser wars are heating up again, this time with AI in the driver’s seat. 

OpenAI just launched Atlas, a ChatGPT-powered browser that lets users surf the web using natural language and even includes an “agent mode” that can complete tasks autonomously. It’s one of the biggest browser launches in recent memory, but it's debuting with an unsolved security flaw that could expose passwords, emails, and sensitive data. 

On TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Max Zeff, Anthony Ha and Sean O’Kane break down Atlas’s debut, the broader wave of alternative browsers, and more of the week’s startup and tech news. 

Listen to the full episode to hear about: 

• Why Rivian spinoff Also just landed a massive deal with Amazon for thousands of pedal-assist cargo vehicles (and why the name is a nightmare to say in conversation) 

• How Sesame, the conversational AI startup from Oculus founders, raised $250M for a product that doesn't really exist yet 

• The AWS outage that broke much of the web, turned Eight Sleep mattresses into temperature nightmares, and exposed just how fragile the internet really is 

• The alternative browsers that either embrace or push back against AI-everything, from privacy-focused options like DuckDuckGo and Brave to "mindful" browsers like Opera Air 

Subscribe to Equity on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. 

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