TechCrunch Daily Crunch

Plus - US charges admins of Garantex for allegedly facilitating crypto money laundering for terrorists and hackers; Russian propaganda is reportedly influencing AI chatbot results Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plus - Spotify says it’s fixing the bug that caused Premium users to hear ads; Reddit adds new tools to help users contribute and connect across its platform Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Plus - Prime Video tests AI dubbing for select movies and TV series; Apple adds AI-powered app review summaries with iOS 18.4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Explore the intriguing limitations of Gemini, Google's AI chatbot, as it navigates political discussions with a cautious approach. Unlike others, it skips addressing political questions entirely, making it stand out in the AI realm. Additionally, there's buzz about Amazon developing its own AI reasoning model and OpenAI's commitment to innovation with a $50M grant program to support academic research.

Plus - Google upgrades Colab with an AI agent tool; Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian joins Frank McCourt’s TikTok bid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tesla is looking to launch a robo-taxi service in California but faces regulatory hurdles. Mozilla assures users that Firefox’s data practices remain unchanged amid privacy concerns. Meanwhile, Microsoft is shutting down Skype, urging users to switch to Teams for communication. The podcast delves into the implications of this transition and the broader tech landscape, highlighting significant changes within startups and investments.

TikTok is making big moves by revamping its desktop platform, introducing a new navigation bar and a collections feature to enhance user engagement. The focus is on competing with giants like YouTube and Twitch in streaming. Additionally, a tech startup is helping businesses integrate AI into their operations, while Snowflake significantly invests in its startup accelerator. The discussion wraps up with insights into practical financial management from a personal finance perspective.

Amazon reveals the upgraded Alexa Plus, featuring new generative AI capabilities. The discussion also covers Google's improved privacy tool, making it simpler to delete personal information from search results. Plus, the podcast examines the booming world of podcasting, with YouTube reporting over 1 billion monthly viewers, bringing up its competitive edge against Spotify's video initiatives.

DeepSeek has reopened its API after a brief hiatus, providing developers with much-needed access. In significant industry news, DoorDash will pay nearly $17 million to delivery workers for mishandling tips. Listeners also learn about Sam Bankman-Fried's lackluster first message from prison. Additionally, Toma Bravo’s new European fund focuses on boosting mid-sized software firms, while Sonar Mental Health introduces Sonny, an AI chatbot designed to support students’ mental well-being.

TikTok has made headlines as the first app to hit $6 billion in annual consumer spending, while its counterpart Douyin also contributes to this milestone. The podcast dives into the competitive landscape of app revenue and discusses intriguing partnerships like SoundCloud joining forces with TicketMaster. Additionally, a New York startup is innovating with an AI-driven patent analytics tool, aiming to streamline patent workflows. The importance of financial literacy and participation in startup competitions is also highlighted.