From Altara securing funding to bridge data gaps in physical sciences using AI, to OpenAI's president being compelled to read personal diary entries in a lawsuit, the AI landscape is dynamic with Apple planning a 'Choose Your Own Adventure' of AI models for iOS 27 and Character.AI facing lawsuits over chatbots posing as doctors. This topic highlights major AI advancements like OpenAI's GPT-5.5 Instant, Google Home's upgraded Gemini assistant, Meta's AI for age verification, PayPal's AI-led turnaround, and investments in voice AI like ElevenLabs, alongside Nvidia's CEO emphasizing AI's job-creation potential.

• Altara secures $7M to bridge the data gap that’s slowing down physical sciences — TechCrunch -
• OpenAI president forced to read his personal diary entries to jury — Ars Technica -
• Silicon Valley bets $200M on AI data centers floating in the ocean — Ars Technica -

• Character.AI sued over chatbot that claims to be a real doctor with a license — Ars Technica -
• Apple plans to make iOS 27 a Choose Your Own Adventure of AI models — TechCrunch -
• Pennsylvania sues Character.AI after a chatbot allegedly posed as a doctor — TechCrunch -
• Google Home gets upgraded Gemini voice assistant and new camera controls — Ars Technica -
• OpenAI releases GPT-5.5 Instant, a new default model for ChatGPT — TechCrunch -
• PayPal says it’s ‘becoming a technology company again’ — that means AI — TechCrunch -
• Etsy launches its app within ChatGPT as it continues its AI push — TechCrunch -
• Meta will use AI to analyze height and bone structure to identify if users are underage — TechCrunch -
• ElevenLabs lists BlackRock, Jamie Foxx, and Eva Longoria as new investors — TechCrunch -
• CopilotKit raises $27M to help devs deploy app-native AI agents — TechCrunch -
• India’s first GenAI unicorn shifts to cloud services as AI model ambitions face reality — TechCrunch -
• As workers worry about AI, Nvidia’s Jensen Huang says AI is ‘creating an enormous number of jobs’ — TechCrunch -

The EV sector sees Lucid Motors uncertain about its annual production targets amid inventory challenges, while Volkswagen displaces Amazon to become Rivian's top shareholder through a significant joint venture. **Ford is innovating with a $30,000 electric pickup design, and Elon Musk's Full Self-Driving (FSD) system faces scrutiny in Europe** despite Dutch approval, indicating ongoing market shifts and regulatory hurdles.

• Lucid Motors doesn’t know how many EVs it will build this year — TechCrunch -
• Volkswagen becomes Rivian’s top shareholder, displacing Amazon — TechCrunch -
• How do you design a $30,000 electric pickup? Inside Ford's skunkworks. — Ars Technica -

• Musk's Europe gamble: Will others follow the Dutch and approve FSD? — Ars Technica -

A significant supply-chain attack backdoored the widely used Daemon Tools disk app, with Kaspersky identifying Chinese hackers as suspects in the widespread compromise. Further, student data was stolen in a breach at education tech giant Instructure, and the DHS is under fire for allegedly abusing customs law to obtain data on a Canadian critic from Google.

• Widely used Daemon Tools disk app backdoored in monthlong supply-chain attack — Ars Technica -
• Kaspersky suspects Chinese hackers planted a backdoor into Daemon Tools in ‘widespread’ attack — TechCrunch -
• Hackers steal students’ data during breach at education tech giant Instructure — TechCrunch -

• DHS abuses 1930s customs law in attempt to get data on Canadian from Google — Ars Technica -

The **crypto sector sees a16z crypto raising a substantial $2.2 billion fund despite a market cooldown, while ASML's CEO confidently asserts his company's monopoly in chip manufacturing. Coinbase announces a 14% staff layoff as part of a restructuring effort to address market volatility, and Airbnb's co-founder takes on a new role** as the first US chief brand architect.

• As crypto cools, a16z crypto raises a $2.2B fund — TechCrunch -
• ASML CEO Christophe Fouquet on his company’s monopoly: no one is coming for us — TechCrunch -
• Airbnb co-founder taps Peter Arnell as first US chief brand architect — TechCrunch -

• Coinbase to lay off 14% of staff as part of broader restructuring — TechCrunch -

Bumble faces slipping paying user numbers and is betting on a major platform overhaul to redesign user interaction, while Threads finally expands its functionality by bringing messaging to the web. Meanwhile, Reddit is aggressively pushing its mobile app, blocking direct access for users trying to visit its mobile website.

• Bumble’s paying users are slipping as it bets on an overhaul later this year — TechCrunch -
• Threads finally brings messaging to the web — TechCrunch -
• Why Reddit blocked my daily visit to its mobile website — Ars Technica -

Amazon is investing in Nobel Prize-based dehumidification technology to significantly reduce energy consumption in its commercial buildings, demonstrating a commitment to efficiency. **Moment Energy secured $40 million to repurpose EV batteries for stationary power solutions, and geothermal startup Fervo Energy is preparing for an IPO** that could raise up to $1.3 billion.

• Amazon bets Nobel Prize-based dehumidification can cut its energy use — TechCrunch -
• Moment Energy raises $40M to meet ‘infinite demand for power’ with EV batteries — TechCrunch -
• Geothermal startup Fervo Energy to raise up to $1.3B in IPO — TechCrunch -

RFK Jr. is drawing criticism for his false comparisons of antidepressants to heroin and plans to curb their use, highlighting public health policy debates. Additionally, the **Trump SEC allowed Elon Musk to settle a $150 million Twitter lawsuit for a mere $1.5 million**, raising questions about regulatory enforcement in tech.

• RFK Jr. plans to curb antidepressants, which he falsely compares to heroin — Ars Technica -
• Trump SEC lets Musk settle $150 million Twitter lawsuit for $1.5 million — Ars Technica -