Edition: May 28, 2026

Anthropic has raised $65 billion in funding at a $965 billion post-money valuation, marking its last private fundraising before a potential IPO. The AI startup plans to use the funds to advance safety and interpretability research and expand its products. This funding round positions Anthropic as a major competitor to OpenAI ahead of their respective IPOs.

Anthropic has raised $65 billion in Series H funding, valuing the company at $965 billion post-money, to advance its safety and interpretability research and expand its compute capacity to meet growing demand for its AI model Claude. The funding round was led by prominent investors including Altimeter Capital, Dragoneer, and Sequoia Capital. This investment is expected to further establish Anthropic as a leader in the AI industry.

Researchers have found that large language models (LLMs) can absorb and believe false statements even when explicitly labeled as false in their training data. This phenomenon, known as 'negation neglect', can lead to the spread of misinformation and has implications for AI training data quality. The discovery may help explain why LLMs often 'hallucinate' false information.

Amazon's AWS has launched a new generation of OpenSearch Serverless, a fully managed search and vector database designed for AI agents, which can instantly scale up and down to handle machine-generated traffic. This move reflects a growing realization that infrastructure designed for humans doesn't work well in a world increasingly populated by agents. The launch is part of a broader shift in the cloud industry to adapt to the rising tide of machine-generated traffic.

The Shanghai Futures Exchange is designing a derivatives market for AI tokens, while major exchanges like CME Group and Intercontinental Exchange are working on launching futures contracts for renting GPUs, marking a significant development in AI infrastructure. This move aims to provide a way for businesses and investors to hedge against the cost of compute. The effort is part of a larger buildout of AI infrastructure, with hundreds of billions invested in data centers and cloud services.

Researchers have discovered a new, potentially more environmentally friendly and cost-effective method for extracting lithium, a crucial metal used in electric vehicle batteries and energy storage. The technique uses a weak acid to dissolve silicate minerals, freeing lithium and other useful materials. A startup called Rock Zero is working to commercialize the process.

Anthropic has released Opus 4.8, the latest version of its advanced model, featuring improved handling of uncertain data and a new 'dynamic workflow' tool. The release comes just 41 days after the previous version, Opus 4.7, and is available at the same price. The company also hinted at the upcoming release of its most advanced Mythos model.

Anthropic's new Claude Opus 4.8 model is designed to be more 'honest' by flagging uncertainties and avoiding unsupported claims. The company claims that early testers have found the model to be around 4x less likely to make such claims compared to its predecessors. This update aims to address the issue of AI models presenting confident but unfounded conclusions.

The AI-generated film 'Dreams of Violets' will premiere at the Tribeca Festival, marking a milestone in AI-created content. The 75-minute film, made for $2,000, is a dramatization of the Iranian government's mass killing of protestors. It was created using journalistic reports, photographs, and eyewitness accounts.

Sesame, a conversational AI startup co-founded by Oculus's founders, has launched its iOS app, offering a new chatbot experience with four distinct AI agents and advanced features. The app aims to provide more human-like conversations, allowing the AI to think and respond naturally. Sesame plans to expand its AI capabilities, including intelligent eyewear and agents that can take action on users' behalf.

Google I/O 2026 unveiled several major developments, including the debut of Gemini Omni, a model that can create anything from any input, and updates to Search, such as the introduction of information agents and Antigravity-powered experiences. These innovations aim to enhance user experience and provide more personalized and interactive search results. The updates are set to roll out to various Google platforms and subscribers in the coming months.

Waymo has introduced its new autonomous vehicle, the Ojai, a Chinese-made robotaxi that will start picking up members of the public in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Phoenix. The Ojai is a modified version of a mobility platform made by Geely's sub-brand Zeekr and features Waymo's newest hardware and software system. Rides in the new vehicles will be free for now.

Apple is set to unveil a new Siri app that rivals ChatGPT and other AI chatbots, with leaked renders showing a revamped interface and AI-powered search capabilities. The new app will allow users to upload documents and photos, and will be integrated with the iPhone's Dynamic Island. Apple's approach to AI involves partnering with outside companies while building its own local AI models.

The concept of Recursive Self-Improvement (RSI) is gaining traction in AI circles, with multiple startups and researchers aiming to create AI systems that can continuously upgrade themselves. RSI has the potential to lead to a significant acceleration in AI development, but experts caution that the industry is not yet close to achieving true recursive systems. Several prominent researchers, including Richard Socher and Alex Karpathy, are working towards making RSI a reality.

Databricks' co-founder Arsalan Tavakoli-Shiraji will discuss the shift in enterprise AI adoption at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, highlighting that companies are no longer evaluating AI based on excitement, but on operational stability and safety. The market is maturing, with buyers prioritizing factors like implementation risk, governance complexity, and workflow disruption. AI startups that reduce uncertainty and integrate cleanly into existing systems are gaining traction, the session will explore what drives adoption after the pilot phase.

CNN has filed a lawsuit against Perplexity, alleging that the startup's AI tools generate verbatim copies of its content without permission or compensation. The lawsuit claims Perplexity ignores CNN's efforts to block its crawlers from scraping content. The case raises concerns over AI copyright infringement.

Visa has invested in AI coding platform Replit to integrate payment products and enable agentic payments for developers. The partnership aims to allow developers to accept payments directly from customers without leaving the platform. This move reflects a broader trend towards establishing infrastructure for AI-powered transactions.

General Compute, a new inference neocloud, has raised $15 million in a seed round to rent out AI processing power, leveraging specialized chips from SambaNova to overcome the current limitations of GPUs in running AI models. The company's approach may illuminate the future direction of the AI ecosystem. With its new chips, General Compute claims to outperform GPUs and other specialized chips, generating 600 to 700 tokens per second.

New mothers in the tech industry are facing challenges as they return to work, with AI drastically changing the coding jobs they once knew, requiring them to adapt to new tools and workflows. The shift to AI-powered coding has been rapid, with many companies expecting AI to write most of their code in the near future. This change is particularly difficult for new mothers who took time off during the transition and now struggle to catch up.

Amazon has achieved a major breakthrough in networking design, significantly increasing data speeds while reducing energy use in its data centers. The new technology, called resilient network graphs, combines elements of traditional and random architectures. This innovation could give Amazon an edge in the cloud computing market.

Several climate tech companies, including Solv Energy, X-energy, and Fervo Energy, have gone public via IPO in the US this year, raising billions of dollars to support their clean energy projects. These companies are working on innovative solutions such as enhanced geothermal energy and small modular nuclear reactors to provide reliable clean power. Their successful IPOs indicate a growing interest in climate tech and clean energy solutions.

YouTube is introducing a new AI-powered feature that allows users to create personalized video feeds based on their interests, moods, or favorite topics. The feature, currently available to US users, can be accessed through the 'Your custom feed' tab on the YouTube homepage. Users can enter a prompt to generate a custom feed, which can be pinned to the top of their homepage for easy access.

The Illinois House of Representatives has passed a bill requiring AI labs to undergo third-party safety audits, which would be the nation's strongest check on AI companies if signed into law. The bill, SB 315, now awaits Governor JB Pritzker's signature, who has expressed plans to sign it. This move is part of a growing trend of state lawmakers stepping up to regulate AI safety in the absence of federal legislation.

Anthropic has released Claude Opus 4.8, an upgraded version of its AI model with improved capabilities and new features, including dynamic workflows and faster processing speeds. The new model has shown significant improvements in coding, agentic skills, reasoning, and practical knowledge work tasks. It is available now at the same price as its predecessor.

Asana has acquired Stack AI, a no-code agent-builder, to enhance its AI-native workplace platform and expand its workflow automation capabilities. The acquisition is part of Asana's broader AI pivot, aiming to transform its platform into an operating system for human-agent teams. This move is expected to accelerate Asana's roadmap and drive growth in the AI era.

Rivian's chief software officer, Wassym Bensaid, believes that traditional car features like buttons and CarPlay are unnecessary, and is instead focusing on developing a more integrated and AI-driven software platform for the company's vehicles. This approach will be showcased in the upcoming Rivian R2 model. Bensaid's vision is to create a more agentic software platform in Rivian's cars, starting with the AI-powered Rivian Assistant.

Climate tech companies such as Solv Energy, X-energy, and Fervo Energy have gone public with significant valuations, and a new AI Hype Index has been released to separate reality from fiction in the AI industry. Meanwhile, Illinois has passed a major AI safety law that requires third-party safety audits. A Google engineer has also been charged with insider trading related to search predictions.

Microsoft 365 Copilot has been revamped with a cleaner design and a speed boost, loading twice as fast as before. The update also introduces 'progressive disclosure', presenting tools and controls based on user prompts. The redesign is rolling out across desktop and mobile devices.

YouTube is introducing new features to enhance the podcast listening experience, including an 'on-the-go mode' and auto speed feature, available to Premium subscribers on Android and coming soon to iOS. These updates aim to make YouTube a more viable option for podcast enthusiasts. The features are designed to provide a more audio-centric experience.

Elon Musk has downplayed the length of SpaceX's lease with Anthropic, contradicting the company's recent S-1 filing which suggests a three-year agreement. The discrepancy has raised questions about the accuracy of the information, with Musk stating it's a 180-day lease with a 90-day notice for mutual cancellation. The confusion may be seen as a material misrepresentation during a company's quiet period.

Leaked renders of iOS 27 suggest a major redesign for Siri, featuring a new chat interface and integration with ChatGPT. The updated Siri is expected to be unveiled at WWDC in June. The redesign may include a pill-shaped chat bubble and drop-down menu with various options.

YouTube has introduced new podcast features for Premium users, including an AI-powered recommendation tool and 'Auto speed' setting to enhance listening efficiency. The update aims to compete with other platforms for podcast audiences and target users who consume podcasts on audio-first apps. The features are now available on Android and will be rolled out to iOS in the coming months.

Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt was booed by University of Arizona graduates when he discussed the importance of shaping AI, reflecting growing skepticism among young people about the technology's impact on jobs and the future. This reaction is part of a larger trend of graduates expressing discontent with AI-focused commencement speeches. Despite this, AI companies like OpenAI continue to make advancements and gain support from unexpected sources.

Vertu has unveiled the Alphafold, a luxury AI-powered foldable phone starting at $6,880, targeting executives who manage business operations on the move. The device features an AI agent that connects with enterprise software and coordinates workflows, with a focus on privacy and security. The Alphafold is part of Vertu's attempt to reinvent itself in the AI era.

Google's AI has been found to struggle with basic spelling tasks, such as counting the number of letters in a word, due to its token-based architecture. This limitation has led to amusing errors, including miscounting the number of Ps in the word Google. The issue highlights the importance of double-checking AI outputs for accuracy.

StrictlyVC is hosting an intimate evening in Los Angeles, bringing together leading investors and entrepreneurs to discuss venture capital and frontier technology. The event will feature speakers such as Ethan Thornton and Delian Asparouhov, who will share insights on defense technology and physical AI. The evening aims to spark meaningful connections and provide access to ideas and leaders shaping the future of technology and capital.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is offering early bird ticket savings of up to $410 until May 29, with discounts on individual and group passes. The event, taking place from October 13-15, promises actionable insights, direct access to investors, and connections that drive real impact. Attendees can expect to network with 10,000+ founders, operators, and VCs, and gain early visibility into breakthrough innovations.