Andreessen Horowitz is launching an ‘academy’ with no homework and partnerships with Palantir, Google, and Meta
Venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) is creating an "academy" positioned as a pipeline for young people to build or join a Silicon Valley startup. The "Horowitz Andreessen Academy" will launch with 10 partners, including Anduril, Anthropic, Coinbase, Google, Meta, NVIDIA, OpenAI, Palantir, Replit, and Stripe, along with $42 million in funding led by a16z.
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
Gemini 3.8 Live with Live Avatar gives Google’s AI a face
Google's new Gemini 3.8 Live update lets users have conversations with the model while watching an animated AI persona respond in real time. The "Live Avatar" will lip-sync and show different facial expressions during conversations, but it's currently only available to Gemini Enterprise customers. As noted by Google, Live Avatar can transition between the 97
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
Gemini can now call businesses for you so you don’t have to wait on hold
Google's launching an "early experiment" feature on Pixel 11 that lets users delegate local business calls to Gemini, like making a reservation, checking if a product is in stock, or rescheduling an appointment. According to Google, you don't even need to start the call to have Gemini handle it for you: Instead of dialing yourself,
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
Gemini 4 is almost ready, says new Google DeepMind chief
Google is reportedly nearing the launch of its long awaited Gemini 4 model, after dawdling behind rival developers on flagship AI releases. Speaking with The Information during his first media appearance as the leader of Google's DeepMind division, Koray Kavukcuoglu said that Gemini 4 is currently in its refinement stage, and that the company is
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
Anthropic’s biolab made a discovery it’s comparing to Crispr
Anthropic says its AI Claude has "autonomously discovered" a new enzyme system similar to machinery behind the powerful gene-editing tool Crispr. It's the first result from Anthropic's newly-launched wet lab and an early test of Claude's usefulness for science as the company prepares to go public. The company says Claude found the enzyme system after
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
Muse sure looks a lot like OpenClaw
We seem to be entering into an AI agent renaissance. Meta's new consumer-facing AI agent, Muse, topped the App Store charts soon after its release and has 600,000 daily active users in the US, by an Apptopia estimate. And AI agent platform Instinct, whose eponymous creator is fundraising at a $2.5 billion valuation, has been
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
OpenAI agents hacked an Australian government website in search for data
OpenAI's artificial intelligence agents hacked an Australian government website and attempted to breach numerous other government and university websites. The attack appears to be the first confirmed instance of a rogue AI agent breaching a government website, adding fuel to rapidly intensifying concerns about the safety of advanced AI systems and the responsibility of the
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
Anthropic launches Claude Opus 5.5 with stricter safeguards for cybersecurity
Anthropic says its new Claude Opus 5.5 model comes with stronger safeguards in the wake of recent rogue AI hacking incidents. In an announcement on Tuesday, Anthropic says Opus 5.5 comes with improvements to certain risky behaviors, including attempts to escape the company's testing sandbox. It's the first model released by Anthropic after CEO Dario
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.
OpenAI agent “didn’t accept no for an answer” in Australian government breach
"There will obviously be legal consequences," prime minister promises.
Why it matters: A product or market move worth tracking for its downstream effect on how people adopt AI.