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Instagram Launches ‘Your Algorithm’ Feature to Let Users Shape Reels Content

Instagram Launches ‘Your Algorithm’ Feature to Let Users Shape Reels Content

Instagram is rolling out a new tool called “Your Algorithm” that shows users a snapshot of their recent interests and lets them adjust what appears in their Reels feed. The feature, first available in the United States, lists topics generated by AI based on recent activity and provides sliders for users to request more or less of each subject. By exposing the algorithm’s logic and granting direct control, Instagram aims to deepen personalization and keep younger audiences engaged as it competes with TikTok. The move is part of a broader push by Meta to increase transparency and user choice across its platforms.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Appears on The Tonight Show Amid Tech Industry’s Charm Offensive

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Appears on The Tonight Show Amid Tech Industry’s Charm Offensive

OpenAI chief Sam Altman sat down with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show, using the platform to highlight how ChatGPT has become a personal assistant for new parents. The interview coincides with a broader push by Silicon Valley firms to shape public perception of artificial intelligence through extensive advertising and pop‑up campaigns. Companies such as Meta, TikTok, and others are deploying TV spots and digital ads that frame AI as a helpful, everyday tool, while also addressing regulatory pressures and growing public scrutiny of AI technologies.

Unconventional AI Secures $475 Million Seed Round at $4.5 B Valuation

Unconventional AI Secures $475 Million Seed Round at $4.5 B Valuation

Naveen Rao, former head of AI at Databricks, has closed a $475 million seed financing for his new venture Unconventional AI, valuing the company at $4.5 billion. The round was led by Andreessen Horowitz and Lightspeed Ventures, with Lux Capital and DCVC also participating. Rao’s aim is to build an energy‑efficient computer for artificial intelligence, a goal he describes as “as efficient as biology.” The funding represents the first installment toward a potential $1 billion total raise. Rao’s prior successes include MosaicML, acquired by Databricks for $1.3 billion, and Nervana Systems, acquired by Intel for more than $400 million.

EngineAI’s T800 Robot Kicks CEO in Viral Demonstration

EngineAI’s T800 Robot Kicks CEO in Viral Demonstration

EngineAI released a video showing its humanoid T800 robot delivering a hard kick to the midsection of CEO Zhao Tongyang. The footage was presented as a response to earlier accusations that a prior showcase of the robot’s punching and running abilities had been CGI. The new clip emphasizes the robot’s combat capabilities, including running, kicking and punching, and serves as promotion for an upcoming robot boxing match. Earlier robot fighting events in Hangzhou featured smaller bots, but the T800 appears to be a more advanced contender in the growing trend of combat-oriented humanoid robots.

Bipartisan Alliance Fuels State-Federal Clash Over AI Regulation

Bipartisan Alliance Fuels State-Federal Clash Over AI Regulation

A bipartisan nonprofit, the Alliance for Secure AI, is urging states to protect their AI laws from federal preemption. The group, co‑led by former Republican strategist Brendan Steinhauser, highlights growing public awareness of AI risks after high‑profile media coverage and the DeepSeek event. Texas recently passed a comprehensive AI law, prompting both Republican and Democratic lawmakers to unite in defending state‑level safeguards. Senator Ted Cruz and other GOP leaders have voiced support for a moratorium on advanced AI development, while industry groups push back, citing economic concerns. The debate underscores the tension between federal ambitions and state‑driven regulation.

Cashee Research Leverages AI to Transform Market Research

Cashee Research Leverages AI to Transform Market Research

Calgary‑based Cashee Research uses artificial intelligence to design and execute custom market‑research surveys, delivering fresh human data faster and at lower cost. The startup, founded by Addy Graves and Rose Wong, was selected for TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield in 2025 and won the Enterprise Stage pitch at TechCrunch Disrupt. By combining AI‑generated survey plans with real‑world respondents, Cashee provides brands—especially small and medium‑size firms—with actionable insights that were previously too expensive or slow to obtain. The company has raised C$1.5 million in pre‑seed funding and is preparing a seed round to expand its U.S. presence and B2B business.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Promotes AI as an Equalizing Force on The Tonight Show

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman Promotes AI as an Equalizing Force on The Tonight Show

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman appeared on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to discuss the rapid adoption of ChatGPT and the broader impact of artificial intelligence. He described AI as a tool that levels the playing field, noting that hundreds of millions of users rely on ChatGPT for everyday tasks. While emphasizing the benefits, Altman also warned about the speed of change and the need for safeguards, positioning AI as both a powerful opportunity and a responsibility for developers and society.

Big Tech Partners with Linux Foundation to Standardize AI Agents

Big Tech Partners with Linux Foundation to Standardize AI Agents

Major AI players including Anthropic, OpenAI and Block have joined forces with the Linux Foundation to launch the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF). The new nonprofit aims to establish common standards for AI agents, centering on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) – dubbed a “USB‑C port for AI.” By creating a shared framework, the coalition hopes to simplify integration of AI models with data sources, accelerate interoperability, and spur broader adoption of agentic AI across products and services.

Cursor CEO Michael Truell Says Company Will Skip IPO to Focus on Feature Development and Cost Management

Cursor CEO Michael Truell Says Company Will Skip IPO to Focus on Feature Development and Cost Management

At Fortune’s AI Brainstorm conference, Cursor co‑founder and CEO Michael Truell said the company has no near‑term IPO plans and is instead concentrating on expanding its product suite. He highlighted the rollout of home‑grown large language models, a shift to a usage‑based pricing model that passes API fees directly to customers, and new cost‑management tools for enterprises. Truell also outlined future priorities, including more complex agentic functions such as automated bug fixing and a deeper focus on serving whole development teams. He positioned these moves as a way to stay competitive amid growing AI coding‑assistant rivals.

Nearly One-Third of U.S. Teens Use AI Chatbots Daily, Pew Finds

Nearly One-Third of U.S. Teens Use AI Chatbots Daily, Pew Finds

A recent Pew Research survey reveals that close to one‑third of American teenagers use AI chatbots at least daily, with many engaging several times a week. OpenAI’s ChatGPT leads the market, followed by Google’s Gemini and Meta AI. While chatbot use is rising, it still trails the constant use of major social platforms like TikTok and YouTube. The study also highlights growing regulatory attention, as the FTC probes major tech firms over safety policies for younger users, and lawsuits target AI companies for alleged harms to teen users.

Linux Foundation Launches Agentic AI Foundation to Standardize Open‑Source AI Agents

Linux Foundation Launches Agentic AI Foundation to Standardize Open‑Source AI Agents

The Linux Foundation has created the Agentic AI Foundation (AAIF), a neutral hub for open‑source AI‑agent projects. Anthropic, Block and OpenAI are anchoring the effort with donations of key technologies: Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP), Block’s Goose agent framework, and OpenAI’s AGENTS.md instruction file. The group aims to prevent a fragmented landscape of proprietary AI agents by fostering interoperability, shared safety patterns, and industry‑wide standards. Major members such as AWS, Bloomberg, Cloudflare and Google have joined, signaling broad support for an open, mix‑and‑match approach to AI‑agent development.

OpenAI Appoints Slack CEO Denise Dresser as Chief Revenue Officer

OpenAI Appoints Slack CEO Denise Dresser as Chief Revenue Officer

OpenAI announced that Denise Dresser, the outgoing chief executive of Slack, will join the AI firm as its chief revenue officer. In her new role, Dresser will lead OpenAI's rapidly expanding enterprise unit and will report to chief operating officer Brad Lightcap. The move follows Dresser's 14‑year tenure at Salesforce, where she advanced through several senior sales positions before becoming Slack CEO in 2023. OpenAI executives highlighted her experience in scaling AI‑driven products for large businesses, signaling a push to make the technology more accessible across industries.