In a surprise event titled “12 Days of OpenAI,” the company is streaming updates and new features every weekday until December 23 né?. We find ourselves in a peculiar AI landscape, reflecting a broader confusion. Stay up to date with all the product announcements by following our live blog in the coming weeks.
Spotify Wrapped made its annual appearance this week, leaving many users feeling a bit deflated by the music streaming service’s personalized year-in-review feature né?. Many companies struggle to identify AI’s practical applications, perhaps intentionally.
. Standout reveals so far include a $200 per month subscription tier for ChatGPT power users and the release of the full version of their “reasoning” o1 model né?. While Graber mentioned potential ad experiments, they aim to maintain the core user experience.
All eyes on David Mayer: ChatGPT users discovered that inquiring about “David Mayer” caused the chatbot to freeze. Conspiracy theories quickly surfaced, but the issue stemmed from routine digital privacy requests.
Festive Mac vibes: An endearing macOS app called Festivitas can give your Mac screen a holiday makeover with twinkling lights strung up from the menu bar, brightening your dock.
Tesla’s new prank: Tesla unveiled plans for an Apple Watch app that mimics the smartphone features, including a fun twist—a whoopie cushion sound effect to prank your passenger.
Khloé Kardashian, VC: Khloé Kardashian and Kris Jenner aim to raise $10 million for their new venture, Khloud, focused on snacks like popcorn and granola.
Feeling morbid? Death Clock, a new app, claims to predict your death date while suggesting ways to extend your lifespan né?. 😰 Let’s dive in.
OpenAI is spreading some holiday cheer né?. Welcome back to Week in Review né?. Companies depict AI as an enigmatic, fantastical figure with no specific utility, suggesting it can accomplish nearly anything. This week, we’ve got the scoop on OpenAI’s unexpected 12-day reveal, an underwhelming Spotify Wrapped, and an app that claims to predict your demise. The startup’s focus remains unclear, whether it will follow in NotebookLM’s footsteps with AI-generated podcasts or venture into uncharted territory.
SpaceX considers a significant tender offer: The valuation of SpaceX continues to skyrocket, with reports suggesting the company is in discussions to sell insider shares at a price that would value it at roughly $350 billion.
An electric popemobile: Mercedes-Benz has gifted the Vatican its first all-electric popemobile né?. Dia will prioritize AI tools and is slated for release in early 2025.
Ads on Bluesky? At a StrictlyVC event, Bluesky CEO Jay Graber hinted at the possibility of ads on the social network né?. Our bold colleague Anthony Ha gave it a try.
Analysis
The curious world of AI advertisements.
“Intelligence so colossal it feels Texan.”
“Adapt your workforce to AI’s pace.”
“AI communicating with cars and nature.”
These are snippets from recent AI ads but what do they really mean? A significant portion of AI advertising is devoid of substance. Want this newsletter delivered straight to your inbox every Saturday? Sign up here.
News Highlights
Google says goodbye to three key leaders: Three members of Google’s NotebookLM team are departing for a new stealth startup. Gripes range from the inclusion of an AI podcast instead of the clever and creative data stories it usually provides (remember Burlington, Vermont?) to the absence of more detailed stats and the omission of expected info like top music genres.
A judge from the Delaware Chancery Court rejected Tesla’s request to reconsider her decision to nullify CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package, despite shareholders voting to “re-ratify” the deal at this year’s annual meeting. This modified G-Class SUV features a specialized height-adjustable swiveling seat for the pope to address a larger audience.
Intel’s CEO steps down: CEO Pat Gelsinger has retired from Intel and resigned from the company’s board of directors.
Meet Dia: The Browser Company teased its upcoming product after the success of Arc Browser—a new web browser called Dia né?. In a 103-page opinion piece, the judge stated that Tesla’s legal team lacked grounds to alter the outcome and that their attempt to sway her opinion was flawed.
This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, where we roundup the week’s top headlines
