August 20, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Grok keeps sending gibberish responses to users: Affected users told TechCrunch they were using Grok Lite, and noticed the issues as early as Wednesday morning. Read More

Mark buys a castle: Mark Zuckerberg just bought a cozy abode somewhat close to Meta’s international headquarters in Ireland. Read More

A third of web pages published since ChatGPT's launch show signs of AI authorship, study finds: ChatGPT and other AI models are now authoring and editing much of the new web. Read More

Afternoon Must-Reads

Someone targeted security researchers using a fake crypto conference as a lure: A hacker pretending to work for a leading cryptocurrency news website targeted several cybersecurity professionals using Google Docs as a way to deliver malware. Read More

US says hackers are targeting vulnerable water systems with the help of AI: Hackers are targeting internet-connected Siemens controllers used in water facilities around the United States. Read More

Inertia Enterprises finds a way to make its fusion fuel fast: Fusion power startup Inertia Enterprises reduced the fuel filling process from a week to just a few hours. It's one of 10 hurdles the company must overcome to make a profitable power plant. Read More

OK, can we actually cool data centers with our pee?: Jason Kelce joked that people should cool data centers with their pee, rather than potable water -- but his suggestion is not completely ludicrous. Read More

Early Cerebras investor Adit Singh joins Mayfield as infrastructure partner: At Mayfield, Singh will focus on semiconductor, cybersecurity, and physical AI investments. Read More

Last but Not Least

The 2026 Startup Battlefield 200 is here — see who made the cut: We’re thrilled to unveil the 2026 Startup Battlefield 200, our annual handpicked list of the 200 most promising early-stage startups from around the world. Read More