Tuesday, April 8, 2025

Welcome to TechCrunch AM! This morning, we're looking at ex-OpenAI folks banding together, the impact of Trump's tariffs, and how one X post sent the stock markets into chaos. We've also got notes on: organic batteries, the ghost kitchen revival, Amazon's latest video model, laptop repair culture in India, and more. Let's dive in! — Rebecca

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Getty Images

1. The OpenAI mafia: Ex-OpenAI CTO Mira Murati's new AI venture, Thinking Machines Lab, has gained two new advisers who also defected from OpenAI – former chief research officer Bob McGrew, and former researcher Alec Radford. Read More

2. Spelling out the fallout: Flexport's CEO Ryan Peterson sat down with TC's editor-in-chief Connie Loizos at a StrictlyVC event in SF to discuss the effects Trump's tariffs will have on his business and that of his customers. "For a lot of our customers, [the tariffs] will be existential, kind of life-and-death decisions," he said. Read More

3. The power of misinformation: A popular news account on X that goes by "Walter Bloomberg" yesterday accidentally posted an incorrect headline that said Trump was considering a 90-day pause on his tariffs. Soon after, all hell broke loose on the markets. Read More

Morning Must-Reads

Image Credits: XL Batteries

🔋 I only buy organic: XL Batteries thinks its new take on chemistry has helped it crack the promising, yet elusive, organic battery – the holy grail of batteries that relies on the world's most abundant chemicals. Read More

🧑‍🍳 Another ghost kitchen attempt: Chicago-based Sizl is focusing on fresh ingredients and culinary talent to try and change the perception that ghost kitchens deliver poorly made food. It just raised $3.5 million at a $12 million valuation. Read More

🚚 Twist: Nikola founder Trevor Milton is trying to buy the assets of his former company out of bankruptcy. His bid was met with frosty reception, and came after Trump pardoned Milton for securities fraud. Read More

🤑 My life as a Google employee: Some Google DeepMind employees in the U.K. are reportedly getting paid to do nothing for a year rather than work for the company's rivals. DeepMind is also using "aggressive" non-compete agreements for AI staff in the U.K. to bar them from working for competitors for up to a year. Read More

😣 No room for discourse: Microsoft has reportedly fired two software engineers who protested against the company's dealings with the Israeli military during the company's 50th anniversary event last week. Read More

📽️ Lights. Camera. Slop! Amazon has upgraded Novak Reel, its AI video model, with the ability to generate videos up to 2 minutes long. You can apparently have these videos generated to have multiple shots while keeping the style consistent. Read More

Around the Web

😃 Almost like magic: A woman has regained the ability to speak after suffering a stroke years ago thanks to a neuroprosthesis device that can translate thoughts into speech in real time, 404Media reports. Read More

🤖 Botting up: Hyundai plans to purchase "tens of thousands" of Boston Dynamics robots in the coming years, per The Robot Report. As part of the deal, Hyundai will also help Boston Dynamics grow by integrating its manufacturing capabilities. Read More

🧟 Laptops of Theseus: The Verge has an interesting report about how India's repair culture, coupled with companies pushing planned obsolescence, has created a rise in "Frankenstein" laptops — hybrid, functional, low-cost devices that have been resurrected by stitching laptop parts together. Read More

Before You Go

Image Credits: Jens Büttner/picture alliance / Getty Images

🤳 HODL: As states and countries explore banning social media for kids, Meta is trying to keep that audience by introducing Teen Accounts to Facebook and Messenger. These accounts will automatically enroll young users into an app experience with built-in protections. Read More