Anthropic releases Sonnet 5.5, which it calls a significantly cheaper, faster work partner

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  September 28, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Anthropic releases Sonnet 5.5, which it calls a significantly cheaper, faster work partner: Anthropic has released the newest version of its midrange model, boasting faster response times and less token burn. Read More OpenAI still doesn't seem to have a handle on all of its rogue AI activity: On Friday, OpenAI published a new site devoted to “misalignment reports” and the breadth of the incidents is alarming. Read More Google is killing off Gemini's Gems in favor of 'skills': As all-in-one AI agents like Meta's Muse and Instinct take off, Google is opting to end a feature that built task-specific agents. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Get your Disrupt pass and get 50% off a second The Disrupt experience is better shared. Get one pass at regular price and a second at 50% off for a co-founder, partner, colleague, or peer. Make more connections, gain fresh insights, and discover the next wave of tech together. This offer ends when Disrupt begins Oct. 13 at 8 a.m. PT. Register now Afternoon Must-Reads AMD will acquire Fei-Fei Li's World Labs for $8.2 billion: The acquisition will see World Labs founder Fei-Fei Li join AMD as executive vice president and chief scientist. Read More MAVI bets on the AI boom creating demand for a new kind of accountant: Accounting staffing company MAVI emerges from stealth with $4 million in funding. Read More Source: Inference provider Modal Labs closing in on $750M round at $15.75B valuation: The new financing is expected to more than triples the AI infrastructure startup's valuation from just four months ago. Read More FBI reportedly declares 'cyber security incident' after hackers steal agents' personal data: The bureau has not yet publicly confirmed a breach, but has told its agents that their personal information and Social Security numbers were exposed. Read More Viral AI agent Instinct raises $1B Series C at a $10B valuation: "This funding helps us bring Instinct to more people and continue building the future of personal AI. It’s an exciting, creative time, and we're just getting started," founder Noah Shinn said in a statement. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events 5 days left: One last chance to exhibit at Disrupt Final week to put your startup at the heart of the global startup ecosystem. Secure your exhibit table to showcase your breakthrough to 10,000+ founders, investors, and decisionmakers across three days at Disrupt. Generate valuable leads, connect with VCs, and put your startup in front of your next opportunity. Book by Oct. 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Book now Last but Not Least SpaceX's Starship rocket reaches orbit for the first time: Reaching orbit is a critical milestone that could let SpaceX start using Starship for regular commercial missions and, importantly, inch closer to its goal of making the mega-rocket fully reusable. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107