/AI
Lutnick’s Anthropic crackdown claims new power over AI models
The U.S. government has used export control laws to restrict foreign access to Anthropic’s advanced AI models, sparking debate over national security and industry oversight.
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/AI
Copilot Cowork is now generally available
Microsoft announces the global general availability of Copilot Cowork, an agentic AI that can execute complex, long‑running tasks end‑to‑end across Microsoft 365.
/Technology
SpaceX Starfall Demo Flies Tuesday: Disk Capsule Bets on Orbital Manufacturing Scale
SpaceX is preparing to fly its first Starfall prototype on June 23, a disk‑shaped reentry capsule that could upend the economics of orbital manufacturing.
/AI
The Atlantic created a searchable database of the music used to train AI
The Atlantic has opened up a massive catalog of music tracks that were used to train AI models, making it easier for researchers to audit and understand the data behind generative music tools.
/AI
OpenAI Unveils GPT‑4o 4‑Way Multimodal Model
OpenAI announced a new multimodal model that can handle text, images, audio, and video in a single framework, expanding the reach of generative AI into creative media and enterprise workflows.
/Infrastructure
Microsoft Announces Azure Quantum Expansion in the US
Microsoft’s Azure Quantum platform will add 50 new quantum nodes across the United States, positioning it as the largest public quantum cloud provider. The rollout is part of a broader push into quantum infrastructure.
/AI
Agentic marketing AI startup Gradial grabs $65M in fresh funding
Seattle‑based Gradial raised $65 million in a Series C round to accelerate its agentic AI operating system for marketing, positioning itself as the AI glue that unifies disparate tools across organizations.
/AI
OpenAI is bringing on some big guns in the lead-up to its IPO
OpenAI has hired AI legend Noam Shazeer and former White House AI policy official Dean Ball ahead of its public debut, signaling a focus on talent and governance.
/AI
Co‑lead of Gemini joins OpenAI
Noam Shazeer, a former Google Gemini co‑lead, has returned to OpenAI to spearhead the next generation of LLMs.
/AI
Collecting robot training data is dirty, unglamorous work. Some AI labs are already paying XDOF to do it.
XDOF, a stealth startup, is building a data ecosystem for robotics, raising $70 million to help AI labs acquire the physical interaction data needed for robot training.
/AI
Venture Capital & Startup Funding Roundup, June 17, 2026
A snapshot of the week’s most significant AI‑focused funding deals, highlighting the rise of infrastructure layers that power large‑model AI.
/Technology
Google launches Wear OS 7 with Live Updates and a battery life boost
Google’s Wear OS 7 update rolls out today for the Pixel Watch 2, 3, and 4, adding Live Updates that sync sports scores and other live events, a 10 % battery life boost, and early Gemini Intelligence features.
/AI
Star Google Researcher Joins OpenAI in Coup for ChatGPT Creator
One of Google’s most prominent AI researchers, Noam Shazeer, has left Alphabet to join OpenAI, marking a significant win in the race to build the most powerful language models.
/Business
General Intuition in talks to raise $300M at around $2B valuation
New York‑based AI startup General Intuition is negotiating a $300 million round to fund its world‑model platform, attracting high‑profile investors including Jeff Bezos and Eric Schmidt.
/Technology
SpaceX Starship destroyed in test stand explosion
A SpaceX Starship upper stage, Ship 36, blew up during a static‑fire test on June 19, 2026, halting the company’s next flight.
/Technology
Microsoft says new quantum chip 1,000 times more reliable than predecessor
Microsoft unveiled its Majorana 2 quantum chip, claiming a 1,000‑fold increase in qubit reliability, bringing the company closer to a commercial‑grade quantum computer.
/Web3
Chainlink Introduces Decentralized Oracle Network for DeFi Insurance
Chainlink launched a new decentralized oracle network specifically for the DeFi insurance sector, aiming to reduce counterparty risk.
/AI
AI coding agents can autonomously direct robot training
Nvidia’s GEAR lab unveiled a new harness that lets AI coding agents teach robots to install GPUs and cut zip ties, achieving a 99% success rate on complex manipulation tasks.
/AI
World model maker Odyssey nabs $1.45B valuation backed by Amazon and other big names
Odyssey, a world model AI startup, raised a $310 million Series B round at a $1.45 billion valuation led by Natural Capital, with Amazon, AMD Ventures, GV and others participating.
/Technology
Android 17 arrives on Pixel phones today
Google rolled out Android 17 to Pixel devices, adding floating bubbles, screen reactions, new gaming controls and Gemini-powered features.