News — 2026-05-20

Showing 26 articles Show all news

Federal Jury Dismisses Elon Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over Statute of Limitations

Federal Jury Dismisses Elon Musk's Lawsuit Against OpenAI Over Statute of Limitations TechRadar
A California federal jury ruled on Monday that Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI was barred by the statute of limitations, effectively ending the high‑profile case. The jury found Musk waited too long to file the suit, and Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers adopted the recommendation without addressing the merits of his claims that OpenAI abandoned its nonprofit mission. The decision closes a legal battle that has pitted the billionaire entrepreneur against the AI firm he helped create, leaving Musk to consider an appeal while OpenAI continues its rapid growth. Read more

NanoCo Secures $12 Million Seed Round After Viral Rise, Turns Down $20 Million Buyout

NanoCo Secures $12 Million Seed Round After Viral Rise, Turns Down $20 Million Buyout TechCrunch
NanoCo, the startup behind the security‑focused AI agent platform NanoClaw, closed an oversubscribed $12 million seed round led by Valley Capital Partners. The funding round attracted investors such as Docker, Vercel, Monday.com, Slow Ventures and Hugging Face CEO Clem Delangue. Within weeks of its open‑source launch, the Cohen brothers declined two acquisition offers—including one worth roughly $20 million—and began signing enterprise customers like Amazon and Google. Read more

OpenAI Eyes IPO as Early as September, Sources Say

OpenAI Eyes IPO as Early as September, Sources Say Engadget
OpenAI is reportedly preparing to file for an initial public offering as soon as September, according to insiders cited by The New York Times. The company has been consulting Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley while monitoring market conditions. A spokesperson said the firm routinely evaluates strategic options, but offered no timeline. Valued at roughly $730 billion, OpenAI would join rivals SpaceX and Anthropic, which are also pursuing public listings. The move follows a recent court victory that dismissed Elon Musk’s lawsuit against the for‑profit arm of the AI firm. Read more

Google rolls out Gemini‑powered AI ads for Search

Google rolls out Gemini‑powered AI ads for Search Engadget
Google announced a suite of AI-driven ad formats at its I/O conference, introducing Gemini‑powered conversational ads, AI‑enhanced shopping ads, and smart brand agents that will appear in both AI Mode and standard Search. The new formats promise to answer user queries directly, showcase high‑ticket items with custom explanations, and let advertisers embed chat‑based lead generators, all labeled as sponsored content. Read more

OpenAI Poised for September IPO After Musk Lawsuit Defeat

OpenAI Poised for September IPO After Musk Lawsuit Defeat TechCrunch
OpenAI is gearing up for an initial public offering as early as September, sources told the Wall Street Journal. The AI firm moves forward after Elon Musk’s lawsuit— which threatened the company’s structure, leadership and finances—was dismissed. Chief executive Sam Altman is reportedly working with Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to file a confidential registration statement within days or weeks. The filing comes amid expectations that SpaceX, now a rival after acquiring xAI, will soon submit its own IPO paperwork, setting up a high‑stakes showdown on Wall Street. Read more

Google to Launch AI‑Powered Search Agents This Summer

Google to Launch AI‑Powered Search Agents This Summer Ars Technica2
Google announced that its next‑generation Gemini 3.5 Flash model will power AI‑driven search agents, letting users create mini‑apps for tasks like itinerary planning directly from the search bar. The feature, slated for a summer rollout, will let users customize, share, and revisit generated dashboards, signaling a shift away from traditional blue‑link results toward more interactive, AI‑generated experiences. Read more

Google Unveils Gemini Omni, Multimodal AI Tool for Realistic Video Creation

Google Unveils Gemini Omni, Multimodal AI Tool for Realistic Video Creation CNET
Google announced Gemini Omni at its I/O conference, billing it as a multimodal AI system that can generate lifelike videos from text, images or existing footage. Built on the Gemini architecture, the service offers advanced editing capabilities, automatic SynthID watermarks and tiered access through the Gemini app, Google Flow, YouTube Shorts and soon via APIs for developers. Omni launches in a Flash version for paid subscribers, with a more powerful Pro model slated for later release. Read more

Google launches Gemini Omni AI tool for graphics and video creation at I/O

Google launches Gemini Omni AI tool for graphics and video creation at I/O CNET
Google unveiled Gemini Omni, a new AI-powered content‑generation platform, during its I/O developer conference in Mountain View, California. The service can turn text prompts into videos and graphics, with a flash version already letting users edit clips in the Gemini app, Google Flow and YouTube Shorts. Google also announced a Content Credentials system to label AI‑generated media and a SynthID detector to verify authenticity. The rollout arrives amid growing public concern about the prevalence of AI‑created content on social media. Read more

Google launches Gemini Omni, AI model that creates and edits video from any input

Google launches Gemini Omni, AI model that creates and edits video from any input Engadget
Google unveiled Gemini Omni at its I/O conference, a new multimodal model that can generate high‑quality video from text, images, audio or existing footage. The first version, Gemini Omni Flash, is now available in the Gemini app, Google Flow and YouTube Shorts for subscribers of Google AI Plus, Pro and Ultra. The system lets users edit video through conversational prompts, add characters, change settings and even produce a digital avatar that mimics the user's voice, all while embedding an imperceptible SynthID watermark to verify authenticity. Read more

Google launches Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI agent for Workspace

Google launches Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI agent for Workspace Engadget
Google unveiled Gemini Spark, a continuously active AI assistant built on Gemini 3.5, at its I/O developer conference. Integrated with Gmail, Docs, Slides and other partner apps, Spark can automate tasks such as summarizing email threads, generating reports, and spotting hidden fees. The feature rolls out to testers this week before reaching the Gemini Ultra beta in the United States next week, with optional opt‑in controls and safeguards for high‑stakes actions. Read more

Google rolls out Gemini Spark to Ultra users and swaps Veo for new Omni video model

Google rolls out Gemini Spark to Ultra users and swaps Veo for new Omni video model Ars Technica2
Google announced the next phase of its Gemini AI suite, extending the Gemini Spark agent platform to AI Ultra subscribers and introducing Gemini Omni Flash, a video‑generation model that will replace Veo across its products. The moves come as the company fine‑tunes pricing for its Ultra tiers and showcases internal use cases that highlight Spark’s productivity boost. Read more

Google rolls out CodeMender AI tool to bolster code security amid Anthropic competition

Google rolls out CodeMender AI tool to bolster code security amid Anthropic competition The Verge
At its I/O conference on May 19, 2026, Google announced that its CodeMender AI agent for code security is moving beyond internal testing and will be offered to external developers and enterprises. The move comes as Anthropic’s Claude Mythos model sparked a wave of interest in AI‑driven security solutions. Google’s DeepMind CTO Koray Kavukcuoglu described CodeMender as a way to “help secure the world’s code bases,” while CEO Sundar Pichai said the company is ready to match the capabilities demonstrated by Anthropic’s latest offering. Read more

Google unveils Android XR smart glasses from Warby Parker, Gentle Monster and Xreal at I/O

Google unveils Android XR smart glasses from Warby Parker, Gentle Monster and Xreal at I/O WIRED
At Google I/O, the company showcased its first Android XR smart glasses, co‑developed with Samsung and slated for release this fall. The lineup includes audio‑only frames from Warby Parker and Gentle Monster, display‑equipped models that will follow, and Xreal's Project Aura, a mixed‑reality headset with a full Android interface. All devices feature built‑in cameras, Gemini voice assistance and lightweight optics designed to shrink the bulk of earlier AR gear. Read more

OpenAI adopts new metadata and watermark system to flag AI‑generated images

OpenAI adopts new metadata and watermark system to flag AI‑generated images TechCrunch
OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it will embed a clear provenance signal in the metadata of every image it creates and will partner with Google to add an invisible SynthID watermark. The two layers—C2PA metadata and SynthID—are designed to make it easier for users and platforms to verify whether a picture was produced by an AI model. A public verification tool will let anyone check for both signals, though the measures currently apply only to images generated by OpenAI’s own products. Read more

Google unveils Gemini Omni, multimodal AI that creates videos from text, images and audio

Google unveils Gemini Omni, multimodal AI that creates videos from text, images and audio TechCrunch
At its I/O conference, Google announced Gemini Omni, a new family of multimodal models that can generate video, edit photos and create digital avatars from a mix of text, images, audio and video. The first offering, Gemini Omni Flash, produces 10‑second clips and will appear in the Gemini app, YouTube Shorts and the AI Creative Studio Flow. Google says the technology reasons across inputs to deliver realistic, physics‑aware content while embedding a SynthID watermark to combat deepfakes. An API for enterprise users and a higher‑performance Omni Pro model are slated for later release. Read more

Google unveils Antigravity 2.0 with desktop app, CLI and SDK at I/O 2026

Google unveils Antigravity 2.0 with desktop app, CLI and SDK at I/O 2026 TechCrunch
At Google I/O 2026, the company rolled out Antigravity 2.0, an upgraded agentic coding platform that adds a desktop application, a command‑line interface and a developer SDK. The new tools let users orchestrate multiple AI agents, schedule background tasks and integrate projects with Google AI Studio, Android and Firebase. Powered by the Gemini 3.5 Flash model, Antigravity 2.0 also introduces native voice commands and a revamped pricing tier that lowers the cost of the top AI Ultra plan. Read more

Google launches Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI assistant with native Gmail integration

Google launches Gemini Spark, a 24/7 AI assistant with native Gmail integration TechCrunch
At its Google I/O developer conference, Alphabet unveiled Gemini Spark, a new agentic personal assistant built on Gemini models and the Antigravity harness. The service runs on dedicated virtual machines in Google Cloud, allowing it to operate continuously without a user’s laptop staying on. Spark integrates out of the box with Gmail, Docs, Sheets, Slides and Chrome, letting users email the assistant or track its actions via Android Halo. Google says the tool will handle long‑horizon tasks under user direction and will soon be available to Google AI Ultra subscribers. Read more

Google rolls out Gemini app overhaul with Daily Brief, Spark AI agent and video model at I/O 2026

Google rolls out Gemini app overhaul with Daily Brief, Spark AI agent and video model at I/O 2026 TechCrunch
At its I/O 2026 conference, Google unveiled a suite of upgrades to the Gemini app, including a Daily Brief personalized digest, a redesigned Neural Expressive interface, a new AI video model called Gemini Omni, and a 24/7 personal AI agent dubbed Gemini Spark. The changes aim to transform Gemini from a simple chatbot into an all‑purpose AI hub that can compete with rivals such as ChatGPT and Claude. Daily Brief launches today for Google AI subscribers in the United States, while Spark and Omni roll out to Ultra and Flow users in the coming weeks. Read more

Google launches stable Android CLI 1.0, letting AI agents build Android apps

Google launches stable Android CLI 1.0, letting AI agents build Android apps TechCrunch
Google announced at its I/O conference that the Android command‑line interface has reached version 1.0 and is now stable. The new tool gives AI coding assistants—such as Claude Code, OpenAI’s Codex, Google’s Antigravity and Gemini—direct access to Android Studio’s knowledge base through an “android studio” command, letting them generate apps regardless of the developer’s chosen platform. Google also revealed that its Antigravity platform will bundle the CLI, providing agents with the core capabilities needed for Android development. Read more

Google unveils Gemini 3.5 Flash, positioning AI agents at the forefront of its next-gen model

Google unveils Gemini 3.5 Flash, positioning AI agents at the forefront of its next-gen model TechCrunch
Google announced Gemini 3.5 Flash at its I/O conference on Tuesday, branding the new model as its most capable system for coding and autonomous AI agents. The flash‑speed architecture lets multiple agents work in parallel on tasks ranging from building operating systems to managing research pipelines. DeepMind chief technologist Koray Kavukcuoglu highlighted a four‑fold speed advantage over competing frontier models and a 12‑times faster optimized version. The launch signals a shift from conversational chatbots to agentic AI that can plan, execute, and iterate with minimal human oversight. Read more

Jury Dismisses Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Over OpenAI Charitable Trust, Citing Late Filing

Jury Dismisses Elon Musk’s Lawsuit Over OpenAI Charitable Trust, Citing Late Filing TechCrunch
A federal jury in Oakland rejected Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI co‑founders Sam Altman and Greg Brockman, finding the case weak and filed too late. Musk, who accused the duo of breaching a charitable trust and unjust enrichment, called the judge a “terrible activist” on social media before announcing plans to appeal. The verdict also highlighted testimony that Musk had asked OpenAI researchers to assist Tesla’s autopilot team without reimbursement, underscoring the blurred lines between the nonprofit's mission and Musk’s for‑profit interests. Read more

Google Unveils AI Agents for Continuous Search Updates at I/O 2026

Google Unveils AI Agents for Continuous Search Updates at I/O 2026 TechCrunch
At the Google I/O 2026 keynote, the company announced AI‑driven information agents that operate inside Search. Unlike traditional queries, the agents run in the background, monitoring topics such as stock prices, flight fares, sports scores or weather and sending push notifications when relevant data appears. Available this summer to Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers in the United States, the feature expands Google’s push‑notification service and marks the first major redesign of Search in more than two decades. Read more

Google launches Gemini Omni Flash, AI tool that creates videos from any input

Google launches Gemini Omni Flash, AI tool that creates videos from any input TechRadar
At Google I/O 2026, the company unveiled Gemini Omni Flash, an AI-powered video creation service that lets users generate and edit footage using natural language prompts. The feature, part of the broader Gemini Omni suite, works across the Gemini app, Google Flow, YouTube Shorts and YouTube Create, and promises to replace traditional editing software with conversational refinement. Google highlighted built‑in SynthID watermarking to flag AI‑generated media and said the technology will expand to support mixed‑media projects in future releases. Read more

Google Debuts Antigravity 2.0 with New Desktop App, CLI and SDK at I/O 2026

Google Debuts Antigravity 2.0 with New Desktop App, CLI and SDK at I/O 2026 TechCrunch
At its I/O 2026 developer conference, Google unveiled Antigravity 2.0, an upgraded agentic coding platform that adds a revamped desktop application, a command‑line interface and a software development kit. Built on the Gemini 3.5 Flash model, the suite lets developers orchestrate multiple AI agents, schedule background tasks and integrate projects with AI Studio, Android and Firebase. The launch also introduces native voice commands and a new AI Ultra pricing tier aimed at enterprise users, signaling Google’s push to broaden its AI‑driven development tools. Read more

Google Unveils Gemini App Overhaul at I/O 2026, Adding Daily Brief, Spark Agent and Video AI

Google Unveils Gemini App Overhaul at I/O 2026, Adding Daily Brief, Spark Agent and Video AI TechCrunch
At Google I/O 2026, the company announced a major refresh of its Gemini app, rolling out a Daily Brief digest, a redesigned interface, the Gemini Omni video model and a 24/7 personal AI agent called Gemini Spark. The updates aim to transform Gemini from a chatbot into an all‑purpose AI hub that can compete with rivals such as ChatGPT and Claude. Daily Brief reaches Google AI subscribers in the United States today, while Spark and Omni are slated for release to Ultra and Flow users in the coming weeks. Read more

Andrej Karpathy Leaves OpenAI Veteran to Lead Anthropic’s Claude‑Driven Pre‑Training Effort

Andrej Karpathy Leaves OpenAI Veteran to Lead Anthropic’s Claude‑Driven Pre‑Training Effort The Next Web
Andre​j Karpathy, one of OpenAI’s original co‑founders, announced Monday that he has joined Anthropic’s pre‑training team. Tasked with building a group that uses Anthropic’s own Claude model to speed up the costly pre‑training phase, Karpathy brings a résumé that spans Stanford, Tesla’s Full Self‑Driving program and a brief stint at his own AI‑education startup. The hire arrives as OpenAI grapples with a wave of senior departures, while Anthropic, valued at roughly $800 billion, eyes an IPO by late 2026. Industry observers see the move as a sign that Anthropic can attract top talent and may usher in a new era of recursive model improvement. Read more