Welcome back to review week. This week we are considering that we could potentially charge a professional AI agent $20,000 a month. This is an unexpected return of early Internet darling digs, such as genetically modified mice with mammoth-like fur. Let’s do this.
Openai can charge $20,000 a month for a professional AI “agent.” According to an information report, Openai plans to launch several “agent” products for different applications. One of the rumored agents, said to be $20,000 a month, aims to support “PHD-level research.” The jaw drop numbers indicate what cash Openai currently needs. The company lost about $5 billion last year after paying fees related to services and other expenses.
Scale AI is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor for compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, which regulates unpaid wages, misclassification of employees as contractors, and illegal retaliation against workers. The investigation has been active since at least August 2024 and is still ongoing, according to sources familiar with the issue. A Scale AI spokesman told TechCrunch that the investigation was launched during the previous presidential administration, and the startup felt its work was misunderstood by regulators.
A federal judge has denied an injunction filed to stop the planned opening transition to commercial businesses and citing insufficient evidence. However, U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers said the court is ready to go to a swift trial based on the allegations that Openai’s conversion plan is illegal. This is the latest turn in Musk’s lawsuit accusing Openai and CEO Sam Altman of abandoning the original nonprofit mission.
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news
Welcome Back, Digg: One of the Web’s early news aggregators has returned to ownership of former founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Rose told TechCrunch that the resurrected Digg wasn’t like “your old-fashioned forum.” read more
Google, look at my screen: Google has announced a new Gemini feature called “Screenshare” at Mobile World Congress 2025. read more
“AI Phone” under $1K: Deutsche Telekom has announced that it is building an “AI Phone”. This is a low-cost mobile phone created in close collaboration with confusion. DT is expected to unveil the device later in the year and will begin selling in 2026 for under $1,000. read more
That’s me, artificial intelligence! The UCSD Research Org Hao AI Lab benchmarked the performance by throwing AI models into the Super Mario Bros. Emulator. Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 performed best, but Openai’s GPT-4o struggled. read more
Volkswagen’s Cheapest EV to date: This week’s Volkswagen has revealed an ultra-stable EV called ID Every1. According to sources familiar with the new model, the small four-door hatchback will be first deployed using Libian software and architecture. read more
Go to Ghost Mode: Getting a Ghost is never fun. Especially if you are a founder seeking capital from investors. TechCrunch spoke to some VCs about why they are ghosts and how the founders can make a more meaningful impression. read more
CHATGPT allows you to edit your code directly: The latest version of the MacOS ChatGPT app allows you to edit your code directly with supported developer tools. ChatGpt Plus, Pro, and team subscribers can use the feature now. The company plans to roll out to more users next week. read more
Cool AI Use Cases: Wildlife researchers use camera traps to study animal populations, but it can take weeks to sift through all the data. Currently, Google has Open Sourced SpecistsNet, an AI model that allows you to identify animal species by analyzing photos from camera traps. read more
New ways to watch YouTube ads: YouTube Lite is a new subscription tier where users can watch most videos without ads for $7.99 a month. However, there are no premium features such as downloads, background play, or the ability to watch music videos without ads. read more
All Wool Mouse: The giant biological sciences attempting to revive wool mammoths by 2028 have made an adorable invasion by genetically engineered mice to have mammoth-like fur. These are the cutest things I’ve ever seen. It is not recommended to watch the video thoroughly. read more
analysis
Why is the signal taking such a blow in the Netherlands? Privacy-focused messaging app signals have been flying high in the Dutch app store for the past month, and often sits on top as the most downloaded free app on iOS and Android in all categories. While it is difficult to pinpoint a specific reason for reasons, it is not surprising to see Rejo Zenger, a senior policy advisor at freedom. With recent developments in the US, large platform providers are in line with the new Trump administration, and the reliance on technology from large European private companies has become a focus in that debate. read more
