The App Store is booming again, and AI may be why

The App Store is booming again, and AI may be why

Everyone said AI would kill apps. Instead, new app launches are soaring. According to a new analysis from market intelligence provider Appfigures, worldwide app releases in the first quarter of 2026 were up 60% year-over-year across both Apple’s App Store and Google Play. That percentage was an even higher 80% when looking at the iOS…

Read More
Kevin Weil and Bill Peebles exit OpenAI as company continues to shed ‘side quests’

Kevin Weil and Bill Peebles exit OpenAI as company continues to shed ‘side quests’

OpenAI is losing two of the architects of its most ambitious moonshots. Kevin Weil, who led the company’s science research initiative, and Bill Peebles, the researcher behind AI video tool Sora, both announced their departures on Friday. The exits come as OpenAI consolidates around enterprise AI and its forthcoming “superapp.” The departures follow OpenAI’s decision…

Read More
Sam Altman’s project World looks to scale its human verification empire. First stop: Tinder.

Sam Altman’s project World looks to scale its human verification empire. First stop: Tinder.

At a trendy venue near the San Francisco pier, Sam Altman’s verification project World celebrated its next evolution and rapid expansion of its ambitions.  And it’s starting with Tinder. Tools for Humanity (TFH), the company behind the World project, announced Friday plans to integrate its verification tech into dating apps, event and concert ticketing systems,…

Read More
Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors

Google is now targeting bad ads over bad actors

Google said Thursday it blocked a record 8.3 billion ads globally in 2025 — up from 5.1 billion the year before. But the company suspended far fewer advertiser accounts than that surge might suggest, raising questions about how it polices its platform. The search giant attributed the disparity to its growing use of AI, particularly…

Read More