AI companion apps on track to pull in 0M in 2025

AI companion apps on track to pull in $120M in 2025

Demand for AI “companion” applications outside of bigger names, like ChatGPT and Grok, is growing. Of the 337 active and revenue-generating AI companion apps available worldwide, 128 were released in 2025 so far, according to new data provided to TechCrunch by app intelligence firm Appfigures. This subsection of the AI market on mobile has now…

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OpenAI and Anthropic researchers decry ‘reckless’ safety culture at Elon Musk’s xAI

OpenAI and Anthropic researchers decry ‘reckless’ safety culture at Elon Musk’s xAI

AI safety researchers from OpenAI, Anthropic, and other organizations are speaking out publicly against the “reckless” and “completely irresponsible” safety culture at xAI, the billion-dollar AI startup owned by Elon Musk. The criticisms follow weeks of scandals at xAI that have overshadowed the company’s technological advances. Last week, the company’s AI chatbot, Grok, spouted antisemitic…

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xAI and Grok apologize for ‘horrific behavior’

xAI and Grok apologize for ‘horrific behavior’

In a series of posts on X, the AI chatbot Grok apologized for what it admitted was “horrific behavior.” The posts appear to be an official statement from xAI, the Elon Musk-led company behind Grok, as opposed to an AI-generated explanation for Grok’s posts. (xAI recently acquired X, where Grok is prominently featured.) Grok’s latest…

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France is investigating X over foreign interference, while a MP also criticizes Grok

France is investigating X over foreign interference, while a MP also criticizes Grok

France is launching a criminal investigation into Elon Musk’s X over alleged instances of algorithm manipulation for foreign interference purposes. The national gendarmerie will be tasked with the investigation, the Paris prosecutor’s office announced.  In a statement, Paris prosecutor Laure Beccuau said that the investigation is looking at X as a legal entity as well…

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