CivilGrid, which collects data about utility assets, property ownership, and more to build a "Google Maps for the underground", raised a $26M Series A (Sean O'Kane/TechCrunch)
https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/27/this-former-pge-engineer-is-building-a-google-maps-for-the-underground/
https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/27/this-former-pge-engineer-is-building-a-google-maps-for-the-underground/
TechCrunch
This former PG&E engineer is building a 'Google Maps for the underground' | TechCrunch
The startup just raised a $26 million Series A to grow its customer base and help reduce red tape for utility and construction work.
Meta's AG settlement says its age verification framework will use "reliable age signals" shared with it by "OS and app stores operated by Apple and Google" (Lauren Feiner/The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/policy/985556/meta-settlement-youtube-tiktok-snap?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IjRHRE9Ha20zN0EiLCJwIjoiL3BvbGljeS85ODU1NTYvbWV0YS1zZXR0bGVtZW50LXlvdXR1YmUtdGlrdG9rLXNuYXAiLCJleHAiOjE3ODgyNzM0NjUsImlhdCI6MTc4Nzg0MTQ2NX0.9ICFpCxFT25fmjqhioj3j3OoPBXFUDkqfkmF9HptIKU&utm_medium=gift-link
https://www.theverge.com/policy/985556/meta-settlement-youtube-tiktok-snap?view_token=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJpZCI6IjRHRE9Ha20zN0EiLCJwIjoiL3BvbGljeS85ODU1NTYvbWV0YS1zZXR0bGVtZW50LXlvdXR1YmUtdGlrdG9rLXNuYXAiLCJleHAiOjE3ODgyNzM0NjUsImlhdCI6MTc4Nzg0MTQ2NX0.9ICFpCxFT25fmjqhioj3j3OoPBXFUDkqfkmF9HptIKU&utm_medium=gift-link
The Verge
If Meta’s going down, it’s taking TikTok and YouTube with it
Snap, TikTok, and YouTube are caught in the crossfire of Meta’s settlement with state AGs.
Nvidia says its commitments to component suppliers for its AI chips and systems hit $279B in Q2, up from $119B in Q1, $95.2B in Q4 2025, and $50.3B in Q3 2025 (Asa Fitch/Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/nvidias-279-billion-supply-chain-gamble-cbe316d2?st=wipAbc&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/nvidias-279-billion-supply-chain-gamble-cbe316d2?st=wipAbc&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
The Wall Street Journal
Nvidia’s $279 Billion Supply-Chain Gamble
The AI chip leader is using its financial muscle to win the supply battle, but it comes with downsides.
Google launches Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash, which it says delivers studio-quality video production, including the ability to extend a scene, 4K upscaling, and more (Google)
https://deepmind.google/blog/gemini-omni-1-1-flash-lets-you-build-with-more-control/
https://deepmind.google/blog/gemini-omni-1-1-flash-lets-you-build-with-more-control/
Google
Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash lets you build with more control
Gemini Omni 1.1 Flash brings a new suite of creative controls and generative video capabilities to developers.
Sources: some Trump administration officials circulated a draft EO to create a self-regulatory organization for AI, but it needs buy-in from Trump and others (Leo Schwartz/The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/trump-administration-executive-order-new-ai-regulator-stalls
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/trump-administration-executive-order-new-ai-regulator-stalls
The Information
Trump Administration Executive Order for New AI Regulator Stalls
The Trump administration has internally circulated a draft executive order in recent weeks, calling for the creation of a self-regulatory organization for AI companies that produce state-of-the-art models, according to two people who have viewed a draft.…
OpenAI is testing a "Persistent mode" in Codex, designed to let AI agents "continue working until put to sleep" and proactively generate follow-up tasks (Maxwell Zeff/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/openai-is-developing-a-persistent-ai-agent/
https://www.wired.com/story/openai-is-developing-a-persistent-ai-agent/
WIRED
OpenAI Is Developing a ‘Persistent’ AI Agent
Code reviewed by WIRED reveals the company is developing a feature that enables Codex to continue working proactively until it is “put to sleep.”
OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS, Microsoft, and 100+ companies warn there is "a limited window" to prepare for AI-enabled cyberattacks and call for "collective action" (Sam Sabin/Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/openai-anthropic-issue-dire-cyber-threat-warning
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/openai-anthropic-issue-dire-cyber-threat-warning
Axios
Tech giants warn time is running out to prepare for AI threats
A new open letter calls on governments, tech companies to act now.
Source: Nvidia plans an employee-funded political action committee called NVPAC, as it seeks to step up its efforts to influence US policy (Courtney Rozen/Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/technology/nvidia-start-employee-funded-us-political-action-committee-2026-08-27/
https://www.reuters.com/technology/nvidia-start-employee-funded-us-political-action-committee-2026-08-27/
Anthropic releases Model Hardware Standard, a framework to help AI agents use physical systems like microscopes, quantum computing hardware, and robot arms (Will Knight/Wired)
https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-standard-ai-agents-coming-to-the-physical-world/
https://www.wired.com/story/anthropic-standard-ai-agents-coming-to-the-physical-world/
WIRED
This Is How Anthropic Thinks AI Agents Should Navigate the Physical World
The potential for AI to automate scientific research and manufacturing must be balanced with new risks, Anthropic says.
Sources: Anthropic has been working on a plan to allow secondary stock sales in its IPO while also considering lockup periods longer than the standard 180 days (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/anthropic-considers-letting-shareholders-sell-ipo-departing-spacex-playbook
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/anthropic-considers-letting-shareholders-sell-ipo-departing-spacex-playbook
The Information
Anthropic Considers Letting Shareholders Sell In IPO, Departing from SpaceX Playbook
Anthropic has been working on a plan to let existing shareholders sell some stock in its blockbuster initial public offering while also considering longer-than-usual lockup periods for sales after it’s public, people familiar with the process said. Allowing…
YouTube adds Amazon to its shopping affiliate program, enabling US creators to tag Amazon products in Shorts, longform videos, and livestreams (Anna Washenko/Engadget)
https://www.engadget.com/2245799/youtube-creators-can-now-include-affiliate-links-to-amazon/
https://www.engadget.com/2245799/youtube-creators-can-now-include-affiliate-links-to-amazon/
Engadget
YouTubers can now include affiliate links to Amazon in their content. - Engadget
The retailer just finally joined YouTube Shopping's affiliate program.
Salesforce stock closed up 22.6% on Thursday, its second-best day ever, after the company reported a beat on Q2 earnings and expanded its Anthropic partnership (CJ Haddad/CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/27/salesforce-stock-soars-on-track-for-second-best-day-ever.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/27/salesforce-stock-soars-on-track-for-second-best-day-ever.html
CNBC
Salesforce rockets 22% for second-best day ever, leading software rally
Salesforce reported a strong beat on second-quarter earnings and announced an expanded AI partnership with Anthropic.
Google adds Expert Intelligence to Gemini Notebook, letting users import eligible titles they own in Google Play Books to ask questions, generate podcasts, more (Emma Roth/The Verge)
https://www.theverge.com/tech/985567/google-gemini-notebook-expert-sources-books
https://www.theverge.com/tech/985567/google-gemini-notebook-expert-sources-books
The Verge
Google’s AI note-taking app now allows you to interact with books
Coming soon to scholarly articles, newspapers, and more.
Nvidia stock closed up 8.74% on Thursday, adding ~$440B to Nvidia's market cap, after its revenue guidance reassured investors that AI demand remains strong (CNBC)
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/27/nvidia-nvda-q2-earnings.html
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/27/nvidia-nvda-q2-earnings.html
CNBC
Nvidia adds more than $400 billion in value after blowout earnings boost AI confidence
Nvidia shares rose on Thursday after the chip giant's revenue guidance reassured investors that AI demand will remain strong.
Sources: Abu Dhabi's Sheikh Tahnoon and co-investors back an entity owning 49%, the largest stake, in the company behind the Trump family's planned crypto bank (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/trump-familys-new-crypto-bank-is-backed-by-abu-dhabi-sheikh-38579473?st=3A1SxG&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
https://www.wsj.com/finance/currencies/trump-familys-new-crypto-bank-is-backed-by-abu-dhabi-sheikh-38579473?st=3A1SxG&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
The Wall Street Journal
Exclusive | Trump Family’s New Crypto Bank Is Backed by Abu Dhabi Sheikh
The Emirati “spy sheikh” backs a 49% stake in the entity behind the new World Liberty bank.
Sources: Town, which develops enterprise personal AI assistants, is in talks to raise at a $1B valuation in a round led by Index Ventures (Newcomer)
https://www.newcomer.co/p/amid-personal-assistant-investor
https://www.newcomer.co/p/amid-personal-assistant-investor
www.newcomer.co
Amid Personal Assistant Investor Frenzy, Town Nears $1 Billion Valuation in Round Led by Instinct-Backer Index Ventures
Town, the buzzy enterprise personal agent, is raising at $1 billion, sources tell us
Sources: Anthropic discussed buying AI chip startup MatX for ~$7B, but talks are no longer active; MatX is now seeking to raise new capital at a ~$4B valuation (Reuters)
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/anthropic-planned-then-abandoned-7-billion-purchase-matx-sources-say-2026-08-27/
https://www.reuters.com/business/finance/anthropic-planned-then-abandoned-7-billion-purchase-matx-sources-say-2026-08-27/
Sources: Nvidia paused some deals with AI cloud providers in the revenue-sharing program it announced in July; Nvidia says the program is still in place (Wall Street Journal)
https://www.wsj.com/tech/nvidia-pauses-revenue-sharing-deals-with-ai-cloud-companies-9c71454e
https://www.wsj.com/tech/nvidia-pauses-revenue-sharing-deals-with-ai-cloud-companies-9c71454e
The Wall Street Journal
Exclusive | Nvidia Pauses Revenue-Sharing Deals With AI Cloud Companies
The company is rethinking the program less than two months after announcing it.
Sources: the FTC has been investigating whether YouTube broke consumer protection laws by violating its own policies when suspending accounts or banning content (Bloomberg)
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-27/us-ftc-probing-youtube-over-social-media-policies?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4Nzg3MDUyNiwiZXhwIjoxNzg4NDc1MzI2LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUS0U5MU5LSkg2VkYwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDQThGQ0Y4NkY1QjY0ODlCODA4ODkwNTFBNjMxRERBRCJ9.e9QS2TC949dcH667a6FORlZl9_OdjvQRbYprlYzl0AA
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-08-27/us-ftc-probing-youtube-over-social-media-policies?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc4Nzg3MDUyNiwiZXhwIjoxNzg4NDc1MzI2LCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUS0U5MU5LSkg2VkYwMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiJDQThGQ0Y4NkY1QjY0ODlCODA4ODkwNTFBNjMxRERBRCJ9.e9QS2TC949dcH667a6FORlZl9_OdjvQRbYprlYzl0AA
Bloomberg.com
US FTC Probing YouTube Over Social Media Policies
The US Federal Trade Commission has been investigating whether Alphabet Inc.’s YouTube violated consumer protection laws when it suspended the accounts of users, according to people familiar with the probe.
Uber says weekly AI agent requests have grown 9.4x since February, but total AI spending has stayed stable since April, after using up its 2026 AI budget in Q1 (Madison Mills/Axios)
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/ai-uber-spending
https://www.axios.com/2026/08/27/ai-uber-spending
Axios
Exclusive: Uber cuts AI costs even as usage jumps
Companies are finding creative — and cheaper — ways to increase their AI use.
Sources: Cognition is generating ~$900M in annualized revenue, up more than 3x since the start of the year, and executives project it will end 2026 with $1.5B+ (The Information)
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/inside-cognitions-booming-growth-high-cash-burn
https://www.theinformation.com/articles/inside-cognitions-booming-growth-high-cash-burn
The Information
Inside Cognition’s Booming Growth, High Cash Burn
Revenue is surging at Cognition and several other AI application providers, previously unreported data show, offering some reassurance to investors and hardware suppliers that startups can thrive despite competition from Anthropic and OpenAI. Cognition, which…