Tech companies are posting record profits while laying off nearly 150,000 workers in 2026, citing AI as the cause, even as a small cohort of AI insiders accumulates unprecedented wealth.

TechCrunch reports rising AI token costs could drive more price increases as major AI companies prepare to go public.

Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky is reportedly preparing a new AI lab focused on interaction and design while staying at Airbnb.

Meta is using tent-like temporary structures to accelerate data center capacity for its AI infrastructure buildout.

TechCrunch examines the debate over AI psychosis, CEO AI hype, Google search changes, DuckDuckGo growth, and AI's impact on work.

TechCrunch reports that AI security, shadow AI, compromised API keys, and agentic defense are becoming board-level enterprise concerns.

Berlin startup Peec AI crossed $10M in annualized revenue as brands track and optimize visibility in AI search results.

TechCrunch reports some AI startups stretch ARR metrics while investors may overlook public overstatements.

TechCrunch reports AI reconstructed cockpit audio from spectrogram data, prompting the NTSB to review public investigation files.

AI search startup Exa drew major attention as investors continued backing search engines built for AI agents.

TechCrunch reports that rising AI data center demand could keep fossil fuels in use even as solar power expands by 2035.

TechCrunch reports that South Korean startup LetinAR is developing optical technology for the emerging AI glasses market.

TechCrunch reports AI data-center demand is straining grids as Lake Tahoe faces a search for a new energy supplier.

TechCrunch says the Musk v. Altman trial closed with arguments centered on trust in the people leading AI companies.

Cerebras closed its first trading day near a $100 billion market cap as investor demand for AI chips boosted the IPO wave.

Anthropic's Cat Wu told TechCrunch that Claude's next step is proactivity, with AI automations that anticipate user workflows.

TechCrunch reports that AI dictation and voice-computing tools such as Wispr may change office etiquette and work setups.

Kodiak AI disclosed a $100 million raise at a steep discount, sending its shares lower after hours.

Perplexity made its Personal Computer AI agent system available to everyone on Mac.

TechCrunch profiles Nicolas Sauvage's investment focus on less glamorous AI infrastructure and physical AI opportunities.