ElevenLabs now offers ability to build conversational AI agents

ElevenLabs, a startup that provides AI voice cloning and a text-to-speech API, launched the ability to build conversational AI bots on Monday. The company announced that users can now build complete conversational agents on ElevenLabs' developer platform, with customizable variables such as to

CISA Director Jen Easterly to depart agency on January 20

Jen Easterly, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), will depart the government agency after more than three years at the helm. Both Easterly and the agency’s deputy director Nitin Natarajan will depart CISA on January 20 as the new Trump administra

Mistral unveils new AI models and chat features

French AI startup Mistral has released a slew of updates to its product portfolio as it looks to stay competitive in the cutthroat AI space. Mistral’s Le Chat chatbot platform can now search the web — with citations in line, a la OpenAI’s ChatGPT. It’s also gained a “canv

India orders Meta to curb WhatsApp data sharing, levies $25M fine

India’s competition watchdog has ordered WhatsApp to stop sharing user data with other Meta units for advertising purposes for five years and also levied a fine of $25.4 million for antitrust violations related to WhatsApp’s controversial 2021 privacy policy. The Competition Commission

Twenty is building an open source alternative to Salesforce

If a software product is successful enough, you’ll probably be able to find a company building an open source alternative. And yet, nobody has created a modern open source CRM product that can be considered as a serious competitor to Salesforce. That's exactly what Twenty is trying to ac

AI training software firm iLearningEngines says it lost $250,000 in recent cyberattack

U.S.-based iLearningEngines, a provider of AI training software for enterprises, has alerted regulators to a cyberattack that allowed hackers to break into its network and steal $250,000 worth of company funds.  In an 8-K regulatory filing on Monday with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commi

Beyoncé to perform live on Netflix during NFL Christmas Gameday stream

Beyoncé is headed to Netflix. The singer will perform live during the halftime show during the Houston Texans vs. Baltimore Ravens Christmas Day game, which is set to be streamed on Netflix as part of its newly minted three-year deal with the NFL.  “Your early Christmas wish has been granted

Meta brings certain AI features to Ray-Ban Meta glasses in Europe

After a brief delay, Meta says that it’s begun to roll out certain AI features to users of its Ray-Ban Meta AR glasses in France, Italy, and Spain. Starting today, people in those countries can invoke Meta’s AI assistant, Meta AI, using their voice to get answers to general questions (

SuperAnnotate helps companies manage their AI datasets

High-quality data may be the key to high-quality AI. With studies finding that dataset curation, rather than size, is what really affects an AI model’s performance, it’s unsurprising that there’s a growing emphasis on dataset management practices. According to some surveys, AI res

Space tech giant Maxar confirms hacker accessed employees’ personal data

U.S. space technology and satellite giant Maxar has confirmed a data breach involving the personal information of its employees, according to a filing with state regulators. The Colorado-headquartered Maxar operates imaging satellites and manufactures spacecraft, and claims to operate one of the l

Moonvalley wants to build more ethical video models

The wide availability of tools to build generative AI has led to a Cambrian explosion of startups in the space. Plentiful capital hasn’t hurt, either — nor has the declining cost of the requisite technical infrastructure. In fact, one of the flashiest applications of generative AI, genera

Xiaomi taps PhonePe’s app store for India smartphones

Xiaomi will replace its app store with fintech PhonePe’s offering for customers in India starting in January. The move is a major win for the Indian startup, as well as a sign of further recalibration for the Chinese hardware giant in one of its biggest markets outside its home country. Xiao

Text marketing firm Blip secures backing from SoftBank, Microsoft

People prefer texts over phone calls — especially when it’s a company on the other side. According to one survey, two-thirds of consumers say they’d switch to a company that offered texting as a contact option. With the text-message marketing industry expected to grow to $12.6 billio

Roblox no longer allows users under 13 to message others outside of games

Roblox will not let users under the age of 13 message others outside of games and experiences on the platform, the company said Friday. Roblox also announced a series of other built-in protections for young users, such as age-gating certain experiences, along with enhanced parental controls.