Improvements in ‘reasoning’ AI models may slow down soon, analysis finds

An analysis by Epoch AI, a nonprofit AI research institute, suggests the AI industry may not be able to eke massive performance gains out of reasoning AI models for much longer. As soon as within a year, progress from reasoning models could slow down, according to the report’s findings. Reas

Microsoft Build 2025: What to expect, from Azure to Copilot upgrades

Microsoft is hosting its annual Build developer conference next week from May 19 to 22. The event is guaranteed to include announcements regarding new AI integrations, services, and apps, including for Windows. At last year’s Build, Microsoft announced an integration of Copilot into Microsof

Tesla’s robotaxi plans have the attention of federal investigators

Federal safety investigators have sent Tesla a detailed list of questions on its upcoming robotaxi service as part of an investigation into how the company’s “Full Self-Driving (Supervised)” software operates in low-visibility conditions. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administratio

Slate Auto crosses 100,000 refundable reservations in two weeks

Buzzy new EV startup Slate Auto has racked up more than 100,000 reservations for its customizable low-cost electric pickup truck, the company has confirmed to technewss. Slate crossed the milestone over the weekend, just a little more than two weeks after coming out of stealth mode and unveiling

Apple brings satellite features to iPhone 13 with iOS 18.5

Apple on Monday released iOS 18.5, which expands emergency satellite capabilities to iPhone 13 owners for the first time. Previously, the satellite features were available to those running an iPhone 14 or later. The emergency satellite system for iPhone is designed to be used at critical times whe

Even a16z VCs say no one really knows what an AI agent is

Buzzwords that are stretched to the point of being meaningless are as old as the tech industry itself. The top current one is “AI agent” and its variants, like “agentic.” So, unsurprisingly, no one really knows what an AI agent is. Even people with software engineering ba

Congressman is investigating fintech Ramp’s attempt to win $25M federal contract

Rep. Gerald Connolly, ranking member of the U.S. House Oversight Committee, has initiated an investigation into whether expense management startup Ramp is receiving preferential treatment in its bid for a $25 million government contract. Connolly sent a letter to General Services Administration (G

Mercury's CEO formalizes bets on early-stage founders with a $26M fund

Mercury co-founder and CEO Immad Akhund today announced the launch of a $26 million fund to back early-stage startups, a move that formalizes his extensive history of angel investing. Axios first reported this in February. Akhund has been an active angel investor since 2016, backing over 350 start

Google launches new initiative to back startups building AI

On Monday, Google announced the launch of its AI Futures Fund, a new initiative that seeks to invest in startups that are building with the latest AI tools from Google DeepMind, the company's AI R&D lab.  The fund will back startups from seed to late stage and will offer varying degre

Sam Altman apparently does not respect olive oil

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is using his olive oil inefficiently in an “offense to horticulture,” the Financial Times humorously reports. For its “Lunch with the FT” series, the paper joined Altman in his kitchen. He prepared a garlicky pasta and salad, taking a rare break from h

InventWood is about to mass-produce wood that's stronger than steel

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction, but it actually comes from a lab in Maryland. In 2018, Liangbing Hu, a materials scientist at the University of Maryland, devised a way to turn ordinary wood into a material stronger than steel. It seemed like yet another headline-grabbing discovery tha

This American VC is betting on European defense tech; that’s still very unusual

VCs are known to move in herds, which is why Eric Slesinger stands out a bit. While most American investors chase AI startups or U.S.-based defense tech startups, the former CIA officer is hunting for defense tech deals in Europe. In fact, Slesinger, founder of 201 Ventures, recently closed a $22 m

Apple reportedly plans to hike prices of upcoming iPhones

Apple is planning to increase the prices of its iPhone lineup set to launch this autumn, though it is trying not to make it seem as if the hikes are connected to the U.S. tariffs on imports from China, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing anonymous sources. The company is considering instead l

Egypt's Nawy, the largest proptech in Africa, raises $52M to take on MENA

For decades, buying property in Egypt meant navigating a fragmented real estate market, relying on personal networks, dealing with commission-driven brokers, and facing developers more focused on selling than serving customer needs. In 2019, Mostafa El Beltagy co-founded Nawy to bring transparency