A new test for AI labs: Are you even trying to make money?

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this weekend

View this email online in your browser  January 25, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 A new test for AI labs: Are you even trying to make money?: It's getting hard to tell which AI labs are actually trying to make money. We created a rating system to help sort it out. Read More TikTok users freak out over app's 'immigration status' collection -- here's what it means: TikTok users are freaking out over a mention of "immigration status" data collection, but lawyers explain the disclosure is related to state privacy laws. Read More Researchers say Russian government hackers were behind attempted Poland power outage: Security researchers have attributed the attempted use of destructive "wiper" malware across Poland's energy infrastructure in late December to a Russian-backed hacking group known for causing power outages in neighboring Ukraine. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Disrupt 2026 tickets are live and at the lowest rates Disrupt tickets are officially on sale at the lowest rates of the year. Lock in Super Early Bird pricing plus 50% off a second ticket of the same type, available to the first 500 registrants or until Jan 31. Join 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators for curated networking, hear from 250+ speakers across 200+ sessions, and demo innovations for 300+ startups Oct 13–15 in San Francisco. Register Now Sunday Must-Reads Google Photos' latest feature lets you meme yourself: The addition is meant to just be a fun way to explore your photos and experiment with Google's Gemini AI technology, and specifically Nano Banana. Read More The Rippling/Deel corporate spying scandal may have taken another wild turn: The Department of Justice may be conducting a criminal investigation. This is arguably the biggest drama between two HR startups ever. Read More Gmail is having issues with spam and misclassification: If your Gmail account doesn't seem to be working properly today, you're not alone. Read More Tech CEOs boast and bicker about AI at Davos: There were times at this week's meeting of the World Economic Forum when Davos seemed transformed into a high-powered tech conference. Read More Who's behind AMI Labs, Yann LeCun's 'world model' startup: Yann LeCun's new venture, AMI Labs, has drawn intense attention since the AI scientist left Meta to found it. Read More A message from TechCrunch Partnerships Turn Ideas into Leads with TechCrunch Webinars Reach a high-value audience with webinars built to deliver results. Whether you provide the content or have TechCrunch create it for you, our webinars include full marketing support and deliver 200+ leads. For maximum reach, our Partner Event is a fully produced multi-hour show with guaranteed 1,000+ leads and extended promotion. We manage every detail so you can focus on your message. Learn More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! Last but Not Least Legal AI giant Harvey acquires Hexus as competition heats up in legal tech: Hexus founder and CEO Sakshi Pratap, who previously held engineering roles at Walmart, Oracle, and Google, tells TechCrunch that her San Francisco-based team has already joined Harvey, while the startup's India-based engineers will come onboard once Harvey establishes a Bangalore office. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107

What to know about Netflix’s landmark acquisition of Warner Bros.

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  January 23, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 What to know about Netflix's landmark acquisition of Warner Bros.: Learn more about Netflix's acquisition of Warner Bros., considered the most historic megadeal in Hollywood, as it continues to develop. Read More Researchers say Russian government hackers were behind attempted Poland power outage: Security researchers have attributed the attempted use of destructive "wiper" malware across Poland's energy infrastructure in late December to a Russian-backed hacking group known for causing power outages in neighboring Ukraine. Read More Google Photos' latest feature lets you meme yourself: The addition is meant to just be a fun way to explore your photos and experiment with Google's Gemini AI technology, and specifically Nano Banana. Read More Be the first to know when news breaks Subscribe to our News Alerts, and you won't miss a thing. Breaking news, exclusives, and special reports—straight to your inbox. Sign up for News Alerts! A message from AWS Marketplace Unlock agentic AI potential Discover how Agentic AI transforms operations with AWS Marketplace solutions. Learn to build, buy, and deploy AI agents that streamline workflows and boost efficiency. Download the eBook today and transform your AI journey. Download Now Afternoon Must-Reads Microsoft gave FBI a set of BitLocker encryption keys to unlock suspects' laptops: Reports: The FBI served Microsoft a warrant requesting encryption recovery keys to decrypt the hard drives of people involved in an alleged fraud case in Guam. Read More Tesla discontinues Autopilot in bid to boost adoption of its Full Self-Driving software: The company is also currently facing a 30-day suspension of its manufacturing and dealer licenses in California for deceptive marketing about Autopilot's capabilities. Read More The Rippling/Deel corporate spying scandal may have taken another wild turn: The Department of Justice may be conducting a criminal investigation. This is arguably the biggest drama between two HR startups ever. Read More Here's what you should know about the US TikTok deal: A number of investors are competing for the opportunity to purchase the app, and if a deal were to go through, the platform's U.S. business could have its valuation soar to upward of $60 billion. Read More Meta pauses teen access to AI characters ahead of new version: Meta today said that it is pausing teens' access to its AI characters globally across all its apps. The company mentioned that it is not abandoning its efforts but wants to develop an updated version of AI characters for teens. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events Disrupt 2026 tickets are live and at the lowest rates Disrupt tickets are officially on sale at the lowest rates of the year. Lock in Super Early Bird pricing plus 50% off a second ticket of the same type, available to the first 500 registrants or until Jan 31. Join 10,000+ founders, investors, and operators for curated networking, hear from 250+ speakers across 200+ sessions, and demo innovations for 300+ startups Oct 13–15 in San Francisco. Register Now You missed these chats from Disrupt: Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens. Watch on Cheddar.com Watch on Streaming Last but Not Least Waymo probed by National Transportation Safety Board over illegal school bus behavior: The NTSB joins the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration in investigating Waymo vehicles illegally passing stopped school buses. Read More Check out some of our other newsletters: StrictlyVC TechCrunch Events TechCrunch Mobility Want to adjust your daily newsletter schedule? You can do it right here Got a tip? Get in touch securely. Want to advertise on TechCrunch? advertise@techcrunch.com Has this been forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to this newsletter. Unsubscribe Member Center Privacy Policy Copyright © 2026 TechCrunch Media LLC 501 2nd Street, Suite 650, San Francisco, CA 94107