Microsoft takes on AI rivals with three new foundational models

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  April 02, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Microsoft takes on AI rivals with three new foundational models: MAI released models that can transcribe voice into text as well as generate audio and images after the group's formation six months ago. Read More NASA astronauts prove that sending an email really is rocket science: NASA Artemis II commander Reid Wiseman faced the most earthly possible conflict while in outer space: his Outlook wasn't working. Read More OpenAI acquires TBPN, the buzzy founder-led business talk show: TBPN, Silicon Valley's cult-favorite tech podcast, will operate independently, even as it's overseen by chief political operative Chris Lehane. Read More Disrupt 2026: Where deals and ideas ignite Oct 13–15 at San Francisco's Moscone West, 10,000 founders, investors, and operators gather for high-signal insights, curated connections, and real momentum. Sign up! A message from Stripe Complimentary pass to Sessions with code s26techcrunch100 Join Stripe at Sessions 2026—the internet economy conference—happening April 29–30 in San Francisco. Join fellow business leaders, founders, and developers to explore the latest in financial technology, global commerce, and strategies for growth. Register with code s26techcrunch100 for a complimentary pass. Register Now Afternoon Must-Reads Beehiiv expands into podcasting, taking aim at Patreon: One way Beehiiv is convincing creators to switch from rivals like Substack and Patreon is by not taking a cut of revenue. Read More ElevenLabs releases a new AI-powered music-generation app: ElevenMusic lets users create and remix songs using text prompts. The new app suggests ElevenLabs wants to be more than just a voice model company. Read More Tesla's cheaper vehicles aren't helping its declining sales: The company's deliveries in the first quarter were just 6% higher than last year, and Tesla now faces a third straight year of falling sales. Read More Diverse teams start with diverse VCs: It is the path of least resistance for a growth-stage company to hire from the familiar Silicon Valley pipelines but if a founder wants a diverse team, that value has to be put into practice from the very first hire.  Read More Telehealth giant Hims & Hers says its customer support system was hacked: The U.S. telehealth giant says hackers stole customer support ticket data over the course of several days in February. Read More A message from Stripe Complimentary pass to Sessions with code s26techcrunch100 Join Stripe at Sessions 2026—the internet economy conference—happening April 29–30 in San Francisco. Join fellow business leaders, founders, and developers to explore the latest in financial technology, global commerce, and strategies for growth. Register with code s26techcrunch100 for a complimentary pass. 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 Cash App launches 'pay later' feature for P2P transfers: Block says that the new feature has strong built-in protections to keep users from so-called debt spirals. 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