Five architects of the AI economy explain where the wheels are coming off

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories to start your morning

View this email online in your browser  May 07, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 Five architects of the AI economy explain where the wheels are coming off: Earlier this week, five people who touch every layer of the AI supply chain sat down at the Milken Global Conference in Beverly Hills, where they talked with TechCrunch about everything from chip shortages to orbital data centers to the possibility that the whole architecture that undergirds the tech is wrong. Read More Snap says its $400M deal with Perplexity 'amicably ended': The deal, announced last November, would have seen Perplexity's AI search engine integrated directly into Snapchat. Read More A 20-minute pitch wins Indian startup Pronto backing from Lachy Groom: The investment comes as Pronto scales to 26,000 daily bookings and the market heads toward a potential $18 billion size. 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. Register Now! A message from Fidelity Your Pitch Isn’t the Only Thing Investors Are Evaluating.   Investors don’t just listen to what you say - they look at how your company operates. Is ownership clear? Do your numbers match your story? Can you answer follow-up questions without digging through spreadsheets? The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips founders with the materials investors expect to see, before pressure is on. Because confidence in the room doesn’t come from slides. It comes from preparation.  Learn More Morning Must-Reads Is xAI a neocloud now?: xAI's real business may be more about building data centers than training AI models.  Read More China's Moonshot AI raises $2B at $20B valuation as demand for open-source AI skyrockets: Moonshot's annualized recurring revenue topped $200 million in April, driven by rapid growth in paid subscriptions and API usage. Read More Insurance startup Corgi hits $1.3B valuation 4 months after its Series A: Corgi announced on Wednesday a $160 million Series B, led by TCV, valuing the startup at $1.3 billion. Read More Exhibit at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Get in front of 10,000 decision-makers before space runs out: If startup visibility, traction, and real deals matter, you should be on the TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 exhibit floor. Get your 6' exhibit table before your competitor does. Read More 2 days left: Get 50% off a second pass to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Two days left to save up to $410 on your pass, and get a second one at 50% off to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026. Offer ends May 8, 11:59 p.m. PT. Register now. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events 2 days to get a second Disrupt 2026 pass at 50% off Offer ends tomorrow, May 8, 11:59 p.m. PT, buy one pass and get a second of the same type for 50% off. Bring a partner or colleague with you and get more out of Disrupt together. Tap into 200+ sessions, make high-value connections, and gain insights that can move your startup forward or shape your next big investment. Register before time runs out. Register Now Last but Not Least Police arrest SMS blaster crew that sent malicious messages to thousands across Toronto: Toronto police said this is the "first known instance" of an SMS blaster being used in Canada. 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

How Elon Musk left OpenAI, according to Greg Brockman

Plus more of TechCrunch's top stories this afternoon

View this email online in your browser  May 06, 2026 TechCrunch Top 3 How Elon Musk left OpenAI, according to Greg Brockman: Cutthroat negotiations between startup founders are rarely shared so publicly, especially when a company becomes as world-changing as OpenAI. Read More SpaceX may spend up to $119B on 'Terafab' chip factory in Texas: The project would be a "multi-phase, next-generation, vertically integrated semiconductor manufacturing and advanced computing fabrication facility," according to the proposal. Read More AI evaluation startup Braintrust confirms breach, tells every customer to rotate sensitive keys: Braintrust, a startup that makes an “operating system for engineers building AI software,” notified customers that hackers broke into one of its Amazon cloud environments, and is asking customers to rotate their API keys. 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. Register Now! A message from Fidelity Your Pitch Isn’t the Only Thing Investors Are Evaluating.   Investors don’t just listen to what you say - they look at how your company operates. Is ownership clear? Do your numbers match your story? Can you answer follow-up questions without digging through spreadsheets? The Fundraise-Ready Startup Kit equips founders with the materials investors expect to see, before pressure is on. Because confidence in the room doesn’t come from slides. It comes from preparation.  Learn More Afternoon Must-Reads reMarkable's new Paper Pure tablet goes back to basics with a monochrome screen: The new Paper Pure is lighter and faster than the reMarkable 2, which is going to be retired six years since its launch. Read More Some kids are bypassing age-verification checks with a fake mustache: A new survey found that kids find it easy to bypass age checks, despite a rise in age-verification laws around the world. Read More 3 days left to lock in 50% off a second ticket to TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Three days left to lock in 50% off a second ticket to Disrupt 2026. Buy one TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 ticket, and get a second ticket at 50% off. Gain more visibility in the tech industry. Offer ends May 8 at 11:59 p.m. PT. Read More Is xAI a neocloud now?: xAI's real business may be more about building data centers than training AI models.  Read More Snap says its $400M deal with Perplexity 'amicably ended': The deal, announced last November, would have seen Perplexity's AI search engine integrated directly into Snapchat. Read More A message from TechCrunch Events 3 days to get a second Disrupt 2026 pass at 50% off From now until May 8, 11:59 p.m. PT, buy one pass and get a second of the same type for 50% off. Bring a partner or colleague with you and get more out of Disrupt together. Tap into 200+ sessions, make high-value connections, and gain insights that can move your startup forward or shape your next big investment. Register before time runs out. Register Now Last but Not Least Aurora lands McLane deal to run driverless truck routes in Texas: Aurora said it plans to expand to new routes between McLane distribution centers across the U.S. Sun Belt by the end of 2026. 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