Week in Review
News
- OpenAI could charge up to $20,000 per month for specialized AI "agents." According to a report from The Information, OpenAI intends to launch several "agent" products tailored for different applications. One of the rumored agents, said to be priced at $20,000 a month, will be aimed at supporting "PhD-level research." The jaw-dropping figure is indicative of how much cash OpenAI needs right now: The company lost roughly $5 billion last year after paying for costs related to running its services and other expenses.
- Scale AI is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor for compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, which regulates unpaid wages, misclassification of employees as contractors, and illegal retaliation against workers. The investigation has been active since at least August 2024 and is still ongoing, according to a source familiar with the matter. A spokesperson for Scale AI told TechCrunch that the investigation was initiated during the previous presidential administration and that the startup felt its work was misunderstood by regulators then.
Analysis
- Why is Signal such a hit in the Netherlands? Privacy-focused messaging app Signal has been flying high in the Dutch app stores this past month, often sitting at the top as the most downloaded free app on iOS and Android across all categories. While it’s difficult to pinpoint one specific reason as to why, Bits of Freedom senior policy adviser Rejo Zenger is not surprised. Recent developments in the U.S. have seen the big platform providers align with the new Trump administration, and Europe’s reliance on technology from huge private U.S. companies has become a focal point in that debate.
Other News
- Welcome back, Digg: One of the web’s early news aggregators is back under the ownership of its original founder Kevin Rose and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian. Rose told TechCrunch that the revived Digg won’t be like "your old-school forums."
- Google, look at my screen: Google unveiled a new Gemini feature called "Screenshare" at Mobile World Congress 2025 that will let users share what’s on their phone’s screen with the AI chatbot and ask questions about what it sees in real-time.
- An "AI phone" for less than $1K: Deutsche Telekom announced that it is building an "AI Phone," a low-cost handset created in close collaboration with Perplexity. DT plans to unveil the device in the second half of the year and it will start selling it in 2026 for less than $1,000.
- It’sa me, artificial intelligence! UCSD research org Hao AI Lab threw AI models into a Super Mario Bros. emulator to benchmark performance. Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 performed the best, whereas OpenAI’s GPT-4o struggled.
- Volkswagen’s cheapest EV ever: Volkswagen this week revealed the ultra-cheap EV called the ID EVERY1. According to a source familiar with the new model, the small four-door hatchback will be the first to roll out with software and architecture from Rivian.
Features
- Going ghost mode: Getting ghosted is never fun — especially if you’re a founder seeking capital from investors. TechCrunch spoke to several VCs about why they ghost and how founders can make a more meaningful impression.
- ChatGPT can directly edit your code: The newest version of the macOS ChatGPT app can directly edit code in supported developer tools. ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers can use the feature now, and the company plans to roll it out to more users next week.
- A cool use case for AI: Wildlife researchers use camera traps to study animal populations, but it can take weeks to sift through all that data. Now Google has open-sourced SpeciesNet, an AI model that can identify animal species by analyzing photos from camera traps.
- A new way to watch YouTube ad-free: YouTube Lite is a new subscription tier that lets users watch most videos ad-free for $7.99 per month. However, it won’t have Premium features like downloads, background play, or the ability to watch music videos ad-free.
- All hail the woolly mouse: Colossal Biosciences, which is trying to resurrect the woolly mammoth by 2028, has made an adorable inroad by genetically engineering mice to have mammoth-like fur. These are the cutest things I’ve ever seen. I cannot recommend watching the video enough.
Conclusion
In this week’s Week in Review, we’ve seen a range of exciting developments in the world of technology. From OpenAI’s potential for charging $20,000 a month for specialized AI agents to the return of early-internet darling Digg, there’s been no shortage of fascinating news. We’ve also seen new features and products emerge, from Google’s Screenshare to Volkswagen’s affordable electric vehicle. And, of course, we’ve had our usual dose of AI-related news, from the latest developments in natural language processing to the use of AI in wildlife research.
FAQs
Q: What is OpenAI’s potential plan for charging $20,000 a month for specialized AI agents?
A: According to a report from The Information, OpenAI intends to launch several "agent" products tailored for different applications, with one rumored agent priced at $20,000 a month supporting "PhD-level research."
Q: Why is Scale AI being investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor?
A: The investigation is focused on Scale AI’s compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act, which regulates unpaid wages, misclassification of employees as contractors, and illegal retaliation against workers.
Q: What is Google’s new Gemini feature called "Screenshare"?
A: Google’s Screenshare feature will let users share what’s on their phone’s screen with the AI chatbot and ask questions about what it sees in real-time.
