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California has passed a bill granting Uber and Lyft drivers the right to unionize as independent contractors. This legislation is part of a broader agreement between lawmakers, unions, and ride-hailing companies. More than 800,000 drivers in California will now have the ability to collectively bargain for improved pay and benefits. Uber's head of public policy in California views the bill as a compromise that reduces costs for riders while empowering drivers.
New PitchBook data reveals a significant shift in startup investment, with AI projected to account for over half of all VC funding in 2025. VCs have invested $192.7 billion in AI this year out of a total of $366.8 billion. In the latest quarter, AI received 62.7% of U.S. VC investments and 53.2% of global investments.
Much of the funding is directed towards major players like Anthropic, which secured a $13 billion Series F. The number of successful startups and venture funds raising capital is at its lowest in years, with only 823 funds raised globally in 2025 compared to 4,430 in 2022.
PitchBook's Kyle Sanford describes the market as "bifurcated," emphasizing the growing divide between AI-focused entities and others, as well as the dominance of large firms.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos predicts that millions will inhabit space within the next few decades. He believes people will choose to live in space, with robots handling labor and AI data centers floating above. Bezos defended the AI investment boom as a 'good' bubble, expressing optimism about the future during his appearance at Italian Tech Week in Turin.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, speaking at Italian Tech Week, predicted that millions of people will inhabit space in the coming decades. He envisions robots handling labor and vast AI data centers in orbit. This prediction echoes Elon Musk's Mars colonization ambitions. Bezos also defended the AI investment boom, labeling it a 'good' industrial bubble.
OpenAI has acquired Roi, an AI-powered personal finance app, in a move to strengthen its focus on personalized AI consumer products. Only Roi's CEO and co-founder, Sujith Vishwajith, will join OpenAI. Roi will cease operations on October 15.
This acquisition follows a series of acqui-hires by OpenAI, including Context.ai, Crossing Minds, and Alex. Roi, founded in 2022 and backed by investors like Balaji Srinivasan, aimed to provide personalized financial experiences by aggregating a user's financial footprint into one app.
Roi's AI companion adapted to user preferences, reflecting OpenAI's vision of adaptive, personalized AI. This aligns with OpenAI's existing consumer efforts, such as Pulse, Sora, and Instant Checkout. The acquisition underscores OpenAI's commitment to building end-user apps and leveraging talent like Vishwajith, who has a track record of optimizing user behavior to drive revenue.
Naveen Rao, former AI head at Databricks, is reportedly raising $1 billion at a $5 billion valuation for his new startup, Unconventional Inc., focused on developing a novel computer architecture for AI. Andreessen Horowitz is expected to lead the investment, with participation from Lightspeed and Lux Capital. The company aims to create a computer that mirrors the efficiency of the human brain. Rao's previous venture, MosaicML, was acquired by Databricks for $1.3 billion. Unconventional Inc. will compete with Nvidia by designing custom silicon chips and server infrastructure.
Google is experimenting with a visually focused revamp of the Gemini AI app, shifting from a chatbot-style interface to a scrollable feed with suggested prompts and images. The new interface includes shortcut buttons for tasks like 'Create Image' and 'Deep Research.' The goal is to inspire users with specific suggestions and make the app more visually appealing, potentially challenging OpenAI's ChatGPT. The revamp could also capitalize on the demand for Google's AI image model, Nano Banana.