This week’s top tech news includes a surprise 12-day reveal from OpenAI, disappointing Spotify Wrapped, and an app that predicts when you’ll die.
OpenAI launched its “12 Days of OpenAI” event, livestreaming updates and new features every weekday through December 23. The company revealed a $200 per month subscription tier for power users of ChatGPT and the full version of its “reasoning” o1 model. Users can follow along with all product announcements on TechCrunch’s live blog.
Spotify Wrapped, the music streaming service’s year-in-review feature, was met with disappointment from many users. The biggest complaints are about the inclusion of an AI podcast over other data stories and the lack of detailed stats and specific information like top music genres.
Meanwhile, a Delaware Chancery court judge denied Tesla’s request to revise her decision on CEO Elon Musk’s $56 billion pay package. She stated that Tesla’s legal team has “no procedural ground for flipping the outcome” and that the attempt to change her mind contained fatal flaws.
Other tech news includes Google losing three key leaders, SpaceX mulling a big tender offer, an electric popemobile from Mercedes-Benz, Intel’s CEO retiring, and Hello Dia, a new web browser focused on AI tools. The company Bluesky is also exploring the possibility of ads, while users discovered that asking questions about “David Mayer” caused ChatGPT to freeze due to digital privacy requests.
Finally, an app called Death Clock claims to predict when its users will die and offers tips on how to push back their predicted date. The app’s features were tested by a colleague who, in contrast to the app’s predictions, is still alive.
TechCrunch’s analysis highlights the weirdness of AI ads, which often paint AI as magical and amorphous, implying that it can do almost anything.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/07/openai-bets-youll-pay-200-a-month-for-chatgpt