July 02, 2026

TechCrunch Top 3

Meta quietly launches vibe-coded gaming app Pocket: Meta has quietly launched Pocket, an experimental AI app that lets users generate and share interactive mini games using text prompts. Read More

A warning sign about AI’s real cost, courtesy of Google and Amazon: AI has made it a lot harder for tech companies like Amazon and Google to deliver on their net-zero pledges. Read More

Jersey Mike's IPO illustrates how bad the AI hype has become: Just for kicks, I took a look at Jersey Mike's IPO documents. Surely a sandwich shop would have no need to mention AI. But low and behold. Read More

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Afternoon Must-Reads

Microsoft launches its own AI deployment company with $2.5 billion commitment: Microsoft follows Amazon, OpenAI, and Anthropic with its new AI deployment group. Read More

US government says it got hacked — again: A top Democrat on the Senate's Intelligence Committee warned that the information accessed on a Homeland Security intelligence-sharing network may risk national security. Read More

OpenAI proposed donating 5% of its equity to a US sovereign wealth fund: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has reportedly proposed giving 5% of the company’s equity to a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, reviving discussions about letting the public share in the financial gains from the AI boom. Read More

Popular TV-tracking app TV Time is shutting down as company focuses on AI: TV Time, the popular TV-tracking app, is shutting down on July 15 as parent company Whip Media pivots toward enterprise AI products. Read More

Yep, we're using OpenClaw to date now: Ben Guez has "a bunch of potential international wives in [his] DMs," thanks to an automated script he set up using OpenClaw, Claude code, and Instagram trials. Read More

Last but Not Least

Anthropic is discussing a new custom chip with Samsung: The news comes about a week after OpenAI announced its own custom AI chip in a partnership with Broadcom. Read More

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