Commercial Release AI News & Updates

Humans& Raises $480M to Build Foundation Model for AI-Powered Team Coordination

Humans&, a startup founded by former employees of Anthropic, Meta, OpenAI, xAI, and Google DeepMind, has raised a $480 million seed round to develop a foundation model focused on social intelligence and team coordination rather than traditional chatbot capabilities. The company plans to build a new model architecture trained using long-horizon and multi-agent reinforcement learning to enable AI systems that can coordinate people, manage group decisions, and serve as connective tissue across organizations. The startup aims to create both the model and product interface together, positioning itself as a coordination layer rather than a plugin for existing collaboration tools.

Neurophos Raises $110M for Optical AI Chips Claiming 50x Efficiency Over Nvidia

Neurophos, a Duke University spinout, has raised $110 million led by Gates Frontier to develop optical processing units using metamaterial-based metasurface modulators for AI inferencing. The startup claims its photonic chips will deliver 235 POPS at 675 watts compared to Nvidia's B200 at 9 POPS at 1,000 watts, representing a claimed 50x advantage in energy efficiency and speed. Production is expected by mid-2028 using standard silicon foundry processes.

SGLang Spins Out as RadixArk at $400M Valuation Amid Inference Infrastructure Boom

RadixArk, a commercial startup built around the popular open-source SGLang tool for AI model inference optimization, has raised funding at a $400 million valuation led by Accel. The company, founded by former xAI engineer Ying Sheng and originating from UC Berkeley's Databricks co-founder Ion Stoica's lab, focuses on making AI models run faster and more efficiently. This follows a broader trend of inference infrastructure startups raising significant capital, with competitors like vLLM pursuing $160M at $1B valuation and Baseten securing $300M at $5B valuation.

Apple Developing ChatGPT-Style Siri Chatbot for iOS 27, Codenamed "Campos"

Apple is reportedly developing a major Siri overhaul that will transform it into an AI chatbot similar to ChatGPT, with the feature codenamed "Campos" potentially debuting at WWDC in June for iOS 27. The chatbot will support both voice and text inputs, representing a strategic shift for Apple as it partners with Google's Gemini technology after lagging in the AI race. This move comes as Apple faces competitive pressure from AI chatbot success and OpenAI's entry into hardware development led by former Apple designer Jony Ive.

Humans& Raises $480M Seed Round to Build Collaborative AI That Empowers Rather Than Replaces People

Humans&, a three-month-old AI startup founded by former researchers from Anthropic, xAI, and Google, has raised $480 million in seed funding at a $4.48 billion valuation. The company aims to develop "human-centric" AI that facilitates collaboration between people rather than replacing them, focusing on innovations in reinforcement learning, multi-agent systems, and memory. Investors include Nvidia, Jeff Bezos, Google Ventures, and Emerson Collective.

OpenAI Leads $250M Investment in Sam Altman's Brain-Computer Interface Startup Merge Labs

OpenAI has invested in CEO Sam Altman's brain-computer interface startup Merge Labs, leading its $250 million seed round at an $850 million valuation. The company aims to develop non-invasive neural interfaces using molecules and ultrasound to connect humans with AI, competing with Elon Musk's Neuralink. The investment raises concerns about circular dealing, as Merge Labs could function as a "remote control" for OpenAI's software, potentially driving users to OpenAI while increasing the value of Altman's personal holdings.

OpenAI Secures $10 Billion Multi-Year Compute Deal with AI Chipmaker Cerebras

OpenAI has signed a multi-year agreement worth over $10 billion with AI chipmaker Cerebras to deliver 750 megawatts of compute capacity from 2026 through 2028. The deal aims to provide faster, low-latency inference capabilities for OpenAI's customers, with Cerebras claiming its AI-specific chips outperform traditional GPU-based systems. This partnership strengthens OpenAI's compute infrastructure strategy while Cerebras continues raising capital ahead of its delayed IPO.

Skild AI Raises $1.4B at $14B Valuation for General-Purpose Robot Foundation Models

Skild AI, a startup founded in 2023, has raised $1.4 billion in a Series C round led by SoftBank, valuing the company at over $14 billion. The company develops general-purpose foundation models for robots that can be retrofitted to various robots and tasks with minimal additional training, aiming to enable robots to learn by observing humans.

Anthropic Launches Cowork: Simplified AI Agent for Non-Technical Users

Anthropic has announced Cowork, a more accessible version of Claude Code built into the Claude Desktop app that allows users to designate folders for Claude to read and modify files through a chat interface. Currently in research preview for Max subscribers, the tool is designed for non-technical users to accomplish tasks like assembling expense reports or managing media files without requiring command-line knowledge. Anthropic warns of potential risks including prompt injection and file deletion, recommending clear instructions from users.

Apple Partners with Google to Integrate Gemini AI Models into Siri and Apple Intelligence

Apple has officially partnered with Google to use Gemini models and cloud technology to power AI features including an upgraded Siri assistant. The multi-year, non-exclusive deal reportedly worth around $1 billion comes after Apple's AI efforts lagged behind competitors, though the company maintains its focus on privacy with on-device processing. The partnership occurs amid Google's ongoing antitrust battles over exclusive default agreements with Apple.