Benchmark Capital invested at least $225 million in AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems' latest funding round, according to a person familiar with the deal, as the company raised $1 billion in fresh capital. The investment, part of a round that valued Cerebras at $23 billion, nearly tripled its valuation from six months prior. This news comes as Apple is reportedly working on integrating AI chatbots like ChatGPT into its CarPlay system, and WordPress launched a new Claude connector to allow users to share back-end data with Anthropic's chatbot system.
Benchmark's investment was made through two separate vehicles, both called Benchmark Infrastructure, due to the firm's policy of keeping its funds under $450 million, according to regulatory filings. Benchmark had previously led Cerebras' $27 million Series A in 2016. The new funding round was led by Tiger Global.
In other tech news, Apple is exploring ways to integrate AI chatbot apps into CarPlay, according to Bloomberg, which cited anonymous sources. CarPlay, which runs on an iPhone and wirelessly connects to a vehicle's infotainment system, already allows users to interact with apps like Apple Music and navigation through Siri. The next-generation CarPlay Ultra will expand this functionality to include the central touchscreen display and digital dashboard.
Meanwhile, WordPress has launched a new Claude connector, enabling site owners to share back-end data with Anthropic's chatbot system. Users can control which data they share and revoke access as needed. Claude will have read-only access, preventing it from altering anything within a user's CMS. However, WordPress had previously indicated it would eventually offer write access, potentially allowing users to conduct editorial tasks directly from a connected chatbot.
The intersection of AI and technology continues to be a major focus, as evidenced by the Super Bowl advertisements. Brands like Svedka Vodka are leveraging AI to create commercials, with Svedka's ad, "Shake Your Bots Off," being primarily AI-generated.
HBO's financial thriller "Industry" is also tackling the subject of tech fraud. The show's current season follows a hunt to expose a fraudulent fintech company called Tender, which appears to be built on fabricated numbers, according to the show.
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