Benchmark Capital invested at least $225 million in AI chipmaker Cerebras Systems' latest funding round, according to a person familiar with the deal. The investment was part of a $1 billion capital raise that valued Cerebras at $23 billion, nearly tripling its valuation in just six months. The news comes as Apple is reportedly working to integrate AI chatbots like ChatGPT into its CarPlay system, and brands are increasingly leveraging AI in Super Bowl advertisements.
Benchmark's investment in Cerebras was facilitated through two separate funds, both called Benchmark Infrastructure, as the firm typically keeps its funds under $450 million, according to regulatory filings. The firm initially backed Cerebras in 2016, leading its $27 million Series A round. The recent funding round was led by Tiger Global, with Benchmark contributing a significant portion.
Meanwhile, Apple is exploring ways to incorporate AI chatbots into CarPlay, according to Bloomberg, which cited anonymous sources. CarPlay allows users to project apps from their iPhones onto their vehicle's infotainment system, interacting with them through Siri. The next-generation CarPlay Ultra is expected to offer even more functionality, including control of vehicle settings.
In other tech news, the HBO financial thriller "Industry" is currently featuring a storyline about a fraudulent fintech company. The show follows an investment firm investigating a company built on fabricated numbers, highlighting the potential for tech fraud.
Furthermore, AI continues to make inroads in advertising. The Super Bowl saw brands like Svedka Vodka using AI to create commercials. Svedka's ad, titled "Shake Your Bots Off," was touted as the first primarily AI-generated national Super Bowl spot.
In a separate development, WordPress launched a new Claude connector, allowing site owners to share back-end data with Anthropic's chatbot system. Users can control the data shared and revoke access. Claude will have read-only access, preventing alterations to the user's CMS. The connector allows users to ask questions about their site data, such as summarizing web traffic or analyzing popular posts.
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