Crypto.com Bets Big on AI, Super Bowl Ads Go Wild

Crypto.com made history with a $70 million purchase of the domain AI.com, the most expensive domain acquisition ever, just in time for the Super Bowl. The deal, paid entirely in cryptocurrency, was facilitated by broker Larry Fischer and will be unveiled during the big game, according to TechCrunch. The site is intended to offer consumers a personal AI agent for messaging, app usage, and stock trading.

The purchase reflects the growing interest in artificial intelligence, with Crypto.com founder Kris Marszalek telling the Financial Times that he believes AI will be "one of the greatest technological waves of our lifetime." The move comes as AI continues to make waves in the tech world, including in Super Bowl advertisements.

Several brands showcased AI in their multimillion-dollar ad spots during the 2026 Super Bowl, following a trend from the previous year, according to TechCrunch. Svedka Vodka, for example, debuted what it touted as the first primarily AI-generated national Super Bowl spot. The 30-second ad, titled "Shake Your Bots Off," featured the company's robot character, Fembot, and her new companion, Brobot.

However, not all AI-related Super Bowl news was legitimate. A "leaked" ad for OpenAI, featuring actor Alexander Skarsgård, was revealed to be a hoax, according to The Verge.

In other AI-related news, Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving company, is expanding its robotaxi services. Waymo now operates in six markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Phoenix, and plans to add over a dozen new cities internationally, including London and Tokyo. The company has $16 billion to fuel this expansion, according to TechCrunch.

The use of AI is also being explored in other creative fields. A startup is working to recreate lost footage from Orson Welles' classic film "The Magnificent Ambersons" using generative AI, according to TechCrunch. The project, spearheaded by Edward Saatchi, stems from a genuine love of Welles and his work.