Crypto.com founder Kris Marszalek made the priciest domain purchase in history, buying AI.com for $70 million, according to the Financial Times. The deal, paid entirely in cryptocurrency to an unknown seller, shatters previous records and is set to debut during the Super Bowl.
Marszalek plans to use the site to offer consumers a personal AI agent for messaging, app usage, and stock trading. "If you take a long-term view – 10 to 20 years – AI is going to be one of the greatest technological waves of our lifetime," he told the FT. The purchase comes as the crypto industry continues to make significant investments.
In other tech news, Gather AI, a startup specializing in AI for warehouse cameras and drones, raised a $40 million Series B funding round led by Smith Point Capital, the VC firm founded by former Salesforce co-CEO Keith Block. The Gather team first met Smith Point a year ago at a logistics conference. Gather AI's founders met as PhD students at Carnegie Mellon University, where they built one of the first autonomous helicopters.
Meanwhile, Amazon's documentary "Melania" saw a significant drop in its second weekend at the box office, falling 67% to an estimated $2.37 million. The film, which Amazon spent $40 million to acquire and $35 million to market, has grossed a total of $13.5 million so far, making it unlikely to break even in theaters. Before the release, a former Amazon film executive questioned the price tag, suggesting it may have been motivated by factors other than the film's merits.
In the realm of transportation, Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving company, is expanding its robotaxi services. Waymo now operates in six markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, and Miami, with plans to grow its fleet to more than a dozen new cities internationally, including London and Tokyo. The company has $16 billion to fuel that expansion.
Finally, a startup's plan to recreate lost footage from Orson Welles' classic film "The Magnificent Ambersons" using generative AI has garnered attention. According to a profile by The New Yorker, the project stems from a genuine love of Welles and his work. The startup's founder, Edward Saatchi, recalled a childhood filled with watching films, suggesting a deep-seated passion for the project.
AI-Assisted Journalism
This article was generated with AI assistance, synthesizing reporting from multiple credible news sources. Our editorial team reviews AI-generated content for accuracy.
Deep insights powered by AI
Continue exploring
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment