Google reportedly used ChatGPT to train Bard, denies allegations, Apple pushes back headset production

The Information sources: A high-ranking Google AI engineer left the company to join OpenAI earlier this year due to Google using ChatGPT interactions to train its Bard chatbot; Google has denied these claims - Link

NYT sources: Twitter will not charge its top 500 advertisers and top 10K most-followed organizations $1000/month to maintain verification status - Link

Insider Ming-Chi Kuo: Apple pushed back mass production of its mixed reality headset to the middle/end of Q3 due to lacking optimism that the reveal will create another "iPhone moment" - Link

Meta execs are considering banning political ads in the EU due to being unsure if these types of ads will comply with new EU regulations re: online campaigning - Link

Turn your idea into a new website! Go to Squarespace.com/TWIST for a free trial. When you're ready to launch, use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain.

This Week in Startups

Jason hosts another pitch competition featuring three startups from our Founder University program and invests $25K into the winner! - Link

Text-to-image startup Midjourney ended its free trial program, citing "extraordinary demand and trial abuse"; this comes after multiple Midjourney-generated images went viral, including ones depicting Trump’s arrest - Link

LeapXpert, a startup that helps companies message customers through various chat apps while maintaining compliance standards, raised a $22M Series A led by Rockefeller Asset Management - Link

Inato, a startup that connects pharma companies to clinical trial sites, raised a $20M Series A2 led by Cathay Innovation - Link

Fixie, a Seattle-based startup that aims to help developers integrate any LLM into their apps, raised a $17M Seed led by Redpoint - Link

This Week in Startups

E1709: Startup pitch competition: Jason invests $25K live!

E1708: Alibaba's six-way split, Disney cuts its metaverse team, Substack's raise & more

E1707: First Citizens acquires SVB, the daunting reality of AI & Refiberd CEO Sarika Bajaj

E1706: Acquired’s Ben Gilbert & David Rosenthal on private markets, ZIRP impact, future of Amazon

E1705: TikTok CEO grilled in front of Congress, Coinbase's Wells Notice & Do Kwon arrested

Squarespace - Use code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain

Embroker - Use code TWIST to get an extra 10% off insurance

CacheFly - Get 10 terabytes free by signing up