So long and thanks for all the posts

Top News

• RIP Typepad: Remember Typepad? The early blogging service launched way way back in 2003, and at one time, served as the internet home base for major news organizations and publications like ABC, Sky News, and MSNBC. But of course, that was long ago, and even before blogging as a pursuit started to lag in popularity behind social media and short-form video, WordPress and other platforms had largely eclipsed Typepad’s offerings. The service stopped onboarding new users in 2020 and announced that it will completely shut down on September 30. Truly, it’s the end of an era.

• Commonwealth funds a fusion power plant: Commonwealth Fusion Systems raised an additional $863 million this week to continue development on their commercial fusion electrical plant project in Virginia. Investors include Nvidia’s NVentures division, Khosla Ventures, and Google parent Alphabet Inc. So far, the Massachusetts-based company has raised about $3 billion toward its plan to build a functioning fusion power plant, which is roughly 1/3rd of the total funds raised by the entire fusion industry to date. CEO Bob Mumgaard told press that a demonstration-ready system is around 65% complete and he expects to reach a “critical technical milestone” by 2027.

• AI agents you can actually rely on? The team from year-old startup Maisa AI wants to rethink how enterprises approach AI agents. Rather than attempting to design and train agents for specific, intricate tasks, Maisa is developing a process to help companies build out needed AI applications themselves. They call their system HALP, or Human-Augmented LLM Processing. It allows enterprise teams, in real time, to outline their needs for the benefit of “digital workers,” which then lay out a custom, transparent, and thus accountable process for completing that work. Simultaneously, Maisa is also developing a Knowledge Processing Unit (or KPU), designed to limit AI hallucinations, and also aimed at boosting trust in LLM-based applications.

TWiST500

It’s a big news day all around in the tech world but for no single company more than TWiST 500 AI juggernaut Anthropic, the makers of our show’s digital co-producer, Claude.

The big big story? Anthropic plans to team with another TWiST 500 favorite — ChatGPT makers OpenAI — on a new safety testing protocol, in a rare example of cross-collaboration across elite AI labs. The companies will grant one another “special API access” to their models with fewer safeguards than the publicly-available versions, allowing them to seek out safety and alignment “blind spots” that the original model makers might have overlooked. OpenAI co-founder Wojciech Zaremba explained to TechCrunch that the time is right for these kinds of essential collaborations, as AI enters a “consequential” stage in its development. (It’s also notably happening during a moment of increased tension between the two companies. Earlier this month, Anthropic revoked some of OpenAI’s API access, after alleging it was using Claude to develop a competing product.)

For an indication of just how tricky it can be to keep these models safe and secure, we turn to Anthropic’s new Threat Intelligence report, released just yesterday. It’s chock full of examples of Claude mis-use and abuse which the company has attempted to confront. That includes an alleged cybercrime ring that had been creating fake websites using Claude Code, a North Korean program manipulating their way into jobs at US Fortune 500 companies, and a Telegram scam using Claude to catfish and simulate romantic conversations with unsuspecting victims.

Anthropic concedes that, while its anti-fraud measures are “generally effective” and they company has developed ”sophisticated safety and security measures” to avoid abuse, some bad actors still manage to find their way around these safeguards.

Finally, in a new blog post this week, Anthropic announced plans to begin training future AI models on user data, including their Claude chat transcripts and coding sessions. Users can still opt out of being used to train future models but ONLY until September 28. Otherwise, Anthropic plans to hang on to your data for five years. – Lon

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This Week in Startups

E2170: On Wednesday’s new TWiST, Jason and Alex survey the flood of AI-powered note-taking apps and debate whether there’s any more need for Granola now that Notion has its own native version. PLUS another death has been linked to ChatGPT… is it too easy to get around OpenAI’s safeguards? Is it time for Apple to just buy its way to AI success? Will the US Navy clear a path for more defense tech startups? PLUS a check-in with Colin Russ, whose viral X thread suggested companies may be posting fake jobs to manipulate the H-1B visa process. Check it out!

E2169: It’s an all-new TWiST! Jason and Alex start off by talking about cycles of cynicism, and how even the most amazing technological innovations are always greeted by raised eyebrows, doubt, and trepidation. Then it’s on to a huge news day, with updates about Intel, AirBnB’s co-founder joining the government, the Netskope IPO, Perplexity’s rev share deal with publishers, and much much more.

E2168: On today’s TWiST, some of the fallout from Terra and Luna’s $60 billion implosion, more hints about a potential September rate cut, Canva’s making a major comeback (and feuding with Figma), PLUS OpenAI officially crossed $1 billion in monthly revenue. Finally, Jason and Alex consider Uber’s latest robotaxi push, and why it has already sparked protests from Wuhan to Boston.

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Angel University is Back!

Jason and Mike Savino are hosting our next virtual Angel University workshop on Tuesday, October 7. Jason will share proven strategies he’s used to invest $200M+ in over 500 startups. Whether you’re new to angel investing or looking to sharpen your skills, this is your chance to learn directly from one of the most active angel investors in the world. Register now at angel.university!

Founder U is Coming to the MENA Region!

Our 12-week pre-accelerator—designed to help early-stage founders build and grow—kicks off this fall in Saudi Arabia. The first cohort launches in Riyadh on November 3rd, followed by in-person and virtual sessions throughout the program. Founders in MENA: this is your chance to turn your idea into a business and get world-class insights on building a successful startup. Apply today: https://mena.founder.university/

SF Live-Work Space Now Available

Need a flexible living and working environment in San Francisco? This thoughtfully designed loft-style residence at 787 Bryant St., the heart of the vibrant SOMA district and the city’s creative hub, is now available for rent or purchase. Check the listing for more details.

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