An accounting startup has turned tax preparations into a Pokémon Showdown game

An accounting startup has turned tax preparations into a Pokémon Showdown game

Accounting software company Open Ledger has launched a new product in time for tax day.  Meet PokéTax, a game that helps make tax filing quite fun. Instead of tax forms, users take on Tax Trainers — gym leaders — representing different parts of a tax form, such as income, deductions, and credits. Each leader asks…

CaaStle board confirms financial distress, furloughing employees

CaaStle board confirms financial distress, furloughing employees

CaaStle, a startup that launched in 2011 as a plus-sized clothing subscription service and later became an inventory monetization platform for clothing retailers, is facing financial difficulties, the company confirmed to TechCrunch following a report by Axios. Citing a letter from the board, Axios reported that the company is almost out of money, CEO Christine…

Researchers suggest OpenAI trained AI models on paywalled O’Reilly books

Researchers suggest OpenAI trained AI models on paywalled O’Reilly books

OpenAI has been accused by many parties of training its AI on copyrighted content sans permission. Now a new paper by an AI watchdog organization makes the serious accusation that the company increasingly relied on non-public books it didn’t license to train more sophisticated AI models. AI models are essentially complex prediction engines. Trained on…

Tinder’s new AI-powered game assesses your flirting skills

Tinder’s new AI-powered game assesses your flirting skills

You know the online dating scene is bad when dating giants like Tinder are now introducing AI personas for users to flirt with. On Tuesday, the company announced a new game powered by OpenAI, allowing users to interact with an AI bot to practice flirting, reenact meet-cute scenarios, and receive scores with suggestions for improving…

Construct Capital raises $300M fund for defense and manufacturing tech

Construct Capital raises $300M fund for defense and manufacturing tech

Construct Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in startups applying technology to sectors like manufacturing, transportation, and defense, has closed its third fund with $300 million in capital commitments. The Washington, D.C.-based firm previously raised a $225 million second fund and a $75 million capital pool for later-stage companies in 2022. While many…

OpenAI plans to release a new ‘open’ AI language model in the coming months

OpenAI plans to release a new ‘open’ AI language model in the coming months

OpenAI says that it intends to release its first “open” language model since GPT‑2 “in the coming months.” That’s according to a feedback form the company published on its website Monday. The form, which OpenAI is inviting “developers, researchers, and [members of] the broader community” to fill out, includes questions like “What would you like…

Last day to save $300+ on founder & investor passes for All Stage

Last day to save $300+ on founder & investor passes for All Stage

Last chance! Less than 24 hours left to grab your $300+ discount on TechCrunch All Stage founder and investor passes. Planning to bring more than just you? Bundle tickets for even greater savings! Don’t wait — prices rise at 11:59 p.m. PT tonight. TC All Stage is the ultimate event where founders turbocharge growth, and…