Day September 14, 2026

At Disrupt 2026, AI Founders Face the Real Rival: The Platform Beneath Them

AI defensibility is now a top concern for startups as OpenAI and rivals ship more features. TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will tackle the issue directly.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will spotlight AI biology, de-extinction, and Colossal CEO Ben Lamm in a major conservation debate.

Superhuman acquires Fathom to strengthen AI productivity tools and turn meeting notes into automated work across its platform.

A Vinyl Bar in Shibuya raised $5.5M to build playful music apps that avoid AI prompting and focus on remixing, sharing and collaboration.

The Disrupt 2026 exhibit table deadline is Sept. 18. Here’s what startups get, who should exhibit, and why the Expo Hall matters.

Microsoft’s humanist AI code puts people first as safety fears grow around agents, consciousness claims and runaway model behavior.

AI slowdown calls from top labs clash with Trump’s team, which says companies must act alone as the US races China.

New research shows deepfake porn sites targeted 138 women MPs across Europe, revealing a growing threat to democracy and women in politics.

AI fiction is attracting committed users, new research finds, with chatbots generating custom stories, role-play and erotica at scale.