Telegram has become profitable, generating over $1 billion in revenue in 2024. The company's premium subscription service, launched in 2022, now has 12 million paid users. Telegram also has over $500 million in cash reserves and has repaid a significant portion of its $2 billion debt.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

Eero's Outdoor 7 long-distance mesh unit solves Wi-Fi connectivity issues in a remote cabin and barn, providing reliable coverage for devices 300 feet away.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

Lilium, an electric aircraft startup, has ceased operations and laid off about 1,000 workers due to failed financing and insolvency efforts.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

Quantization, a technique used to make AI models more efficient, has limits and the industry may be approaching them.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

X is increasing the price of its Premium+ subscription service by 37.5% to $22 per month in the U.S. starting December 21st. Existing subscribers will keep their current rates until January 20th. International markets will also see price increases.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

OpenAI released a new family of AI reasoning models, o3, which is more advanced than its previous model o1. The company used a new safety paradigm called 'deliberative alignment' to train the models and ensure they stay aligned with human values.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

Palantir and Anduril are forming a consortium with tech companies to bid on Pentagon contracts, aiming to challenge traditional defense contractors.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

Sriram Krishnan has been named as senior policy advisor for AI at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy under President Donald Trump. He will work with the president's council of advisors on science and technology and collaborate with David Sacks, Trump's crypto and AI 'czar'.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

Apple is reportedly developing a smart doorbell that uses FaceID technology to unlock a deadbolt lock for residents, with a potential release in 2025 or later.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/

OpenAI announced the successors to its o1 reasoning model family, o3 and o3-mini, which are not yet widely available but can be previewed by safety researchers.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/tag/ai/