Tuesday, May 13, 2025

Welcome to TC PM! Today we have the details on Microsoft's upcoming layoffs; we learn about a new TikTok feature that turns pictures into videos; and we have confirmation that the Trump administration will take a different approach to AI chip export controls than the Biden administration did.

TechCrunch Top 3

Image Credits: Fabrice Coffrini / AFP / Getty Images

😞 Microsoft layoffs: Microsoft will lay off 3% of its workforce, which equates to around 6,500 people. This is the company's largest round of layoffs since 2023, when it laid off 10,000 people, and comes just a few weeks after the company posted better-than-expected Q1 earnings.

📝 Note-taking with Notion: Notion released an AI-powered note-taking feature today that transcribes meetings and offers a summary of notable points. This release comes as the AI-powered note-taking market continues to gain momentum.

🚂 Oh really? Federal railroad regulators are reportedly in conversation with Elon Musk's tunneling firm, The Boring Company, about an Amtrak project. The conversations are centered around whether The Boring Company could help save money on the Frederick Douglass Tunnel project.

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Afternoon must-reads

Image Credits: Yui Mok/PA Images / Getty Images

🧟 It's alive! TikTok announced a new feature today called "TikTok AI Alive" that turns photos into short-form videos. The feature is only available through TikTok's Story Camera. So, how long do we think it will take before Reels launches the same thing?

🗑️ Last-minute cancellation: Joe Biden introduced sweeping new AI chip-export restrictions just days before he left office. These restrictions, under the Artificial Intelligence Diffusion Rule, were supposed to go into effect on May 15. The Trump administration just scrapped that plan.

🚙 Let the AI drive: Google is bringing Gemini AI into cars that support Android Auto. Drivers will be able to ask Gemini to send texts or change the music. These features were already available through Google Assistant, but Gemini's natural language processing abilities will make it easier to use.

🤳 Streamer questioned: Hasan Piker, a popular left-wing political content creator and Twitch streamer, was detained at Chicago's O'Hare airport after a trip to France. He was questioned about his views on Donald Trump, Hamas, and his Twitch bans as online speech continues to be more heavily monitored.

💻 Auto software: Did you know that the average car dealership uses 40 different types of software? AutoUnify looks to change that by building an API that will allow car dealerships and service shops to talk to manufacturers and software vendors in one spot.

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Around the web

👎 Don't like that: As Big Tech companies like Meta continue to market the rise of AI therapy on their platforms, the government is actively seeking more information on citizens' online presence. Considering AI chat logs can be obtained by law enforcement with a valid warrant, The Verge argues this could get bad.

🤦‍♀️ Not good! Kanye West has a new song that is pro Nazi. While many tech companies have quickly worked to scrub the song off their platform, the same can't be said for Instagram, where the song is being shared all over and is featured in multiple Reels that have more than a million views.