TechCrunch Top 3

Grok keeps sending gibberish responses to users: Affected users told TechCrunch they were using Grok Lite, and noticed the issues as early as Wednesday morning. Read More

Mark buys a castle: Mark Zuckerberg just bought a cozy abode somewhat close to Meta’s international headquarters in Ireland. Read More

A third of web pages published since ChatGPT's launch show signs of AI authorship, study finds: ChatGPT and other AI models are now authoring and editing much of the new web. Read More

Afternoon Must-Reads

Inertia Enterprises finds a way to make its fusion fuel fast: Fusion power startup Inertia Enterprises reduced the fuel filling process from a week to just a few hours. It's one of 10 hurdles the company must overcome to make a profitable power plant. Read More

Someone targeted security researchers using a fake crypto conference as a lure: A hacker pretending to work for a leading cryptocurrency news website targeted several cybersecurity professionals using Google Docs as a way to deliver malware. Read More

US says hackers are targeting vulnerable water systems with the help of AI: Hackers are targeting internet-connected Siemens controllers used in water facilities around the United States. Read More

The 2026 Startup Battlefield 200 is here — see who made the cut: We’re thrilled to unveil the 2026 Startup Battlefield 200, our annual handpicked list of the 200 most promising early-stage startups from around the world. Read More

Apollo Atomics wants to make nuclear power cheaper by shrinking an overlooked part: Y Combinator alumnus Apollo Atomics is shrinking a key nuclear reactor part, which promises to slash the cost of electricity below natural gas. Read More

Last but Not Least

Early Cerebras investor Adit Singh joins Mayfield as infrastructure partner: At Mayfield, Singh will focus on semiconductor, cybersecurity, and physical AI investments. Read More