Issue #28
Databricks hits $188B, Apple lawsuit shadows OpenAI IPO, and India's memory crunch
Saturday, July 18, 2026
Today covers Databricks' new valuation, how an Apple lawsuit could affect OpenAI's IPO plans, and an AI-driven memory shortage hitting India's smartphone market. We also look at Agility Robotics' expansion near Tesla, Patreon's move to block AI scrapers, Vertu's high-priced AI agent, and a Zoom feature aimed at preventing recording.
1 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Databricks hits $188B valuation, extending its run as AI’s favorite second act
Databricks reached a $188 billion valuation, continuing its repositioning as an AI company. The firm also released research on the cost savings of open weight AI models for coding.
Read the full story →2 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
How Apple’s big lawsuit could disrupt OpenAI’s IPO plans
Apple filed a trade secrets lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging a pattern of misconduct that reaches OpenAI's chief hardware officer and noting that more than 400 former Apple employees now work at the company. The suit comes as OpenAI is reportedly preparing for an IPO.
Read the full story →3 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
AI-driven memory crunch jolts India’s smartphone market
Rising memory prices driven by AI demand are contributing to a slowdown in India's smartphone market, affecting pricing and consumer demand. The shift reflects broader changes in the consumer electronics industry as the AI boom alters supply chains and corporate strategy.
Read the full story →4 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Agility Robotics plants its flag in Tesla’s backyard
Agility Robotics is opening a new training center for its Digit robots in Fremont, California, the same city where Tesla operates a major factory.
Read the full story →5 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Patreon stops asking AI bots not to scrape — and starts blocking them
Patreon is partnering with Cloudflare to actively block AI bots that scrape creators' content for model training, rather than relying on robots.txt directives. The change moves the platform from voluntary opt-out requests to enforced blocking of unauthorized AI scraping.
Read the full story →6 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Vertu wants executives to pay $6,880 for an AI agent — here’s how it actually performs
Vertu is marketing its luxury foldable phone, priced at $6,880, to executives as a device built around an AI agent. Testing covered the phone's AI workflows, battery life, and security features in daily use.
Read the full story →7 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
The Zoom hack that says, ‘Don’t record me’
The article questions the value of AI-generated transcripts and summaries as they become ubiquitous across meetings, casual conversations, and personal interactions. It raises the concern of who actually reviews this growing volume of automated documentation.
Read the full story →That's your Saturday scan. Follow the links for the full stories, and see you tomorrow.
Morning Roost Issue #28