Issue #18
Meta's Muse Image sparks backlash, SambaNova raises $1B
Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Today covers Meta's new image generator and the privacy pushback around it, funding for AI chip maker SambaNova, and product updates from Anthropic and French startup ZML. We also look at a Discord moderation bug and how open source AI is affecting Anthropic.
1 of 6 · TechCrunch AI
Meta just launched a new AI generator, Muse Image, and users are already pushing back over use of their photos
Meta launched a new image-generating model called Muse Image, positioned for uses including advertising, decorating, and creator applications. Some users have raised objections over the use of their photos in connection with the tool.
Read the full story →2 of 6 · TechCrunch AI
Claude Cowork expands to mobile and web
Anthropic expanded Claude Cowork to mobile and web, allowing users to start a task on one device and check status or retrieve output on another. Tasks continue running even when the originating device is offline.
Read the full story →3 of 6 · TechCrunch AI
AI chip maker SambaNova raises $1B at $11B valuation, 5 months after last mega round
SambaNova, an AI chip maker, has raised $1 billion at an $11 billion valuation. The round comes five months after the company's previous major funding and follows earlier reports that Intel had considered acquiring it for around $1.6 billion.
Read the full story →4 of 6 · TechCrunch AI
Discord admits AI moderation bug wrongfully banned users over harmless images
Discord confirmed that a bug in its AI moderation system had been wrongfully banning users over harmless images since May, including 200 additional accounts banned over the weekend before the issue was fixed. The company said its team identified and resolved the problem.
Read the full story →5 of 6 · TechCrunch AI
Hot French startup ZML releases free product to speed inference across lots of AI chips
ZML, a French AI startup endorsed by Yann LeCun, has released ZML/LLMD, free software designed to speed up AI inference across a range of chips. The tool aims to reduce the cost of running AI models.
Read the full story →6 of 6 · TechCrunch AI
Why the rise of open source AI isn’t hurting Anthropic … yet
Anthropic and other frontier labs are not losing ground to open source AI models, as the two appear to serve different phases of the same adoption cycle rather than compete directly. The dynamic suggests open source and proprietary models are capturing distinct stages of AI development and deployment.
Read the full story →That is today's roost. Back tomorrow morning.
Morning Roost Issue #18