Issue #27
Morning Roost: Friday, July 17, 2026
Friday, July 17, 2026
Today covers AI access for teens, new video and game-creation tools from Google and Roblox, Google's expanded AI Mode, Apple Intelligence's approval in China, Moonshot's upcoming Kimi 3, and a notable pre-seed raise by a former DeepMind researcher.
1 of 7 · OpenAI
Why teens deserve access to safe AI
OpenAI outlined new measures to make ChatGPT safer for teenage users, including age-appropriate protections, parental controls, and partnerships with outside experts. The changes add learning tools alongside the safety features aimed at younger users.
Read the full story →2 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Google Vids now lets you star in your own AI videos
Google Vids now lets users create personalized AI avatars that appear as digital versions of themselves in videos. The update also adds Gemini Omni-powered tools for generating and editing videos from prompts and reference images.
Read the full story →3 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Roblox launches an AI-powered game-creation feature in its mobile app
Roblox introduced a feature called Build that lets users create basic games from a single text prompt within its mobile app. The tool brings AI-assisted game generation to mobile users rather than requiring desktop development software.
Read the full story →4 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Google’s AI Mode now lets you link and interact with select apps
Google has updated AI Mode so it can link with select apps and complete tasks within them, moving beyond answering questions. The change expands the feature's role from information retrieval to action across users' regular apps.
Read the full story →5 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Apple Intelligence approved for launch in China with Alibaba and Baidu
Apple has received regulatory approval to launch Apple Intelligence in China through partnerships with Alibaba and Baidu. The deal, rumored last year, expands Apple's AI features into one of its largest markets.
Read the full story →6 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
Moonshot’s upcoming Kimi 3 is expected to close the gap with Anthropic’s Opus 4.8
Chinese startup Moonshot is preparing to release Kimi K3, which is expected to be the largest open AI model from China with a parameter count between 2 trillion and 3 trillion. The model is anticipated to narrow the performance gap with Anthropic's Opus 4.8.
Read the full story →7 of 7 · TechCrunch AI
How a former DeepMind researcher raised at a $300M pre-seed valuation before launching a product
A former DeepMind researcher raised a pre-seed round at a $300 million valuation before releasing a product, citing more than a decade of AI research experience. Andrew Dai is focusing his new venture on visual AI, which he identifies as a coming frontier in the field.
Read the full story →That is today's roundup. See you tomorrow morning.
Morning Roost Issue #27