AI: Controversial Amodei Plan, Automattic Layoffs, $425M for Wonder

Between a proposed AI regulation plan led by Dario Amodei and criticized by Jensen Huang, a rapid governance episode at Automattic, and two major financial operations, the week intertwined regulation, power, and money. Here’s what has been put forward and the scale of the figures mentioned.

$425 million for Wonder and over $300 million targeted by May Mobility

DoorDash has invested $425 million in Wonder. Meanwhile, May Mobility aims to raise over $300 million through its SPAC, as the transition to becoming a public robotaxi company comes with significant reservations. These operations are part of the race towards food automation, from ordering to delivery, and are among the major transactions of the week.

Automattic: ousting in 33 hours and golden parachutes mentioned

A coup has taken place within the board of directors at Automattic, with golden parachutes negotiated during the ousting of Matt Mullenweg in just 33 hours. This situation could strengthen his grip on the technology that powers a large part of the web.

Self-regulation of AI: Amodei's plan amid support and criticism

Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has unveiled a proposal for regulating AI development, based on independent safety assessors and cooperation among AI labs in democratic countries. This initiative has garnered support from parts of the industry, but Jensen Huang of Nvidia has also criticized it. The hosts of TechCrunch's Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane, discuss the possibility for companies to agree on the notion of slowing down AI and who should lead this regulation. This discussion comes a week after a warning deemed apocalyptic by a researcher at Anthropic.