Best of TechCrunch — April 2025

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   Perplexity CEO says its browser will track everything users do online to sell ‘hyper personalized’ ads

   Perplexity's CEO announced plans to launch a browser that will track users' online activities to sell hyper personalized ads. The browser, named Comet, aims to gather data beyond the app to create better user profiles and offer relevant ads. The company is following a similar strategy to Google and has also secured a partnership with Motorola to pre-install its app on the Razr series. Talks with Samsung are ongoing.

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   TechCrunch·1y

   Teen with 4.0 GPA who built the viral Cal AI app was rejected by 15 top universities

   Zach Yadegari, a high school student with a 4.0 GPA and co-founder of the viral AI calorie app Cal AI, was rejected by 15 out of 18 top universities despite his impressive academic and professional achievements. He attributes these rejections to his candid college essay, which many found arrogant. His essay emphasized his initial disinterest in college and his success as a self-taught coder. Despite the rejections, his post on X garnered varied perspectives and significant engagement. Yadegari is reflecting on his next steps, recognizing the importance of authenticity and community over solely financial success.

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   Google is allegedly paying some AI staff to do nothing for a year rather than join rivals

   Google's AI division, DeepMind, is using aggressive noncompete agreements in the U.K. to prevent key AI staff from joining competitors for up to a year, during which some staff are paid but feel disconnected from the rapid AI advancements. This approach reflects the intense competition between tech giants like Google and OpenAI for top AI talent.

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   TechCrunch·1y

   Startups launch products to catch people using AI cheating app Cluely

   Startups like Validia and Proctaroo are launching products to counter the AI cheating app Cluely, which claims its in-browser feature is undetectable. Cluely is planning to expand into hardware, potentially rendering anti-cheating software obsolete. Despite criticism, Cluely plans to focus on expanding AI's use in larger markets.

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