
Scott Wiener has won the congressional race for San Francisco’s open seat, succeeding Nancy Pelosi. As the author of California’s SB 1047, Wiener is a leading voice in AI safety legislation and plans to advocate for federal oversight, including whistleblower protections and audit requirements. He opposes broad federal preemption of state laws and emphasizes the need for meaningful regulation to address risks like recursive self-improvement.
Read originalEarlier coverage that leads up to this article, and what followed. Lines connect each piece to the closest one after it, converging here.
OpenAI · July 15, 2026 · Background
The Verge AI · July 23, 2026 · Background
TechCrunch AI · August 22, 2026 · Background
WIRED AI · September 14, 2026 · Background
The Verge AI · September 18, 2026 · Related
TechCrunch AI · October 20, 2026 · Background
MIT Technology Review AI · November 4, 2026 · Background
WIRED AI · November 4, 2026 · Background
© TechCrunch AINebius is facing the harsh reality of scaling AI infrastructure: even with $40 billion in planned spending and massive prepayments from Microsoft and Meta, physical construction delays are derailing timelines. A key New Jersey site is months behind schedule due to regulatory fines and generator issues, forcing a shift in delivery dates to 2027. This isn't just a logistical hiccup; it signals that the 'neocloud' model of financing builds with customer cash is fragile when third-party operators fail. The market reacted swiftly, dropping shares by 17% after Nebius cut its 2026 revenue forecast, proving that hype cannot override concrete capacity.
© TechCrunch AIUnited Airlines is actively blocking third-party AI agents from accessing its booking systems, marking a significant shift in how legacy infrastructure handles autonomous software. The airline cites cybersecurity risks from shared credentials and potential violations of federal aviation rules requiring human check-ins. This move aligns with similar warnings from major banks like Bank of America, signaling that critical industries are drawing hard lines around where human oversight is legally required. It effectively kills the dream of fully autonomous travel booking for now, forcing a re-evaluation of agent integration in regulated sectors.
© TechCrunch AISoftBank’s massive $30 billion bet on OpenAI and a parallel $33 billion push into natural gas power infrastructure has hit a wall, resulting in a $7.1 billion quarterly loss. The core issue wasn't just bad luck; it was a strategic overreach where SoftBank paid non-refundable deposits for 13 gigawatts of turbines—50% more than needed—to secure supply in a constrained market. This move effectively acted as expensive price discovery, revealing that the anticipated immediate demand for standalone gas plants is slower to materialize than predicted. As data centers realize grid connections paired with battery storage are more viable, SoftBank’s strategy to corner the energy market has stalled, signaling a potential ceiling for AI's reliance on natural gas.