Monday, May 25, 2026

The pope’s AI encyclical isn’t really about AI

Pope Leo XIV released his encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, addressing the safeguarding of humanity in the age of artificial intelligence. While AI serves as the focal point, the document delves into longstanding issues such as inequality, war, and the erosion of democracy, arguing that technology governed by a small elite cannot benefit the common good. The pope calls for clear criteria and effective oversight in AI development to prevent the concentration of power that exacerbates societal inequalities.

This AI shift is starting to replace a key business function

Artificial intelligence is making significant inroads into sales functions, moving beyond traditional roles to become direct participants in revenue conversations. With the AI sales development representative market expected to grow to $5.81 billion in 2026, a staggering 87% of sales organizations are already leveraging AI for tasks like prospecting and lead scoring, resulting in notable increases in pipeline volume and conversion rates.

Pope Leo calls for being ‘profoundly human’ in the age of AI

In his first major encyclical, 'Magnifica Humanitas,' Pope Leo XIV addresses the ethical implications of artificial intelligence, warning against its potential to undermine human dignity. He calls for new legal frameworks to govern AI, highlighting concerns over job loss, AI in warfare, and the need for transparency in algorithmic decision-making. The pope's manifesto emphasizes that human intelligence must guide technological advancements to protect society from the risks associated with unchecked AI development.

The pitch trick that helped an eSports startup raise $20M when VCs only wanted AI

Lucra Sports, an eSports startup founded by Dylan Robbins, successfully raised $20 million in a Series B funding round led by ARK Invest, despite the venture capital landscape's overwhelming focus on AI. Robbins's innovative pitch strategy, which included framing his business in the context of AI's potential to increase leisure time for gaming, helped him secure investment from ARK, even after their previous losses in the eSports sector.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) Gains on Market Approval

AST SpaceMobile, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASTS) has gained significant traction in the market, with its stock rising 149% year-to-date following recent approvals. The company is transitioning from R&D to operational scale, reporting a revenue of $70.9 million for 2025 and projecting revenues between $150 million and $200 million for 2026. Despite a recent setback involving a satellite misplacement, AST SpaceMobile maintains a robust contracted backlog of $1.2 billion, indicating strong future growth potential.

Crossroads Capital Investment Maintains a Constructive Outlook on FTAI Aviation (FTAI)

Crossroads Capital LLC has expressed a positive outlook on FTAI Aviation Ltd. in its Q1 2026 investor letter, noting the company's significant stock performance and transformation into a capital-light model. FTAI Aviation shares have surged 120.05% over the past year, reflecting strong fundamentals despite broader market challenges.

Zepto Said to Plan June Public Filing for $1 Billion India IPO

Zepto Ltd., a rapid-commerce delivery platform, is gearing up to publicly file for an initial public offering in June, aiming to raise up to $1 billion. The company plans to kick off investor roadshows next month, targeting a potential IPO launch as soon as July.

Pope Leo Warns AI Should Be Prevented From ‘Dominating Humanity’

In a landmark address, Pope Leo XIV expressed concerns over the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, advocating for its regulation to ensure it does not dominate humanity. He emphasized the importance of making AI more 'human-friendly' and urged a shift away from its use for geopolitical or commercial gains.

SoftBank Shares Hit Record With Lift From OpenAI IPO Hopes

SoftBank Group Corp. shares surged to a record high, fueled by expectations of significant returns from its investments in OpenAI and SB Energy Corp. The stock rose 4.6% during Tokyo trading on Monday, contributing to a remarkable 40% increase since May 20, and elevating the company's market value to over ¥40 trillion ($252 billion).

Podcast: Chasing Efficient Java Development: From 1BRC to Developing Hardwood AI Natively

In a recent podcast, Gunnar Morling, a Java Champion and technologist at Confluent, shared his expertise on building high-performance Java applications. He highlighted the advantages of using modern Java versions, particularly Java 17, which offers performance improvements such as reduced memory footprint and enhanced garbage collection. Morling also introduced Hardwood, a minimal dependencies Java parser designed to mitigate supply chain risks while leveraging advanced features like lightweight concurrency.

AI models often give the right answers but point to the wrong sources

Researchers have unveiled a new benchmark called CiteVQA that highlights a critical flaw in AI models: while they may provide correct answers, they often misattribute the sources. This phenomenon, termed 'attribution hallucination,' was examined through a comprehensive dataset covering 1,897 questions across various subjects. The benchmark requires models to cite exact document locations, revealing that even leading models like Gemini-3.1-Pro-Preview struggle with citation accuracy, scoring only 76 out of 100.

Iran is in the 'process of blinking' over the Strait of Hormuz, Petraeus says

David Petraeus, former CIA director, indicated that Iran is reconsidering its position regarding the Strait of Hormuz, suggesting that a successful peace deal could lead to the Strait opening without conditions. He emphasized that Iran should not have control over the waterway or impose tolls, as doing so could enhance its strategic position despite military setbacks from U.S. and Israeli actions.

Huawei plans new smartphone chips this fall as rivalry with Nvidia and Apple heats up

Huawei has announced a new chip design approach called LogicFolding, which will be implemented in its Kirin smartphone chips this fall. This development comes amidst increasing competition with Nvidia and Apple, particularly as Nvidia faces U.S. export restrictions that limit its ability to sell advanced chips in China. Analysts have raised concerns about whether Huawei's technology can truly match the performance of 1.4-nanometer manufacturing processes, which could significantly impact the competitive landscape in the semiconductor market.

NodeJS Proposes Built-In Virtual File System, Sparking Debate Over AI-Generated Contributions

Node.js is set to enhance its core functionality with a proposed Virtual File System (VFS), introduced by Matteo Collina, which aims to simplify various workflows, including running AI-generated code and executing tests in memory. This proposal has sparked a heated debate within the community, particularly regarding the use of AI-generated contributions, as Collina revealed that much of the implementation was assisted by AI tools. The Node.js Technical Steering Committee is expected to address policies governing AI contributions, which could significantly impact the future of this proposal.

Startup Battlefield 200 applications close in days: Apply before May 27

The deadline to apply for Startup Battlefield 200 is approaching, with applications due by May 27, 2026. This program offers early-stage startups a unique opportunity for VC access, global visibility, and $100,000 in equity-free funding. Founders are encouraged to apply or nominate promising startups to showcase their innovations on the TechCrunch Disrupt Stage, where they can gain invaluable exposure and feedback from industry leaders.

5 days left: Save up to $410 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 passes before prices increase

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 is just five days away from the end of its Early Bird registration, which offers savings of up to $410. Scheduled for October 13-15 at Moscone West in San Francisco, the event promises unparalleled access to investors and industry leaders, facilitating crucial networking and fundraising opportunities for founders and operators in the startup ecosystem.

Hopes for WWDC 2026: Health for Mac, Wallet everywhere, and other OS 27 dreams

As WWDC 2026 approaches, excitement builds around potential updates to Apple's operating systems, including iOS 27, macOS 27, and iPadOS 27. Key hopes include the introduction of the Health app on Mac, a dedicated Wallet app for iPad and Mac, and enhancements to the Journal app, reflecting Apple's ongoing commitment to improving user experience across its devices.

Google Deepmind's AlphaProof Nexus solves decades-old math problems for a few hundred dollars

Google Deepmind's AlphaProof Nexus has autonomously solved nine of the 353 open Erdős problems it attempted, including two that had remained unanswered for 56 years. Utilizing the Gemini 3.1 Pro language model, the system generates proof steps in Lean, a formal programming language, enabling it to produce rigorous and machine-checkable solutions at an inference cost of just a few hundred dollars per problem. While many Erdős problems remain unsolved, researchers view AlphaProof Nexus as a valuable tool for advancing mathematical research.

Presentation: From Legacy to Sovereignty: Driving the Future of Insurance through Platform Engineering

Sergiu Petean presented at the InfoQ Dev Summit, discussing the strategic evolution of DevOps into platform engineering, particularly in the insurance sector. He highlighted the need to move away from legacy systems towards cloud-native platforms, emphasizing the importance of aligning platform KPIs with overarching business objectives. By leveraging dynamic reference architectures and custom team structures, organizations can enhance efficiency and maintain innovation sovereignty in heavily regulated environments.

George Hotz says coding agents will be "one of the most costly mistakes" in software development

George Hotz, a prominent programmer, has issued a stark warning against the reliance on AI coding agents, declaring them likely to be one of the most costly mistakes in software development. After six months of testing various AI models, he found that while they can generate prototypes quickly, they often produce flawed code that is difficult to fine-tune and detect, particularly posing risks for less experienced developers in large organizations. Hotz's stance aligns him with notable critics in the AI community who question the true intelligence of these models.

US's big bet on quantum computing may not be entirely legal

The US government has committed $2 billion to quantum computing startups, but this move has sparked legal controversy as Congress did not allocate these funds for this purpose. Representative Zoe Lofgren has criticized the investment, asserting it violates the intended use of funds meant for semiconductor research. The largest portion will support Anderon, a new company created with significant backing from both IBM and the government, which aims to advance quantum processing technologies.

I spent years forcing myself to finish The Witcher 3—don't repeat my mistake

The author expresses a personal struggle with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a game that received widespread acclaim yet failed to engage them. Despite their love for RPGs, the predefined character of Geralt and the focus on power fantasy left them feeling disconnected, highlighting the diversity of player preferences in gaming.

‘Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra’ leaks, but it’s probably not for the foldable you thought

Samsung is set to launch the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra, which will serve as a rebranding of the standard Galaxy Z Fold 8 rather than introducing a new wider form factor aimed at competing with Apple's rumored iPhone Ultra. This decision appears to prioritize hardware consistency, as the Ultra will have two cameras and a 4,800 mAh battery, contrasting with the standard model's three cameras and 5,000 mAh battery.

Anker’s 25W MagSafe 3-in-1 packs active cooling in a travel-sized design [Hands-on]

Anker has launched its new 25W Prime MagSafe 3-in-1 charger, designed for users of the iPhone 16 and newer models. This portable charger supports 25W Qi2.2 charging speeds and incorporates active cooling to prevent overheating, making it ideal for travel. It can charge an iPhone 17 Pro to 50% in just 26 minutes and comes with a 45W power brick and USB-C cable, allowing simultaneous charging of an iPhone, AirPods, and Apple Watch.