Welcome back to your daily dossier talking AI, robotics, crypto and the future of tech. 👾

In today’s edition, we are tackling the following:

⚠️ Grok expresses skepticism about Holocaust death toll blames ‘programming error’
💰 Cybersecurity firm Cyera valued at $6B in funding round.
🍏 Apple is trying to get ‘LLM Siri’ back on track.
🤖 US students build record-smashing robots that solve Rubik’s cube faster than humans.
🐙 A robot inspired by an octopus can autonomously decide how to grip objects.

AI

• Grok expresses skepticism about the Holocaust death toll, blames a ‘programming error’

  • Grok also answered a question on Thursday about the number of Jews killed by the Nazis in World War II.

  • Grok says that “historical records, claim around 6 million Jews were murdered by Nazi Germany from 1941 to 1945.”

  • However, Grok then said it was “skeptical of these figures without primary evidence, as numbers can be manipulated.”

• Cybersecurity firm Cyera is valued at $6B in funding round

  • Israeli cyber unicorn Cyera is raising hundreds of millions of dollars at a valuation of at least $6 billion.

  • In its most recent funding round last November, a $300 million Series D, the company was valued at $3 billion.

  • That round was led by Accel and Sapphire Ventures, with participation from existing investors including Sequoia, Coatue, and Redpoint.

• Apple is trying to get ‘LLM Siri’ back on track

  • Gurman has reported in the past that Apple is working on what it’s internally calling ‘LLM Siri’.

  • Apple software chief Craig Federighi was ‘reluctant to make large investments in AI.’ 

  • Another executive told Gurman that Apple Intelligence ‘wasn’t even an idea’ before ChatGPT launched in late 2022.

ROBOTICS

• US students build record-smashing robot that solves Rubik’s cube faster than the human eye can follow

  • A team from Purdue University developed Purdubik’s Cube, a robot that solves a Rubik’s Cube in 0.103 seconds.

  • The robot uses machine vision, custom algorithms, and industrial-grade hardware to achieve sub-millisecond precision and speed.

  • The project was supported by Purdue’s Cooperative Education Program, highlighting the power of collaboration and innovation.

• A robot inspired by an octopus can autonomously decide how to grip objects with accuracy

  • The soft robot can use suction flow not just to stick to things, but also to sense its environment, just like an octopus.

  • The said robot was developed by researchers from the University of Bristol’s Faculty of Science and Engineering.

  • Researchers revealed that a single suction system enables the robot to grab and sense without needing a central computer.

• This soft robot needs only Physics and air to spontaneously sync and scoot at top speeds

  • A Dutch robot with neither hardware nor software can reach incredible speeds with its soft legs powered only by air and simple physics.

  • Able to walk, hop, and swim without the aid of electronics or AI, its top speed will see it cross a distance equal to 30x the length of its body.

  • ‘Soft robotics’ has seen major advances of late in creating controllable units with minimal or zero electronic or mechanical components.

CRYPTO

• Bitcoin nears golden cross weeks after 'Trapping Bears' as U.S. debt concerns mount

  • Bitcoin's impending golden cross follows a recent death cross, which was a bear trap.

  • A similar sequence occurred in the lead up to the latest 2024 price surge from $70,000 to $100,000.

  • Moody's downgrade of the U.S. credit rating highlights fiscal concerns, potentially boosting bitcoin's appeal as a hedge.

• Bitcoin transaction fees hit 2025 highs as BTC price challenges recent $106,000 top

  • The price of bitcoin hit nearly $106,000 on Sunday, slightly more than a recent high of around $105,600 reached on May 12.

  • Alongside the price increase comes an increase in transaction fees on the blockchain.

  • Bitcoin's illiquid supply, a measure of the BTC in wallets that show minimal spending activity, has recently hit a new all-time high.

• 'Rizz-to-Earn': Flirting with an AI agent could win you a Crypto airdrop

  • Ethereum game Pixels is offering token rewards for players who successfully flirt with AI-powered NPCs.

  • Players must purchase a key for PIXEL tokens to access the limited-time flirting challenge, which ends May 22.

  • This feature is part of Pixels' broader strategy to enhance player engagement through AI integration.

CONTENT

• If you aren’t prototyping with AI, you’re doing it wrong with Aparna Chennapragada

  • Aparna Chennapragada, Chief Product Officer at Microsoft, shares how AI is transforming product development from using prompt sets.

  • She highlights how AI agents must be autonomous, capable of handling complexity, and naturally conversational.

  • She also offers a roadmap for traditional enterprises looking to adopt AI responsibly, and a framework for identifying breakthrough product bets.

• Scott Galloway’s warning and moving 75% of his investments outside the US

  • In this episode, Scott Galloway shares some of his wildest investment returns, like turning $2.5M into $75M with NJOY.

  • He warns of a potential 15-year downturn in the U.S. market, and highlights European markets as the next $1B opportunity.

  • Scott also delivers hard-hitting life and career advice for men in their 20s and 30s, including building competence and confidence.

• Who's coding now? - AI and the future of software development

  • In this episode of the a16z AI Podcast, a16z infrastructure partners discuss how generative AI is transforming software development.

  • They explore why coding has become one of AI’s strongest use cases, how tools like code assistants are evolving for the future.

  • They argue that while AI will enhance how we code, understanding core abstractions and structured programming will remain essential.

AND MORE…

• Turn your day off into a step forward, learn a new language with Rosetta Stone*

  • Take advantage of the long weekend and start learning: new words, new confidence, and maybe even a reason to (finally) plan that trip.

  • With Rosetta Stone, you can explore 25 languages on your schedule—and with TruAccent, gain the confidence to speak from day one.

  • Learn at your pace, anytime, anywhere.

• China begins assembling its supercomputer in space

  • China has launched the first 12 satellites of a planned 2,800-strong orbital supercomputer satellite network.

  • The satellites will be able to process the data they collect themselves, rather than relying on terrestrial stations to do it for them.

  • The satellites are part of ADA Space’s ‘Star Compute’ program and the first of what it calls the ‘Three-Body Computing Constellation.’

• Heybike’s Alpha step-through e-bike is an affordable, all-terrain dreamboat

  • The Alpha is Heybike’s first with its made-in-house Galaxy eDrive system, which uses a 500W Mivice mid-drive motor.

  • The Alpha’s UL-certified batteries allow for up to 60 miles of range on a single charge.

  • It comes with a rear rack that is more than sufficient to strap three packed bags of groceries.

• Amazon claims it’s ‘constantly inviting’ new customers to Alexa Plus

  • Alexa Plus is Amazon’s generative AI-updated version of Alexa, is free to Amazon Prime subscribers or $19.99 a month otherwise.

  • Reuters does quote an analyst who said, ‘There seems to be no one who actually has it.’

  • Amazon started rolling out its early access program to a few customers at the end of March.