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December 19, 2025

 

TechCrunch Top 3

Netflix acquires gaming avatar maker Ready Player Me

Netflix acquires gaming avatar maker Ready Player Me: The gaming startup will allow Netflix subscribers to create avatars that can extend across gaming titles. Read More

Meta is developing a new image and video model for a 2026 release, report says: Meta aims to make the text-based model better at coding while also exploring new world models that understand visual information and can reason, plan, and act without needing to be trained on every possibility. Read More

Yann LeCun confirms his new 'world model' startup, reportedly seeks $5B+ valuation: Renowned AI scientist Yann LeCun confirmed on Thursday the worst-kept secret in the tech world: that he had indeed launched a new startup. Although he did say he will not be running the new company as its CEO. Read More

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Afternoon Must-Reads

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Translation in 2026: Efficiency, Quality, and the AI Advantage

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You missed these chats from Disrupt:

Kindred talks home-swapping platform for travelers, Chef Robotics introduces AI into commercial kitchens, and Character.AI addresses chatbot safety with teens.

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Last but Not Least

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