Spotify says new AI DJ feature currently in beta testing has 'stunningly realistic voice'

TechCrunch Newsletter [TechCrunch logo]( [The Daily Crunch logo]( By [Christine Hall]( and [Haje Jan Kamps]( Wednesday, February 22, 2023 Helloooooo from team Daily Crunch! Haje is back from dealing with all sorts of little disasters, and Christine is still going strong. Let’s goooooo. It’s still Black History Month, so for today’s feature, get yourself a TC+ subscription (use code DC for a discount), and read why our very own [Dominic-Madori]( believes that for Black founders and investors, [ringing Nasdaq’s opening bell symbolizes progress](. — [Christine]( and [Haje]( [ image] Image Credits: Alexander Shatov / Unsplash The TechCrunch Top 3 - [The beat goes on](: Our music listening is getting way too smart for its own good. Spotify’s new feature, called “DJ,” is injecting some artificial intelligence into our music — because what doesn’t have AI powering it at this point — and claims to be so good at knowing what you want to listen to that you’ll have a personalized music experience every time you tap the DJ button. It will even give you commentary on what you’re listening to. [Sarah]( has more. - [United States for the win](: [Mary Ann]( spoke exclusively with Klarna’s co-founder and CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski and learned that the U.S. is now the payment giant’s largest market. She has the scoop on how the U.S. surpassed Europe. - [Hey! You! Get into my car](: Uber redesigned its app to create a more simplified and personalized experience for customers so you can see all the ride-hailing giant can offer.[Rebecca]( walks us through the changes. [Join Millennium’s Technology Team]( Sponsored by [Millennium]( [At Millennium, technology is central to what we do. We match innovation with the resources of a large global alternative investment manager so that new ideas are incubated and developed into real-world solutions. Interested? Explore our open roles.]( [Apply Now]( Startups and VC Whatever you do, don’t miss our Wednesday Equity show — this week [Natasha M]( interviewed Kaisa Snellman, an economic sociologist and an associate professor of organizational behavior and academic director of the INSEAD Gender Initiative, digging into how data shows that [female check-writers alone aren’t enough to close the female fundraising gap](. A year after completing its special purpose acquisition with FirstMark Horizon Acquisition Corp. to go public, Starry Group Holdings, an internet service provider, said that it [filed for bankruptcy]( in efforts to reduce its debt while maintaining customer and network operations in five cities, [Christine]( reports. And another few to keep you piqued: - Like video, but different:[Scoot lands $12 million to inject customization into videoconferencing](, reports [Kyle](. - Like sensitive data, but more secure: [Ron]( reports that [Metomic helps prevent employees from sharing sensitive data in SaaS apps](. - Like the news, but Instagrammier: [Instagram’s co-founders’ personalized news app Artifact launches to the public with new features](, [Sarah]( reports. - Like customer success, but more successful: [Kyle]( writes that customer success platforms haven’t lost steam, exemplified by [Vitally’s $30 million]( round of financing. - Like branding you could go have a beer with: [Tracksuit raises $5 million to make brand tracking more accessible](, [Rebecca]( reports. [Go long or go short? A VC reveals when it’s time to sell and how to maximize buyer interest]( Will your startup IPO and grab a giant slice of your market, or is it a value-add that will be acquired by a hard-charging unicorn? “When you can’t quite make it to product-market fit, there’s a third choice that too many entrepreneurs, and their investors, overlook: selling out,” says Kittu Kolluri, founder and managing director of Neotribe Ventures. In an article aimed at early-stage founders, Kolluri shares a detailed framework with timelines that can help decide whether it’s time to look for a buyer or keep reaching for the stars. “How can you choose? While it isn’t a trivial decision, it’s also not as hard as you might think. There are only two gates: value and growth.” Three more from the TC+ team: - Pour one out for the giga-rounds: [Alex]( opines that[ the $100 million venture round is going extinct](. - Well, that wasn’t awful: [Jacquelyn]( and [Alex]( [dig into Coinbase’s better-than-expected Q4 results](. - Be better: [Becca]( writes that [VCs should want to hold early-stage companies more accountable](. [TechCrunch+]( is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams get ahead of the pack.[You can sign up here](. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription! [Read More]( [Go long or go short? A VC reveals when it’s time to sell and how to maximize buyer interest image] Image Credits: puhimec / Getty Images Big Tech Inc. “Hey @Bing.” That’s what you can text now to bring Bing into your conversation. The search engine may have had its [ups]( and [downs](, but that is not stopping Microsoft. [Frederic]( writes that the company now [brings the new AI-powered Bing to mobile and Skype]( so you can ask questions in a chat mode. This week, the [Supreme Court heard arguments]( related to [Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act](, which shields internet companies from liability for the user-generated content they host. [Taylor]( writes, “It’s become an unlikely nexus of controversy in recent years.” Why? “Plaintiffs…argue that the tech platforms in question should face legal liability for the Islamic State content that they hosted or promoted in the lead-up to attacks that together claimed more than 150 lives,” she reports. What do you want? More stories! - Tap that: Stripe expands its [Tap to Pay feature to Android](. This turns NFC-enabled Android devices into payment terminals,[Ingrid]( reports. - You can be verified, but you can’t make changes: Meta is taking its new Verified feature seriously. [It won’t let you change your name, username or profile photo for now](,[Ivan]( writes. - Weaving a web3:[Google Cloud partners with Tezos blockchain]( to become Tezos “bakers,” or network validators,[Jacquelyn]( writes. - Developer’s delight:[OpenAI’s Foundry]( will let customers buy dedicated capacity to run its AI models,[Kyle]( reports. - Open up: A new Elon Musk tweet suggests [Twitter could open source its algorithm]( as early as next week.[Sarah]( has more. [Read more stories on TechCrunch.com]( Newest Jobs from Crunchboard - [Chief Operating Officer at Chamber of Digital Commerce (Washington D. 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