Category: Semafor

The new, polar bear-esque robot by the inventor of the iRobot vacuum was all over the internet this week — eyelashes beating and tail wagging. Called the “Familiar,” the robot intends to support emotional well-being. The launch of the new venture is just a few months after iRobot filed for ...

The News President Donald Trump’s administration unveiled a new counterterrorism plan on Wednesday that focuses in part on rooting out what it describes as left-wing extremist groups operating domestically and overseas. It’s the first counterterrorism proposal released by the president since 2018, reflecting many of his second-term priorities. Dr. Sebastian ...

Reed’s view Corporate America is incinerating billions of dollars trying to build AI tools that white-collar workers actually want to use. Most of these efforts will fail. The gap between what a well-funded IT department can offer and what an inspired intern can vibe code over a weekend is closing. ...

Startup Intalus raised an $11 million seed round to expand production of ceramic-infused metals, the company exclusively told Semafor. Intalus has been making these materials for years, using waveform energy (think: lasers) to change the internal structure of metals and make them more resistant to heat and corrosion. Metal is ...

Frontier Al labs are slowly encroaching on well-funded startups that have served companies’ industry-specific AI needs. But making inroads is slowgoing and some corporate clients are locked in by existing products. Take investment banking, for example. OpenAl hired more than 100 former investment bankers to train its financial products last ...

Countries globally raced to boost domestic fossil fuel reserves despite US claims that the Iran war was over. Australia said it would spend upwards of $7 billion to bolster fuel security, while Norway started production in a long-forgotten oil field, a major boost for Europe’s energy independence. QatarEnergy, meanwhile, canceled ...

US President Donald Trump paused the effort to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, a day after it began. “Project Freedom” saw two ships pass through the waterway, while hundreds remain stranded. Trump said the operation was on hold because “Great Progress” had been made towards a deal, and ...

Southeast Asian leaders, whose countries are among those hardest hit by the economic fallout from the Iran war, gathered for a summit amid growing frustration with the US. Washington has long been the ally of choice for the region, which has seen strong economic growth in previous years thanks largely ...

The EU is making a “final push” to hammer out trade differences with the US, but hawkish voices argued for an aggressive response. President Donald Trump threatened last week to increase tariffs on European vehicles, accusing the bloc of reneging on an agreed deal. In response, French President Emmanuel Macron ...

Global middle powers moved to strengthen their alliances in a bid to shield their economies from US unreliability and Chinese aggression. Australia has recently reached trade agreements with nations as far afield as India and Peru as it vies to reduce its reliance on the world’s two biggest economies. And ...