🚀 ChatGPT goes mobile

Plus, what's coming up at SF and LA Tech Week!

Justine & Olivia Moore

May 21

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📱 ChatGPT launches app. Big news from OpenAI this week - the company launched the official ChatGPT mobile app (currently only available on iOS and in the U.S.). The app is similar to the Web version of ChatGPT, but there are a few new features like voice-to-text and searching your message history. It immediately shot to #1 in the U.S. App Store, displacing hundreds of unofficial ChatGPT apps from third-party developers that OpenAI is reportedly sending cease and desists to.

🚫 Montana bans TikTok. Montana became the first state to ban TikTok after Governor Greg Gianforte signed a bill that accuses the app of gathering U.S. users’ information to share with the Chinese government. The new law, which effectively fines App Stores for offering TikTok to Montana residents, is set to take effect in January 2024. It’s already facing legal challenges from people who claim that the ban infringes upon their First Amendment rights.

⚖️ Congress weighs AI regulation. A Senate subcommittee hosted a hearing this week on AI, featuring testimony from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman alongside other industry operators as well as known AI critics. Altman encouraged senators to regulate AI, suggesting a new federal agency to license and test powerful models. A full (and funny) recap can be found here.

🤫 Meta preps new social app. Instagram is reportedly onboarding creators to a new text-based app, codenamed Project 92. It’s set to be released in the summer, and being pitched as a Twitter competitor that allows you to log in with your IG handle and transfers your followers. In March, Meta confirmed the initial reports that it was working on the app - but we haven’t seen what it might look like until now.

screenshot of Instagram's new text-based app and information they've been sharing with creators - on the left if a description titled "say more with Instagram's new text-based app for conversations" - on the right are 2 mobile screens with a look at the text and photo based updates in the app — Image from Lia Haberman’s ICYMI newsletter - check it out here!

what we’re following 👀

ChatGPT is back in NYC public schools - but out at Apple.

TikTok creators are using AI images to “rewrite history.”

One of the cooler AI demos we’ve seen recently.

You can now upload two-hour videos to Twitter (great news for everyone watching “Young Sheldon” in three-minute increments on TikTok).

It’s almost here! 🎉 Next week is SF Tech Week - six days of events hosted by dozens of VCs and startups across the industry, designed to bring the ecosystem together. After that, we’re headed down to Southern California for LA Tech Week. There are already a combined 400+ events being hosted by founders, investors, and operators during these two weeks.

Check out more here, and you can see the full calendar for SF and LA here - more to come soon on NY Tech Week, which will be held from October 16 - 22 👀

Some of the events we’re particularly excited about, which are open for registration:

🌉 SF - How to Hire Your First Engineer with Pear VC
🌉 SF - Fundraising for Series B with Andrew Chen @ a16z
🌉 SF - a16z & Stonks Generative AI Demo Day
🌉 SF - Sandbox VR Game Session
🌴 LA - Paths to Product Market Fit with First Round and GOAT
🌴 LA - Future of DTC with 444 Capital, UTA Ventures, Pentas VC, and BUENA
🌴 LA - From Seed to Series C - What are Founders Facing in 2023? with Mucker Capital
🌴 LA - a16z & Stonks Gaming & Entertainment Demo Day

Special note: a16z is hosting a cocktail reception for AI builders on June 1st during SF Tech Week. If you’re building in AI and interested in attendance, please fill out this quick form - we’ll have good people/conversation/vibes and generative image prompting!