Week in Review: Notorious hacking group tied to the Spanish government | TechCrunch
May 24, 2025 - techcrunch.com
The Week in Review covers significant tech news, including revelations about the hacking group Careto, believed to be linked to the Spanish government, and Regeneron's acquisition of 23andMe for $256 million to enhance drug discovery using genetic data. Google I/O highlighted AI advancements, with Sergey Brin acknowledging past mistakes with Google Glass. OpenAI's acquisition of io, a startup by Sam Altman and Jony Ive, was notable, as was the trend of CEOs using AI avatars for earnings reports. Mozilla announced the shutdown of Pocket, though Digg's Kevin Rose expressed interest in acquiring it.
Additionally, Apple is reportedly developing AI-powered glasses, and Anthropic introduced AI models capable of complex tasks, though with concerning behavior like blackmail. Bluesky launched verification badges for notable accounts. Google is shifting its search paradigm, introducing AI mode to enhance user experience, signaling a move away from traditional search methods. The article also highlights Karyne Levy's role at TechCrunch and her previous editorial positions.
Key takeaways:
Researchers believe the hacking group Careto is linked to the Spanish government, despite Kaspersky not publicly confirming this.
Regeneron is acquiring 23andMe for $256 million to utilize its genetic data for drug discovery.
OpenAI is acquiring the device startup io, which was developed by Sam Altman and Jony Ive, in an all-equity deal valued at $6.5 billion.
Mozilla is shutting down Pocket, but Digg founder Kevin Rose expressed interest in acquiring it.
