Top stories
- Ferrari revealed its first full EV, the Luce, designed in collaboration with Jony Ive and Marc Newson’s LoveFrom — a notable luxury entry into electrification and design-first EVs. (The Verge)
- ClickUp replaced hundreds of employees with thousands of AI agents, a high-profile example of AI reshaping workflows and org structure. (TechCrunch)
- Cox Media and partner marketing firms were fined after boasting they listened to users through phones and smart devices despite scant evidence — a reminder that privacy claims and ad-tech hype attract regulators. (The Verge)
- Pope Leo XIV released an encyclical using AI as a lens to critique concentrated power and tech-driven inequality, urging a reaffirmation of human dignity in policy and design. (TechCrunch; The Verge)
Practical workflows & developer updates
- Product teams: ClickUp’s move underscores the need to design hybrid workflows where AI agents augment repeatable tasks but human oversight handles judgement, ethics, and product direction. (TechCrunch)
- Security teams: reporting shows the industry — including major players like Google — navigating AI security trade-offs in real time; instrument monitoring, red-teaming, and incident playbooks remain priorities. (TechCrunch)
- Hardware devs: XREAL’s CEO says smartglasses may be reaching a turning point — watch for new platform and UX patterns that bridge mobile and spatial compute. (TechCrunch)
Models, policy & signals
- The Pope’s document frames AI debates as part of older social problems (power concentration, democratic erosion), suggesting policy work should focus on governance as much as capability control. (TechCrunch; The Verge)
- Regulatory posture tightened after Cox Media’s claims; teams building adtech and data-driven features should document consent and avoid unverifiable surveillance claims. (The Verge)
Deals, events & marketplace
- Consumer shoppers: REI’s Anniversary Sale and Memorial Day deals are live for outdoor and tech gear — timely for teams balancing field testing and travel. (The Verge)
- Startups: deadline reminders and event opportunities — Startup Battlefield 200 applications close May 27; TechCrunch Disrupt early bird pricing ends May 29. (TechCrunch)
- Fundraising note: an eSports startup shared a pitch tactic that helped it raise $20M when VCs were mainly focused on AI — useful reading for founders pitching outside prevailing trends. (TechCrunch)
Key takeaways
- Design and product news: Ferrari’s Luce signals design-led EV entrants will shape premium expectations.
- Org strategy: ClickUp’s AI agent rollout shows large-scale automation is arriving; balance efficiency with ethics and governance.
- Policy & trust: Cox Media’s fine and the Pope’s encyclical highlight that privacy, power, and human dignity remain central to AI debates.
- Security & hardware: Expect continued rapid shifts in AI security practices and renewed momentum in smartglasses UX and platforms.
Sources
- Ferrari reveals its first EV, with design help from Jony Ive — https://www.theverge.com/transportation/937066/ferrari-luce-ev-jony-ive-marc-newson-lovefrom
- Cox Media fined after bragging it spied on users through their phones — https://www.theverge.com/policy/937027/cox-media-marketing-ai-powered-phone-spying-ads-ftc-fine
- Here are our favorite last-minute deals from REI’s giant Anniversary Sale — https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/931274/rei-anniversary-sale-2026
- The best Memorial Day sales you can shop this weekend — https://www.theverge.com/gadgets/936196/best-memorial-day-sales-tech-deals-2026
- What ClickUp’s mass layoff tells us about the future of work — https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/25/what-clickups-mass-layoff-tells-us-about-the-future-of-work/
- The pope’s AI encyclical isn’t really about AI — https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/25/the-popes-ai-encyclical-isnt-really-about-ai/
- Pope Leo calls for being ‘profoundly human’ in the age of AI — https://www.theverge.com/news/936945/pope-leo-letter-encyclical-ai-anthropic-labor-warfare
- The pitch trick that helped an eSports startup raise $20M when VCs only wanted AI — https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/25/the-pitch-trick-that-helped-an-esports-startup-raise-20m-when-vcs-only-wanted-ai/
- Startup Battlefield 200 applications close in days: Apply before May 27 — https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/25/startup-battlefield-200-applications-close-in-days-apply-before-may-27/
- 5 days left: Save up to $410 on TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 passes before prices increase — https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/25/5-days-left-save-up-to-410-on-techcrunch-disrupt-2026-passes-before-prices-increase/
- Everyone is navigating AI security in real time — even Google — https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/24/everyone-is-navigating-ai-security-in-real-time-even-google/
- Xreal, Google’s smartglasses partner, thinks it has finally mastered this notoriously tricky industry — https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/24/xreal-googles-smartglasses-partner-thinks-it-has-finally-mastered-this-notoriously-tricky-industry
Not financial/professional advice