OpenAI's $20K AI Agent: Week in Review

This Week in Tech: A Recap of Key Developments

Welcome to this week’s review of the most significant happenings in the technology world. This installment covers potential pricing strategies for specialized AI agents from OpenAI, the resurgence of Digg, genetic engineering efforts to recreate mammoth-like traits in mice, and much more. Let’s begin.

OpenAI’s Potential Premium Pricing: Reports indicate that OpenAI is considering a monthly fee of up to $20,000 for access to highly specialized AI “agents.” These agents are intended to be tailored for specific applications. One such agent, reportedly priced at the aforementioned amount, is designed to assist with “PhD-level research.” This substantial cost reflects the considerable financial needs of OpenAI, which experienced approximately $5 billion in losses last year due to operational and related expenses.

Scale AI Under Labor Department Scrutiny: The U.S. Department of Labor is currently investigating Scale AI to ensure compliance with the Fair Labor Standards Act. The investigation centers on potential issues with unpaid wages, the misclassification of workers as independent contractors, and possible retaliation against employees. This inquiry has been active since at least August 2024 and remains ongoing. Scale AI has stated that the investigation stems from a misunderstanding of its work by regulators during a prior administration.

Musk’s Injunction Denied in OpenAI Dispute: A federal judge has rejected Elon Musk’s request for an injunction to prevent OpenAI’s transition to a for-profit structure. The judge cited a lack of sufficient evidence to support the claim. However, U.S. District Court Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers indicated a willingness to expedite a trial to address the allegation that OpenAI’s conversion plan is unlawful. This represents the latest development in Musk’s lawsuit, which asserts that OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman have deviated from the organization’s original nonprofit objectives.

This is TechCrunch’s Week in Review, a summary of the week’s top tech news. To receive this as a newsletter directly in your inbox each Saturday, subscribe here.

Top News Stories

Digg’s Revival: The iconic web news aggregator, Digg, has been reintroduced under the leadership of its original founder, Kevin Rose, and Reddit co-founder, Alexis Ohanian. Rose has clarified that the new Digg will differ significantly from the “old-school forums” of its past. Further details can be found here.

Google’s Gemini “Screenshare” Feature: At Mobile World Congress 2025, Google showcased a new Gemini capability called “Screenshare.” This feature allows users to share their phone’s screen with the AI chatbot and receive answers to questions about the displayed content in real time.

Affordable “AI Phone” Announced: Deutsche Telekom has announced plans to develop an “AI Phone,” a low-cost handset created in collaboration with Perplexity. The device is slated for release in the second half of the year and will be available for under $1,000 starting in 2026.

AI Performance Benchmarking in Super Mario Bros.: Researchers at UCSD’s Hao AI Lab evaluated the performance of various AI models within a Super Mario Bros. emulator. Anthropic’s Claude 3.7 demonstrated the strongest performance, while OpenAI’s GPT-4o encountered difficulties.

Volkswagen’s ID EVERY1: Volkswagen unveiled its most affordable electric vehicle to date, the ID EVERY1. Sources indicate that this small, four-door hatchback will be the first model to utilize software and architecture developed by Rivian.

Navigating Investor Ghosting: Being ignored by potential investors, or “ghosted,” is a common challenge for founders. TechCrunch interviewed several venture capitalists to understand the reasons behind this practice and offer advice on how founders can make a more lasting impression.

ChatGPT Code Editing Capabilities: The latest version of the macOS ChatGPT application now enables direct code editing within supported developer tools. This feature is currently available to ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Team subscribers and will be expanded to more users soon.

Google’s SpeciesNet for Wildlife Research: Google has open-sourced SpeciesNet, an AI model designed to identify animal species from images captured by camera traps. This tool aims to streamline the analysis of data collected by wildlife researchers.

YouTube Lite Subscription Tier: YouTube Lite, a new subscription option, provides ad-free viewing of most videos for $7.99 per month. However, it does not include Premium features such as downloads, background playback, or ad-free music video viewing.

Genetically Engineered Mice with Mammoth-Like Fur: Colossal Biosciences, working towards the resurrection of the woolly mammoth by 2028, has successfully genetically engineered mice to grow mammoth-like fur. This achievement represents a significant step in their research.

In-Depth Analysis

Signal’s Popularity in the Netherlands: Privacy-focused messaging app Signal has experienced a surge in popularity in the Netherlands, frequently ranking as the most downloaded free app on both iOS and Android. Rejo Zenger, a senior policy adviser at Bits of Freedom, suggests this trend is not surprising. Recent political shifts in the U.S. and Europe’s increasing dependence on U.S. technology companies have contributed to a growing interest in privacy-focused alternatives.