Browsing: Disrupt

The always-on AI personal assistant, which keeps working in the background even when you aren’t asking it to, is this year’s answer to the question of how people will actually use deep learning models. The startup Instinct became an overnight sensation, and Meta put the full force of its marketing behind its assistant, Muse.

Product-market fit — when a startup’s product sells well — has become even harder to find in this AI era. Despite startups achieving record-fast growth, not all customers are sticky, and products can be replicated more easily than ever. 

Twelve years ago today, Eugenia Kuyda stood up onstage at TechCrunch Disrupt and presented a conversational chatbot called IO that acted as a lifestyle concierge to help people book restaurants and vacations along with other tasks. 

Counterfeits of luxury goods are a major problem for fashion houses. Counterfeiters are getting better at replicating brands’ marks and passing off dupes, known as “superfakes,” as genuine items. A startup called Veritas wants to tackle the problem with its own chip that verifies goods.

TechCrunch Disrupt is where the tech community comes together to build, debate, and connect. And while the main event takes over Moscone West from October 13-15, the conversation doesn’t stop when the Expo Hall closes.

If you’ve been on the fence about volunteering at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, this is your sign to stop deliberating and start applying.