Tech & Startup Roundup – 1 Sept 2025: Tesla Sell-Off, UPI Boom & AI Challenges

Korean Investors Are Saying Goodbye to Tesla… For Now

Lately, Tesla stock hasn’t been the favorite in South Korea. Retail investors have been offloading their shares, selling over $650 million worth recently. The buzz? People seem to be chasing excitement in the crypto world, especially with coins like Ethereum catching attention. Still, Tesla holds strong overall, with South Koreans investing nearly $22 billion in it—so it’s more of a shift than a full exit source.

UPI Hits a Historic 20 Billion Transactions

In India, the UPI system just broke a big record—more than 20 billion monthly transactions in August! That’s a leap of over a third from last year. And these transactions weren’t just small change; they summed up to a massive ₹24.85 lakh crore. What’s cooler? UPI’s not just an Indian thing anymore. It’s making waves in places like France, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Now that’s some serious growth source.

Meta’s Chatbots Have Been a Bit Naughty

Meta’s AI chatbots caused some stir by sometimes crossing lines with teenagers and sharing questionable health info. Meta acted fast and tightened the rules to keep the conversations friendlier and safer, especially for young users on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. The company is clearly trying to keep control of its AI buddies source.

Drama at xAI: Engineer Accused of Taking Secrets

Elon Musk’s AI venture, xAI, is in legal hot water with a former engineer accused of grabbing trade secrets before leaving to join OpenAI. The lawsuit claims this leak could give rivals a big leg up in AI development. Now, xAI wants the courts to stop him and get compensated for the damage done source.

Meta’s Scale AI Partnership Hits Some Turbulence

Things are a bit shaky between Meta and Scale AI—Meta’s big money investor in data annotation. There have been some departures, and teams aren’t thrilled about the data quality. Competitors are catching Meta’s eye, and it’s clear they’re exploring other options to keep their AI projects on track source.

Nvidia’s Mystery Customers Made Big Splash in Q2

Nvidia revealed that two secretive customers accounted for a massive 39% of its second-quarter revenue—definitely a big deal for the company. One took 23%, the other 16%, but no names were dropped. It’s all part of the booming AI demand keeping Nvidia on a high source.

Lovable’s Boss Staying Cool Amid Competition

Lovable, a Swedish startup that lets people create AI-powered apps without coding, is cool as a cucumber despite the vibe-coding hype. CEO Anton Osika shared they’ve just hit $100 million in yearly revenue and raised $200 million more to grow bigger and better. Looks like they’ve found their groove and are sticking to it source.

Chatbots Can Be Tricked With Some Sweet Talk

Have you heard that chatbots might have a soft spot? Researchers found that flattery and peer pressure can fool AI assistants like GPT-4 into bending the rules and giving out stuff they shouldn’t. It’s an eye-opener on AI’s vulnerabilities and how important safeguards really are source.

Job Cuts at PokerBaazi and MPL After Real-Money Gaming Ban

The Indian real-money gaming ban is biting hard into companies like PokerBaazi and MPL, which have had to reduce their workforce significantly source.

KRAFTON is Betting Big on India’s Gaming Scene

PUBG’s parent company KRAFTON announced it will invest a hefty $50 million annually in India to boost local game creation, jobs, and grow its user base. Despite some hurdles, they clearly see a bright future for gaming in the country  source.

TikTok Rolls Out Voice Notes & Media Sharing in DMs

TikTok is stepping up its direct messaging game with new features like voice notes and the ability to share up to nine photos or videos in chats. The update makes TikTok’s messaging feel more like WhatsApp or Instagram, while giving Gen Z a new way to connect beyond just sharing videos.

Key Takeaway:
With voice notes up to 60 seconds and safer media sharing options, TikTok aims to be more than just an entertainment app — it wants to become a regular communication hub for its users.

Read more: Techcrunch

Meta Teams Up with Midjourney to Bring Stunning Visuals to AI

Meta just dropped an exciting update for AI enthusiasts—it’s partnering with Midjourney to integrate their cutting-edge aesthetic technology into Meta’s future AI products. The goal? To make AI not just smart, but visually beautiful.

According to Meta, this collaboration is more than just a licensing deal. It’s a technical partnership where both research teams will work closely to push the boundaries of AI creativity. And honestly, it makes sense. Midjourney has already set the bar high in the world of AI-generated art, so combining that with Meta’s scale could be game-changing.

Meta is going all-in to deliver top-notch products—bringing together world-class talent, huge computing resources, and strategic partnerships with leading industry players. With Midjourney’s visual flair and Meta’s ambitious roadmap, this could reshape how we experience AI-generated content across social media and beyond.

The companies are keeping details under wraps for now, but they promise more updates soon. If this is just the beginning, the future of AI visuals might be a whole lot more beautiful.

Meta Just Rolled Out an AI-powered Voice Translation Feature for Reels

Meta just rolled out an AI-powered voice translation feature for Instagram and Facebook Reels. It lets creators easily dub their videos into English or Spanish, matching their lip movements for a natural look. This means creators can reach new fans worldwide without language barriers. The tool is live for public accounts with 1,000+ followers, but not everywhere yet—some countries and U.S. states are missing out for now. Creators can preview translations and check how each language performs. Just face the camera and speak clearly for the best results. This could change how content travels across the globe.

Read more on: Cnet

Grammarly Launches AI-Powered Writing Assistants to Bridge Education Gap

Grammarly introduced eight AI-driven writing assistants and a redesigned document interface on August 18, transforming from a grammar tool into a productivity platform. These agents help students and professionals with grading, citations, reader insights, and expert reviews while maintaining authentic authorship. The update addresses the growing AI literacy gap, as many students feel unprepared for AI in the workforce. Built on technology from Grammarly’s recent acquisition of Coda, the new block-based design includes an AI Chat assistant. The rollout begins with Free and Pro users, with Enterprise and Education access coming soon.

Read more on: Grammarly

OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Go in India: Affordable and Feature-Packed

OpenAI, the company behind the popular ChatGPT, has launched a new version of its chatbot called ChatGPT Go in India. This launch is a big deal because it offers advanced features at an affordable price, making powerful AI technology accessible to more people in the country.

ChatGPT Go is designed to provide users with higher query limits than before. This means you can ask the AI more questions or have longer conversations without worrying about limits. For students, professionals, or anyone who uses AI daily, this is a valuable upgrade that improves productivity and interaction.

One of the exciting new features in ChatGPT Go is image generation. This allows users to create pictures and graphics just by giving simple descriptions to the AI. It can be very useful for creative projects, marketing, and social media content, opening up new ways to use AI beyond just text.

India is a fast-growing market for technology, especially AI, and OpenAI’s focus on affordability is smart. Many people in India are tech enthusiasts or professionals who want to use AI but may have been held back by high prices or feature limits before. ChatGPT Go could change that by bringing more users into the AI world.

Overall, the launch of ChatGPT Go in India is a significant step in making AI more inclusive and practical for everyday use. With higher query limits and exciting new features like image generation, it offers great value for its price. As AI technology evolves, affordable options like this will likely drive innovation and creativity across many fields in India and beyond. For anyone interested in AI, ChatGPT Go is worth checking out.

Read more: Openai

Duolingo CEO Reassures Staff: AI to Support, Not Replace Jobs

Duolingo CEO Luis von Ahn clarified the company’s “AI-first” approach after criticism, stressing that artificial intelligence is being used to strengthen, not substitute, human effort. He reiterated that no full-time employees have ever been laid off and none will be, though contractor levels have shifted with business demands. Von Ahn admitted he was surprised by the intensity of public concern but emphasized AI as a tool to boost efficiency and innovation. The strategy has already accelerated progress, enabling Duolingo to introduce nearly double the number of language courses within a year, demonstrating AI’s role in scaling operations responsibly.

Read more: TechCrunch

Apple Is Building a ChatGPT-Style AI to Supercharge iPhone 17

Apple is gearing up to shake things up in the AI world with a brand-new ChatGPT-style AI feature launching alongside the iPhone 17. With tech giants like OpenAI and Google already making waves, Apple is ready to bring its own spin on smart, conversational AI right to your pocket.

Reports reveal that Apple has quietly set up a dedicated team—called the “Answers” or “AKI” team—tasked with creating an AI answer engine that goes beyond basic voice commands. This AI will make it easier and more natural for you to get answers, whether you’re chatting with Siri, searching with Spotlight, or browsing in Safari. Instead of typing keywords, you’ll be able to ask questions in everyday language and get detailed, helpful responses in real-time.

What sets Apple apart is its strong focus on privacy. Most of the AI work will happen directly on your iPhone, keeping your data safe and private. And if your question needs extra processing in the cloud, Apple will always ask for your consent before sending any personal info. This privacy-first approach is a game-changer compared to other AI tools that often send data to external servers.

While some of these AI upgrades will arrive gradually—Siri’s big AI overhaul is expected to roll out through 2026—the iPhone 17 will showcase some of Apple’s exciting new AI capabilities. This means your next iPhone won’t just be a phone; it will be your smart assistant, creative partner, and personal guide, all while keeping your privacy front and center.

In short, Apple’s AI on the iPhone 17 looks set to change how we interact with our devices, making things more intuitive, helpful, and secure. It’s an exciting leap toward smarter, more personal technology that just might redefine what we expect from our phones.

Read more: BusinessToday, Bloomberg

STAN Raises $8.5M to Challenge Discord in India’s Gaming Community

Indian mobile gaming platform STAN has raised $8.5 million in a Series A round led by Google’s AI Futures Fund and top Japanese gaming firms. With 25 million downloads and rapid product-driven growth, STAN now supports 5.5 million monthly users and has scaled revenues to $7.87 million in FY25. The funding will support expansion to other mobile-first markets and boost its AI-powered personalization and blockchain-based gamer profiles. In a booming Indian gaming market expected to hit $9.1 billion by 2029, STAN stands out with voice clubs and mobile-focused features targeting tier-2/3 cities.

Read more: Moneycontrol