{"slug": "metas-open-ai-and-a-250m-deal-gone-very-wrong", "title": "Meta’s ‘open’ AI, and a $250M deal gone very wrong", "summary": "Meta released Glimmer, an open-weight AI model anyone can download and run on their own hardware, alongside a 6,500-word manifesto from CEO Mark Zuckerberg arguing AI should be 'for everyone,' but the hosts of TechCrunch's Equity podcast noted the vision comes with asterisks. The episode also covered the collapse of a $250M deal between video-clipping startup VideoVerse and sports publisher Minute Media amidst allegations of fraud and forged signatures, and Anthropic's decision to watermark AI-generated text, which users criticized.", "body_md": "[Meta released Glimmer this week](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/10/metas-new-glimmer-ai-model-offers-a-hint-at-zuckerbergs-personal-intelligence-vision/), an open-weight AI model anyone can download and run on their own hardware — a contrast to Muse Spark, the company’s more powerful model that stays locked behind its own APIs. The release landed alongside [a letter from Mark Zuckerberg](https://www.meta.com/thefutureisforeveryone/?im_ref=XUsSSBwtJxyZWKNUNs1271dQUkr0SryZI2V03U0&sharedid=techcrunch.com&irpid=10078&adid=3865253&ircid=51596&utm_source=impact&prodsku=&irgwc=1&afsrc=1) arguing AI should be “for everyone” rather than controlled by a handful of labs, but as Equity’s hosts point out, the vision comes with [some asterisks](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/10/mark-zuckerbergs-ai-manifesto-is-exactly-why-people-dont-like-ai/).\n\nOn this episode of TechCrunch’s[ Equity](https://techcrunch.com/podcasts/equity/) podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Rebecca Bellan take a look at Glimmer, Zuckerberg’s 6,500-word manifesto, and more of the week’s headlines, from the true cost of the AI industry’s energy needs to a $250M acquisition gone very wrong.\n\nListen to the full episode to hear more about:\n\n- Who’s on the market for\n[a $300 cocktail robot](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/13/bartesian-duet-cocktail-maker-review/)?\n\n- Why Anthropic is\n[adding watermarks](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/11/anthropic-says-it-will-watermark-text-generated-by-its-ai-models/)to its generated text, and users are not happy.\n\n- The potential cost\n[Amazon’s planned data center](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/08/planned-amazon-data-center-could-become-the-biggest-climate-polluter-in-the-u-s/)in Texas and the startups racing to fix the grid, including[Form Energy’s $750M raise](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/12/form-energy-raises-750m-to-build-more-100-hour-batteries-for-the-grid/)for 100-hour batteries,[Reservoir’s $8M bet](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/12/reservoir-raises-8m-to-make-water-heaters-that-people-and-the-grid-will-actually-want/)on smarter water heaters, and[Discovered Materials’](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/10/discovered-materials-is-playing-ai-whack-a-mole-to-hunt-cooler-chips/)hunt for cooler chips.\n\n- Why\n[Joby Aviation’s $500M acquisition](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/11/joby-aviation-builds-out-defense-business-with-500m-acquisition/)of a defense contractor reminds Kirsten of its Blade deal last year — and what the 2028 LA Olympics have to do with it.\n\n- How a $250M deal between video-clipping startup VideoVerse and sports publisher Minute Media\n[collapsed amidst allegedly forged documents](https://techcrunch.com/2026/08/12/how-a-250-million-acquisition-collapsed-into-allegations-of-fraud-and-forged-signatures/), multiple lawsuits, and a CEO nobody can reach.\n\nSubscribe to Equity on [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/@TechCrunch),[ Apple Podcasts](https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/id1215439780),[ Overcast](https://overcast.fm/itunes1215439780/equity),[ Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/show/5IEYLip3eDppcOmy5DmphC?si=rZDFHv2sQUul_g94iCRgpQ) and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on[ X](https://twitter.com/EquityPod) and[ Threads](https://www.threads.net/@equitypod), at @EquityPod.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/metas-open-ai-and-a-250m-deal-gone-very-wrong", "canonical_source": "https://techcrunch.com/podcast/metas-open-ai-and-a-250m-deal-gone-very-wrong/", "published_at": "2026-08-14 14:00:00+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-08-14 15:42:20.232154+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-products", "ai-policy", "ai-ethics", "ai-startups"], "entities": ["Meta", "Glimmer", "Mark Zuckerberg", "TechCrunch", "Equity", "Anthropic", "VideoVerse", "Minute Media"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/metas-open-ai-and-a-250m-deal-gone-very-wrong", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/metas-open-ai-and-a-250m-deal-gone-very-wrong.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/metas-open-ai-and-a-250m-deal-gone-very-wrong.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/metas-open-ai-and-a-250m-deal-gone-very-wrong.jsonld"}}