Drama at OpenAI, Apple’s RCS Support, Fraud Conviction, Cruise Co-Founder Resigns: Week in Tech News Recap

Sam Altman, former CEO of OpenAI, has returned to his position after a tumultuous period that saw him fired by the company’s board of directors. The decision to remove Altman was met with backlash from OpenAI employees, investors, Microsoft, and even members of the board itself. Apple has made a significant move by announcing plans to support the RCS standard on iOS, resolving the issue of text messaging compatibility between iPhones and Android smartphones. However, messages from Android phones will still appear as green bubbles on iOS, which has become colloquially known as green bubble dread. In other news, Mike Rothenberg, a former Silicon Valley venture capitalist known for his extravagant parties, has been convicted of defrauding investors. The verdict follows a decade-long journey for Rothenberg, who once convinced TechCrunch to cover his one-man firm with a $5 million fund. Cruise co-founder Kyle Vogt and executive Dan Kan have both resigned after the California Department of Motor Vehicles suspended Cruise’s permits to operate self-driving vehicles due to a recent accident involving a pedestrian. Apple CEO Elon Musk has filed a lawsuit against news organization Media Matters, alleging defamation after ads from IBM, Apple, Oracle, and others were shown alongside hateful content on his former company, X. Google has come under scrutiny for its secret deal with Spotify, which allows the audio company to bypass Play Store fees. Binance CEO Changpeng Zhao, also known as CZ, has pleaded guilty to federal charges and will step down from his position. Binance, the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange, has agreed to pay approximately $4.3 billion to resolve investigations by the Department of Justice and other U.S. agencies. Lastly, Signal, the end-to-end encrypted messaging app, has revealed the cost of developing and maintaining its pro-privacy systems. The company spends around $14 million per year on infrastructure and $19 million per year on staff costs, totaling $33 million to keep the service running. As Thanksgiving approaches, TechCrunch recommends several podcasts for those in need of entertainment during family gatherings.