Science & Technology

Meet Wabi, the AI assistant with group chats, multiple threads, and an app-builder | Equity podcast

It seems like every big AI player is building a personal agent. Meta has Muse, OpenAI launched Dots, and a startup called Instinct recently raised $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation. But Eugenia Kuyda thinks the next generation of AI assistants needs to do more than book your restaurant reservations and find you hidden…

Published

2 days ago

October 22, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Kuyda, who founded AI companion app Replika, has just launched Wabi, a personal AI agent that organizes your life into separate conversations, brings other people into the mix, and builds custom apps around what you’re trying to do. The idea is to make AI less of a solo productivity tool and more of a way to spend time with the people who matter to you.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan talks with Kuyda about why she thinks AI agents should bring people together instead of keeping them glued to a single chatbot, how Wabi plans to compete in a crowded and expensive market, and what it takes to get people comfortable giving an AI access to their email.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You can also follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

1:11 Meet Wabi

5:33 From “YouTube for apps” to a proactive personal agent

7:12 Why AI should bring people together, not just save time

10:17 Multi-thread chats vs. everything in one conversation

13:33 Shared permissions: who sees what inside a chat

14:57 Phones, hardware, and the “MS-DOS era” of AI interfaces

17:39 Funding, compute costs, and the free-for-now business model

24:10 Handing over your Gmail: how Wabi earns trust

28:02 Outro

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2 Comments

@patekreol974

October 22, 2026 at 10:09 am

Super

Reply
@DD-tm6ij

October 22, 2026 at 10:52 am

Ty for pushing on the data privacy concerns. Wabi seems like a pure black box and the answers here didn’t help on that front.

Reply

Science & Technology

What it’s Actually Like at TechCrunch Disrupt, with Baukunst’s Kate McAndrew

You’ve seen the stages, the celebs, the coverage…but what is Disrupt actually like to attend? Venture Fund Baukunst’s co-founder Kate McAndrew explored the show floor and discovered a wealth of companies to meet with, a tour of the globe’s innovators, and most of all, a reminder that the community made there goes far beyond what…

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5 hours ago

October 23, 2026

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You’ve seen the stages, the celebs, the coverage…but what is Disrupt actually like to attend?

Venture Fund Baukunst’s co-founder Kate McAndrew explored the show floor and discovered a wealth of companies to meet with, a tour of the globe’s innovators, and most of all, a reminder that the community made there goes far beyond what can be discovered via a screen.

CNET

Inside iPhone Duo Launch Day With Bridget

Something is different for this iPhone Duo launch. Bridget Carey takes you inside Apple’s Fifth Avenue store as fans get their hands on the first folding iPhone — which includes a personalized Hello-screen surprise. You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below Apple – iPhone Duo 256GB – Night Sky *Cnet may…

Published

6 hours ago

October 23, 2026

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You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
Apple – iPhone Duo 256GB – Night Sky
*Cnet may get commission on this offer.

Read more about the iPhone Duo on CNET.com
iPhone Duo Review: Late to the Foldable Party, but It Steals the Show

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 Do Not Separate Bridget!
0:06 iPhone Duo Launch Day!
0:16 The Early Risers
0:39 First People in Line
1:12 The Preorder Situation
1:19 Lines Across the Country
1:46 Personalized Duos Were a Nice Touch
2:38 iPhone Duo Success
2:43 More Apple Products to Come

Video Credits:
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Carly Marsh
Video Editor: Numi Prasarn
Thumbnail Designer: Tharon Green

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#iphoneduo #apple #foldablephone