Automattic board ousts Matt Mullenweg in 33‑hour coup, sparking control concerns
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei outlined a plan to "pace the frontier" of AI development by using independent safety evaluators and coordinating among AI labs in democratic countries. The proposal has drawn some industry backing but also pushback from Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.
Key points
- Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei proposes independent safety evaluators and democratic‑country coordination to “pace the frontier.”
- Automattic’s board removed Matt Mullenweg in a 33‑hour coup, with golden parachute deals that may increase his control.
- May Mobility’s SPAC aims to raise over $300 million to become a public robotaxi company, but faces significant caveats.
In a separate episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, the hosts discussed Automattic’s boardroom shake‑up that saw Matt Mullenweg removed in a 33‑hour ouster. Golden parachute deals were struck, and observers say the move could give Mullenweg even more control over the WordPress platform that powers much of the web. The conversation also touched on May Mobility’s SPAC, which may raise more than $300 million to become a public robotaxi company, though the hosts warned of significant caveats.
The story so far
4 episodes →- Automattic board ousts Matt Mullenweg in 33‑hour coup, sparking control concernsthis story
Automattic’s 33-Hour Coup, and can AI labs police themselves?
TechCrunch AI · 18 September 2026
A week after an Anthropic researcher’s doomsday warning rattled the AI world, the company’s CEO Dario Amodei has outlined his plan to “pace the frontier” of AI development. The proposal leans on independent safety evaluators and coordination between AI labs in democratic countries, and it’s already picked up some industry support, along with some pointed pushback from Nvidia’s Jensen Huang.
On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into whether companies can agree on what slowing down means and who gets to police it. Plus, WordPress parent Automattic’s boardroom coup, and a couple of the week’s biggest deals.
Listen to the full episode to hear more about:
The golden parachute deals struck during Matt Mullenweg’s 33-hour ouster from Automattic, and why the drama could give him even more control over technology that powers much of the web
Whether May Mobility’s SPAC can deliver more than $300 million in potential funding, and why becoming a “public robotaxi company” comes with some big caveats
This text was published by TechCrunch AI and written by Anthony Ha, Theresa Loconsolo, Kirsten Korosec, Sean O'Kane. It is reproduced here with attribution so you can read it in full; the rights remain with the publisher. Read it at the source ↗
Coverage and discussion
2sources- Dario Amodei and other AI leaders want to ‘Pace the Frontier’ but...how?Press · TechCrunch AI ·
The headline, key points and digest above were generated by Digest AI's editorial model from the linked sources. Automated summaries can contain errors: the sources are the record. Spotted a mistake? Tell us.
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