The banking industry in Europe is about to face a harsh reality regarding efficiency. A recent analysis from Morgan Stanley, as reported by the Financial Times, indicates that over 200,000 jobs in European banking could disappear by 2030 as financial institutions embrace AI and close physical locations. This accounts for approximately 10% of the workforce across 35 significant banks.

The most severe impact will be felt in back-office functions, risk management, and compliance—areas of banking where algorithms are expected to outperform humans in processing data swiftly and accurately. According to the Morgan Stanley report, banks are eager for forecasted efficiency improvements of 30%.

This workforce reduction is not limited to Europe. In October, Goldman Sachs alerted its U.S. staff about potential layoffs and a hiring freeze until the end of 2025 as part of an AI initiative called “OneGS 3.0,” which targets various processes including client onboarding and compliance reporting.

Certain financial institutions have already begun making cuts. Dutch bank ABN Amro intends to reduce its workforce by 20% by 2028, while the CEO of Société Générale has stated that “nothing is sacred.” Nevertheless, some leaders in European banking are advocating for caution, with a JPMorgan Chase executive warning the FT that failing to teach junior bankers the basics could have negative repercussions for the sector.

OpenAI is making a significant investment in audio AI, aiming beyond merely enhancing ChatGPT’s auditory experience. As reported by The Information, the organization has consolidated various engineering, product, and research teams in the last two months to revamp its audio systems, all in anticipation of an audio-centric personal device due to be introduced in roughly a year.

This initiative mirrors the trajectory of the entire technology sector — moving towards a time when displays fade into the background and audio emerges as the focal point. Smart speakers have already established voice assistants as common in over a third of households in the U.S. Meta has recently launched a feature for its Ray-Ban smart glasses that employs a five-microphone setup to assist in hearing conversations in noisy environments, effectively transforming your face into a directional audio receiver. In June, Google started trials of “Audio Overviews,” which convert search results into conversational summaries, while Tesla is incorporating xAI’s chatbot Grok into its cars to develop a conversational voice assistant capable of managing everything from navigation to climate settings through natural dialogue.

This trend is not exclusive to the major tech players. A diverse array of startups has surfaced with similar ambitions, though with varying levels of success. The creators of the Humane AI Pin spent hundreds of millions before their screen-free wearable became a cautionary lesson. The Friend AI pendant, which claims to document your life and provide companionship, has raised privacy alarm and sparked existential concerns alike. Currently, at least two companies, including Sandbar and one led by Pebble founder Eric Migicovsky, are developing AI rings expected to launch in 2026, enabling wearers to literally converse with their hand.

Though the designs may vary, the underlying concept remains consistent: audio represents the interface of tomorrow. Every environment — your dwelling, your vehicle, even your face — is evolving into a control interface.

OpenAI’s forthcoming audio model, anticipated for early 2026, is expected to deliver a more natural sound, manage interruptions akin to a genuine conversation partner, and even speak concurrently with you, a feat current models are unable to achieve. The company is also believed to be considering a range of devices, potentially encompassing glasses or screenless smart speakers, that function less as tools and more as companions.

None of this is particularly shocking. As highlighted by The Information, former Apple design head Jony Ive, who became part of OpenAI’s hardware initiatives through the firm’s $6.5 billion acquisition in May of his company io, has prioritized minimizing device addiction, viewing audio-first design as an opportunity to “right the wrongs” of previous consumer electronics.

Each year, the Startup Battlefield pitch contest hosted by TechCrunch attracts thousands of applicants. We narrow down those submissions to the top 200 candidates, and from that group, the top 20 battle it out on the grand stage to secure the title, claiming the Startup Battlefield Cup and a monetary reward of $100,000. Nonetheless, the other 180 startups also impressed us significantly in their respective categories and partake in their own pitching contest.

Below is the complete list of the media/entertainment Startup Battlefield 200 selectees, with insights on their selection for the competition. 

Alltroo 

Function: Assists celebrities in orchestrating their charity giveaways and fan engagement awards. 

Significance: Alltroo oversees the sweepstakes activities that involve a celebrity, whether it’s an event featuring the celeb or a charitable giveaway, facilitating promotion, managing entries, and selecting winners. 

METAPYXL 

Function: Metapyxl defends digital media utilizing content management technology. 

Significance: This platform supplies artists and content generators with resources for watermarking, usage tracking, licensing conditions, and analytics. 

Nebula 

Function: A music platform where fans support their beloved artists and accrue royalties by assisting in their success. 

Significance: Fans purchase tokens for music tracks at a price determined by the artists and can receive royalties as the track is played. 

Oriane 

Function: Oriane provides a search tool that identifies brands and trends in videos through natural language queries. 

Significance: Tracking a brand’s mentions and discovering content creators has historically been challenging. This platform facilitates AI-powered searches for text, images, and video snippets. 

Othelia Technologies 

Function: An AI-driven storytelling platform that empowers creators. 

Significance: Othelia is crafted to outline a story’s framework, identify connections, and provide summaries enabling storytellers to develop, revise, and interact with intricate narratives. 

Transitional Forms 

Function: Transitional Forms conducts live simulations based on prompts. 

Significance: This patent-pending system allows anyone to create, remix, and produce instantaneous video simulations directly from their mobile device. The startup claims to be developing SocialTV, a vision of the future in entertainment. 

Fizz is placing its bets on the notion that Gen Z is fatigued from showcasing their lives on Instagram and TikTok.  

What began as a frustration with group chats during the pandemic has transformed into the prevailing social platform on college campuses across the United States, concentrating on the 99% of life that fails to enter highlight reels. Engaging a demographic typically stuck to Instagram and TikTok, the app’s combined anonymous approach and local focus has rendered it what Solomon dubs “the foremost college social app since Facebook.”  

Today we’re showcasing a dialogue that Dominic Madori Davis had with Fizz’s co-founder and CEO Teddy Solomon at this year’s Disrupt, probing why he believes social media has ceased to be social.  

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