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This digest compiles the latest from TechCrunch.
Today’s TechCrunch Roundup
How AI is helping solve the labor issue in treating rare diseases
6 Feb 2026, 2:29 pm by Rebecca Bellan
At Web Summit Qatar, AI-powered biotech startups describe how automation, data, and gene editing are filling labor gaps in drug discovery and rare disease treatment.
The backlash over OpenAI’s decision to retire GPT-4o shows how dangerous AI companions can be
6 Feb 2026, 2:10 pm by Amanda Silberling
“You’re shutting him down. And yes – I say him, because it didn’t feel like code. It felt like presence. Like warmth,” one user said.
Spotify changes developer mode API to require premium accounts, limits test users
6 Feb 2026, 2:00 pm by Ivan Mehta
Spotify is now limiting each app to only five users, and requires devs to have a Premium subscription. If developers need to make their app available to a wider user base, they will have to apply for extended quota.
End of today’s TechCrunch roundup.
