TechCrunch tracks AI products and startups that shut down or fell short

In short: More AI products are being delayed, shut down, or folded into bigger services, and TechCrunch is keeping a running list of notable examples.

What's going on

TechCrunch published a “running list” it calls the AI graveyard, which collects AI projects and startups that did not work out as planned. The idea is simple: not every AI bet survives, even when it comes from well-known companies.

One example is Relay, a five-year-old automation tool that used AI “agents” (software helpers that try to do tasks for you, like a digital assistant). Relay shut down after bigger companies like OpenAI and Google added similar automation features directly into their own products. It is like a small shop closing when a big supermarket starts selling the same items.

TechCrunch also points to several higher-profile stumbles. OpenAI tried to redesign ChatGPT into a broader “super app” with multiple modes, but users complained it was confusing, and the company rolled the changes back. OpenAI has also discontinued some standalone apps, such as ChatGPT Atlas, and moved features into ChatGPT instead.

The list includes projects that struggled for other reasons. Apple repeatedly delayed its upgraded Siri AI and later reached a $250 million settlement tied to claims about marketing delayed features. Microsoft’s Recall feature, designed to help people search their past PC activity by taking periodic screenshots, faced heavy privacy backlash and ongoing security concerns.

What to watch

TechCrunch cites S&P Global Market Intelligence saying about 42% of corporate AI initiatives are eventually abandoned. Watch for more consolidation, where features get absorbed into larger apps, and for more pushback when AI tools collect or store sensitive personal data.

Source: TechCrunch AI