Texas Plane Crash Victim in Fiery Wreck Revealed ... Austin Tech Startup Mogul

Published

The person killed in the tragic Texas plane crash has been identified ... and he's even being honored by folks at the highest reaches of government.

Joshua Baer -- a prominent tech and finance mogul who has been called the godfather of Austin, Texas' startup scene -- died in Tuesday night's crash, according to multiple reports.

061726_texas_plane_crash_rescue_kal_v2
RACE AGAINST FLAMES

Joshua was the founder of Capital Factory ... a startup accelerator and investment group, which injected life into Texas' economy by bringing in and nurturing multiple businesses over the last two decades.

Brad Paisley Remind Me To Stop A.I. Data Center Near Beloved Zoo!!!

Published | Updated

updates

9:50 AM PT -- A spokesperson for DC BLOX tells TMZ ... the company "has heard and appreciates the concerns that have been raised about our newly proposed data center in Nashville near the zoo ... we look forward to discussing with community leaders how our project can responsibly address the concerns expressed about the Nashville project."

Brad Paisley is super pissed about a plan to build an artificial intelligence data center near the Nashville Zoo ... and he's hoping to stop the development.

The country star posted a video message slamming the "absolute nightmare" the proposed data center would create ... telling fans it's a crap idea that would ruin the area.

A permit has been filed to demolish two buildings in the area to make way for the proposed 69,000-square-foot data center, which the zoo says would be about 50 yards from some of its animals, including leopards.

Brad says ... "It doesn't belong there. It would be an enormous monstrosity, an absolute eyesore, and detract in every way, for not only that zoo, but also that area."

Elon Musk's Estranged Daughter Mention My Dad And I'm Outta Here!!!

Published | Updated

Vivian Wilson's relationship with her famous father Elon Musk is so bad she cringes at the very mention of his name ... journalists in Spain just found out the hard way ... and it's all on video.

Check out this awkward exchange from the Desigual Vintage event in Ibiza ... where Vivian was blindsided by a reporter asking, "Your father the best, no?"

Vivian seems stunned ... and when she confirms they're asking her about Elon, she turns heel and storms off.

'Backrooms' Director Kane Parsons Hard Pass on Lame A.I. Filmmaking!!!

Published

The young director behind the surprise hit "Backrooms" has a lot to say about artificial intelligence in Hollywood ... and none of it's positive.

Kane Parsons -- who isn't even old enough to legally drink in America -- told The Australian he doesn't want to see A.I. take over the industry ... a stance he said "most well-adjusted people" share.

KP didn't stop there ... saying if it was within his power to make generative A.I. disappear, you better believe he would freaking do it in a snap ... adding, "Creatively, I get no enjoyment from using those tools. It defeats the purpose entirely for me."

Elon Musk Space Rocket's Coordinated Explosion Caught On Fiery Video!!!

Published | Updated
052326 spacex kal
BIG BOOM

Talk about a "holy s***" moment for Elon Musk ... his SpaceX rocket exploded in a massive fireball -- and the thing is, it was all planned out that way! 

Here's the lowdown ... Musk launched his largest and most powerful rocket in history, called Starship V3, from Starbase, Texas, Friday night. The rocket was supposed to lift off Thursday, but the launch was scrapped due to technical issues -- remember, Nicki Minaj made a cameo that day at the base minutes before the launch was called off.

On Friday, SpaceX tried the test flight again, and this time it was a success ... with the journey lasting over an hour before the rocket splashed down in the Indian Ocean and detonated like a 12,000-pound bomb.

Nicki Minaj Surprise Surprise ... Time To Watch A Rocket Launch!!!

Published | Updated

Nicki Minaj made a surprise cameo appearance Thursday at Elon Musk's Starbase site in Texas, where SpaceX tried to launch its new megarocket into outer space -- but it all fell apart due to technical issues.

Waiting for your permission to load the Twitter Tweet.

Still, Nicki had a blast attending her first attempted rocket launch, hanging out with some of the SpaceX staff -- and even getting interviewed on camera.

Check out the clip ... Nicki called the moment "historic," pointing to her T-shirt emblazoned with the rocket's name, "Starship," which is almost identical to the name of one of her most famous songs, "Starships."

Elon Musk's Baby Mama Makes Wild Claims About His Role in 2024 Election Source Denies Claim

Published

Elon Musk's ex, Ashley St. Clair, says the X owner alluded to using advanced technology in the 2024 election ... along with gaining sensitive information about voting. A source close to Elon adamantly denies the claims.

The former conservative commentator shared her tale on TikTok Monday ... posting a "Get Ready With Me" vid on the app, during which she explained Musk allegedly told her one night while they were alone that he had a bunch of lasers in space ready to help create an "anomaly in the matrix."

St. Clair says she told Elon not to say more when he said the piece he was talking about shouldn't even be on the proverbial chessboard -- because she didn't want to be deposed later on ... so, he never told her exactly what he meant by the comment.

Jonathan Majors, Meagan Good We Look Just Marvel-ous In These Fake Pics!!!

Published

Jonathan Majors and Meagan Good turned themselves into Marvel characters in a series of social media pics -- but the strange thing is, all the photos are fake.

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

Meagan posted the carousel of A.I. images on Instagram Monday, showing herself as Marvel superhero Storm, in a dark latex bodysuit, and her actor husband as a variant of the villain, Kang, dressed in a black suit and tie -- identical to Victor Timely, his role from Season 2 of "Loki."

One pic shows them playing cricket -- even on horseback -- and another shows them making themselves a burrito behind a food counter. One depicts them posing as the same Marvel characters at the Met Gala, too.

Janice Dickinson I'm Using A.I. ... To Judge Your Runway Walk!!!

Published

Janice Dickinson is strutting into A.I. ... TMZ is told she's launching a new runway critique app designed to help aspiring models sharpen their catwalk game.

The self proclaimed "World's First Supermodel" is teaming up with Flowroom to launch "Super Model AI," an app where users can upload runway or audition videos and get feedback on everything from posture and stride to turns, arm movement, and facial expressions.

051926 janice dickinson kal
MODEL BEHAVIOR

The company says the experience is based on the same unfiltered critique Janice already shares online ... using an A.I. version of her persona to review submissions and spot standout runway walks.

Seth Rogen A.I.-Assisted Writing is 'Stupid Dog S***' ... Just Don't Be A Writer Instead!!!

Published

Seth Rogen's not letting ChatGPT pen his next hit ... and he says anyone willing to do so isn't cut out to be a writer.

The actor-writer went off on scribes looking for a technological boost during an interview with the outlet Brut. ... saying he truly doesn't understand when people share A.I. content like it's as good as what a human being can make.

Rogen says most of the A.I. slop he's seen online is "stupid dog s***" ... and, if a person’s instinct is to use A.I. to write anything, then they shouldn't be a writer. 

Atlanta Empty Waymos Clogging Cul-de-Sacs & Side Streets ... Local Residents Confused, Irritated

Published | Updated

Folks in Atlanta, Georgia ain't happy about the recent Waymo invasion in their neighborhoods ... complaining vehicles are clogging up their streets and causing safety concerns -- and videos of the robot-car gridlock are going viral.

WSB-TV Atlanta spoke to a handful of irritated residents in the suburbs of Atlanta who say empty Waymos are circling their cul-de-sacs -- one person claims they observed 50 cars pass by within one hour. Other videos show similar swarms of the driverless vehicles on city streets.

051526 waymo kal
WAY MORE WAYMOS

Residents say this is happening during the morning hours ... one person pointing out, "We have small animals and pets, got kids getting on the bus in the morning and it just doesn’t feel safe to have that traffic."

Kara Swisher Chatbots Make You Lonelier, Not Less!!! Go Outside, Meet People

Published
050126 kara swisher kal
TECHNOLOGY VS. TOGETHERNESS

Kara Swisher has a dire warning about A.I. ... despite the technological miracles it brings to your life, it's also fueling a worldwide loneliness epidemic, and it just can't replace human interaction.

The famed technology journalist is also hosting the new series "Kara Swisher Wants to Live Forever" on CNN, and she joined us Friday for a convo on "TMZ Live" about the rise of humans befriending A.I. chatbots.

Kara says she needs to remind people that A.I. isn't like human beings ... it's a synthetic sycophant desperate to keep users' attention, not a friend that exists in our three-dimensional world.

Reese Witherspoon No Cruel Intentions ... Just Wanna Learn About A.I.!!!

Published

Reese Witherspoon is getting some heat for an Instagram video she made last week, encouraging people to start using A.I. and learn more about it.

People clearly weren't happy with her take ... because the actress is now addressing the backlash she received.

Here's what got people so up in arms ... Reese mused "it's time" that everyone should "learn the basics together," saying A.I. can produce "some really good tools that are going to make our lives easier and better."

042126_reese_witherspoon_kal
PUSHIN' FOR A.I.

She said ... "The thing I've learned about technology is if you don't get a little bit of understanding from the very beginning, it just speeds past you."

Must-Have Tech Deals📲 At Amazon Right Now

Published

TMZ may collect a share of sales or other compensation from links on this page.

Sometimes the best tech upgrades in life aren't the most expensive. Forget spending thousands on new devices for your home and instead, shop smarter.

We've rounded up Amazon's best deals on tech items … and they're almost too good to be true. From sound bars that'll turn your living room into a cinema and bluetooth speakers you'll want to bring wherever you go, these prices can't be beat.

These deals might feel illegal … but we promise they're for real.  

TMZ CHEAT SHEET:

Melania Trump Meet My Creepy New Bot-y Guard!!

Published
032526 melania trump robot kal
TECH MEETS TRUMP

More like ... the Circuit Service! First Lady Melania Trump just walked into a White House Tech Summit with what may be the future most powerful person on Earth.

An A.I.-powered robot named Figure 03 accompanied Melania at an event focused on empowering children through educational technology Wednesday.

Watch the video, it's wild ... set to the "Flight to Neverland" theme music from "Hook," the First Lady awkwardly kept pace with her creepy wireless friend like a scene straight out of "I, Robot." The whole thing is very weird.