Scott Kirsner
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skirsner.bsky.social
Scott Kirsner
@skirsner.bsky.social
200 followers 110 following 110 posts
InnoLead / MassLive / WBUR / The Innovation Trail. Brookline, MA.
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skirsner.bsky.social
At the Tesla showroom in BOS last Wed, employees from xAI hosted one of the first gatherings of the recently-formed Massachusetts AI Coalition, a group created to support artificial intelligence companies.

Here's what I know:

www.masslive.com/news/2026/01... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Elon Musk’s AI company is hiring people in Mass.
Employees of Elon Musk's xAI hosted one of the first gatherings of the new Massachusetts AI Coalition. They held it at the Tesla dealership in Back Bay.
www.masslive.com
January 27, 2026 at 1:00 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Two Mass. residents show up on the new Sping Magazine list of the 26 most influential people in music:

www.spin.com/2026/01/the-...

(from Suno + Berklee College of Music)
The 26 Most Influential People in Music in 2026  - SPIN
The way we see it, 2026 is going to be a monumental battle with AI for the music industry’s soul. As it seemingly seeps into every nook and cranny of the Festival founders, people who use AI for good ...
www.spin.com
January 20, 2026 at 4:50 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
In December, a job opening appeared that could offer a hint about what comes next for Boston Dynamics, which is owned by the South Korean car maker Hyundai Motor Group.

www.masslive.com/business/202... — via @masslive.bsky.social

#robotics
Is this job post a hint about the future of robot-maker Boston Dynamics?
A recent Boston Dynamics job post “reads like prep for a spin-out to me,” said one Boston investment banker.
www.masslive.com
January 20, 2026 at 12:42 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Two of the #AI industry’s most valuable startups have quietly planted their flags in the Boston area: Anthropic, which makes the chatbot Claude, and Lovable, which makes an AI "vibe coding" tool. Here's who they've hired...

www.masslive.com/news/2026/01... — via @masslive.bsky.social
These AI startups just made a major bet on Boston's tech talent
Anthropic and Lovable have rented space in Cambridge and Boston, and begun hiring employees who live locally.
www.masslive.com
January 15, 2026 at 1:11 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Just launched today by Whoop, the Boston-based fitness band maker: the Massachusetts AI Coalition (complete with clever logo!)

www.whoop.com/us/en/press-...

Also includes Suno, Lovable, DraftKings, Wayfair, HubSpot, Klaviyo, Circle, Blitzy, Jellyfish, Formlabs + more co's....
January 13, 2026 at 4:05 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
For one year — just one year! — What if we all tried to be Mass. boosters, rather than Mass. criticizers, Mass. fault-finders or plain old Massholes?

www.masslive.com/news/2026/01... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Could we quit complaining and be Massachusetts boosters ... just this once?
If you’re a resident of Massachusetts, you can undoubtedly add to this list of problems that our state has. But what if we tried seeing the Dunkin' cup as half full in 2026?
www.masslive.com
January 13, 2026 at 12:26 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
BOS-based Merlin Labs hopes to go public this year. The company is developing "AI copilots" for military planes like an aerial refueling tanker and a four-engine cargo and passenger plane. And it is testing with Cessna Caravans as well.

www.masslive.com/news/2026/01... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Massachusetts startup developing AI copilots for military aircraft to go public
Boston-based Merlin Labs is developing AI copilots for military aircraft. And it's set to go public.
www.masslive.com
January 6, 2026 at 12:25 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
BOS-based startup, with production facility in NH:

www.nytimes.com/2025/12/29/b...
Meet a U.S. Start-Up Trying to Break China’s Rare-Earth Monopoly
www.nytimes.com
December 29, 2025 at 4:20 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
This was one of those only-in-Boston opportunities — like tossing out the first pitch at Fenway — that felt too good to pass up, despite the pressure.

www.masslive.com/destinations... — via @masslive.bsky.social #merrychristmastoall #andtoallagoodnight
What it’s like to take the stage with the Boston Pops at the holidays
Reading at a Holiday Pops performance is one of those only-in-Boston opportunities — like tossing out the first pitch at Fenway — that felt too good for a MassLive columnist to pass up, despite the pr...
www.masslive.com
December 24, 2025 at 1:02 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
7 ideas for rebooting Boston's beleaguered Faneuil Hall Marketplace in advance of its 50th birthday:

www.masslive.com/news/2025/12...
This famous Boston landmark is celebrating 50 years, but locals say it feels like a 'divorced dad's apartment' at Christmas
At the half century mark, Faneuil Hall Marketplace has lost direction and is badly in need of rejuvenation. Almost no one can remember the glory days.
www.masslive.com
December 23, 2025 at 12:55 PM
Reposted by Scott Kirsner
masslive.bsky.social
Cambridge biotech will invest $250M in Mass. production facility, add jobs
Cambridge biotech will invest $250M in Mass. production facility, add jobs
The expansion will add about one-third more active manufacturing space to Alnylam's production facility in Norton, and it is expected to be completed by late 2027.
www.masslive.com
December 17, 2025 at 1:05 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Talking with three Mass. venture capitalists about what happened to startup investing in 2025 — and what could change next year:

www.masslive.com/news/2025/12... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Here’s what happened to Mass. startup investing in 2025
If the trends of the first three quarters continue in the fourth, the amount of money raised by Bay State startups could be slightly more this year than in 2023 or 2024 — though it’s still down from t...
www.masslive.com
December 16, 2025 at 2:04 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
"Watching today’s politics toy with an institution of MIT’s complexity and importance is like watching a toddler play with Sèvres porcelain." — George F. Will in the @washingtonpost.com

wapo.st/4pChimy
Opinion | Let’s take a closer look at MIT, one target of Trump’s blunderbuss
It’s alarming to see such a complex, important institution subject to the whims of today’s politics.
wapo.st
December 12, 2025 at 12:37 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
This week's Techstars Boston demo day was held at Google’s office in Kendall Square. Are these the most promising two startups that presented? My informal panel of 11 judges thought so...

www.masslive.com/news/2025/12... — via @masslive.bsky.social
The most promising startups from Techstars Boston’s latest batch
The two local companies, focused on medical device regulatory AI and virtual cardiac care, respectively, received the most positive mentions.
www.masslive.com
December 11, 2025 at 1:33 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
How do teenagers feel about the arrival of the AI age?

I assembled a focus group of eight Massachusetts teens to get their take. Here's what they said in our group text:

www.masslive.com/news/2025/12... #AI #education — via @masslive.bsky.social
One teen uses AI to fix his car while another fears it will "stunt cognitive development" of future generations
A teen focus group reveals divided opinions, with some embracing AI tools for studying while others worry about the environment and future job prospects.
www.masslive.com
December 8, 2025 at 12:58 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
The new robot warehouse worker from Tutor Intelligence won’t work for minimum wage.

But pay it $18 an hour, and it will uncomplainingly pick up boxes and plunk them onto wooden pallets — three shifts a day, with no breaks

www.masslive.com/business/202... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Rent a robot for $18 an hour?
Watertown startup Tutor Intelligence raised $34 million for robots that can stack 14 boxes per minute and work around the clock.
www.masslive.com
December 1, 2025 at 3:03 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Launching next month: A new print mag for adults who love LEGO...

www.masslive.com/news/2025/11... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Mass. dad creates magazine celebrating adult Lego builders as artists
The new magazine, Bricka, launches a print edition next week, and its founder says that Lego creations can be art.
www.masslive.com
November 25, 2025 at 1:39 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Big #AI funding round for a Cambridge startup.... with some coming from NVIDIA Ventures

www.wsj.com/business/med...
Exclusive | AI Music Platform Suno Valued at $2.45 Billion
The startup has raised $250 million and says annual revenue has reached $200 million.
www.wsj.com
November 19, 2025 at 4:19 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Can this startup solve fusion? Fusion power doesn’t pump carbon into the atmosphere, and has fewer safety risks compared to traditional nuclear reactors.

Commonwealth Fusion Systems — and its investors – think we're on the cusp...

www.masslive.com/news/2025/11... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Can this Mass. startup solve the riddle of fusion power?
Fusion power's big advantages would be that it’s a virtually limitless source of electricity that doesn’t add carbon to the atmosphere, and has lower safety risks compared to traditional nuclear react...
www.masslive.com
November 18, 2025 at 12:57 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
Most people have amassed a shelf full of board games somewhere in their home. But what if the next game you buy is the last one you’ll ever need?

That’s the promise behind Board, a new startup aiming to reinvent family game night.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/11... — via @masslive.bsky.social
This startup is creating the future of board games with a hybrid digital-physical device
The startup Board just started selling a $500 product that blends physical game pieces, family-friendly games, and a flat-screen display. The company's chief creative officer is based in Massachusetts...
www.masslive.com
November 11, 2025 at 12:07 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
What can a humanoid robot actually do in the real world?

Here's what I saw last week on a visit to MIT's new Living Lab...

www.masslive.com/news/2025/11... — via @masslive.bsky.social
MIT Living Lab shows humanoid robots still struggle with basic tasks
Massachusetts robotics entrepreneurs focus on specialized machines, while West Coast companies pour billions into humanoid development despite current limitations demonstrated at MIT.
www.masslive.com
November 4, 2025 at 12:32 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
We love our statues in Boston, as long as they represent historic figures who are now dead and preferably on horseback.

But erect something fun that might wind up in someone’s Instagram feed? That’s just not our jam.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/10... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Does Boston have to be the city where fun goes to die?
Will two toymakers, the LEGO Group and Hasbro, leave the fun behind when they relocate from Connecticut and Rhode Island to Boston?
www.masslive.com
October 28, 2025 at 10:45 AM
skirsner.bsky.social
Some sudden sprouts of hope in #biotech, with $1 billion in new funding announced last week by just two Boston-area startups, Kaleira Therapeutics in Waltham and Lila Sciences in Cambridge.

www.masslive.com/news/2025/10... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Amid a tough year for biotech, these Mass. companies just raised $1B
Companies working on new medicines to treat obesity and a new approach to using artificial intelligence in science labs are giving the biotech industry some much-needed good news.
www.masslive.com
October 21, 2025 at 11:06 AM
skirsner.bsky.social
As Major League Baseball barrels toward the World Series later this month, one Massachusetts startup has been rooting for the teams using its technology.

Founded in 2021, Infinite Sky uses AI to analyze video from baseball games...

www.masslive.com/news/2025/10... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Could this Massachusetts startup change how baseball teams spend millions?
Infinite Sky, a Boston-based company, uses AI to analyze video and assess baseball pitchers' command, helping teams make smarter recruitment and salary decisions.
www.masslive.com
October 14, 2025 at 4:12 PM
skirsner.bsky.social
The Sec. of Energy came to MA to visit to a fusion reactor startup with @massgovernor.bsky.social. And then his Department cut $466 million of grants in the state. What gives? I spoke with Emily Reichert of the Mass. Clean Energy Center:

www.masslive.com/news/2025/10... — via @masslive.bsky.social
Say goodbye to the Mass. clean energy boom. But a comeback may be in the offing
Massachusetts' clean energy sector faces a turbulent week as feds pull $466M in grants. Emily Reichert, chief executive of the Mass. Clean Energy Center explains what happens next.
www.masslive.com
October 11, 2025 at 12:03 PM