Group 1: Tesla's Robotaxi Service Launch - Tesla is launching a limited version of its robotaxi service in San Francisco, following an initial rollout in Austin, Texas [1] - The company plans to invite Tesla owners to test the service, which may violate state regulations despite having a human safety driver present [1][8] Group 2: Regulatory Environment - Two state agencies regulate autonomous vehicles in California: the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) [2] - Tesla holds a permit for testing autonomous vehicles with a human safety operator but lacks permits for driverless testing or deployment [3][7] - Tesla does not have the necessary permits from the CPUC to offer autonomous passenger services, whether paid or unpaid [7][8] Group 3: Current Operations and Challenges - Tesla has been running an invite-only version of its robotaxi service in Austin since June 22, primarily in the downtown area [9][10] - The service started with around 10 vehicles, but details on the number of operational Model Y SUVs and safety operator interventions remain unclear [10] - The company is also facing legal challenges, including a lawsuit related to its Autopilot system and ongoing issues with the DMV regarding its self-driving claims [8][9][11]

Core Insights - Meta has appointed Shengjia Zhao, a former OpenAI researcher, as the Chief Scientist of its new AI unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs (MSL) [1][2] - Zhao is recognized for his contributions to significant AI breakthroughs, including ChatGPT and GPT-4, and will set the research agenda for MSL [2][4] - Meta is actively recruiting top talent from leading AI organizations to strengthen its research capabilities [5][6] Leadership and Structure - Zhao co-founded MSL and has been leading its scientific efforts since inception, now formalizing his leadership role [2][3] - Alexandr Wang, the former CEO of Scale AI, leads MSL, while Zhao's expertise complements Wang's unconventional background in AI [3][10] - Meta's AI leadership now includes two chief scientists, Zhao and Yann LeCun, indicating a robust team to compete with industry leaders like OpenAI and Google [10] Research Focus - MSL will prioritize AI reasoning models, an area where Meta currently lacks a competitive offering [4] - Zhao's work on OpenAI's reasoning model, o1, is expected to influence MSL's research direction [4] Recruitment and Investment - Meta has been aggressive in recruiting, offering substantial compensation packages to attract top researchers, including "exploding offers" that have tight deadlines [6] - The company is enhancing its cloud computing infrastructure, with plans to utilize a one gigawatt cloud computing cluster, Prometheus, by 2026, to support extensive AI model training [8][9]

Lyft will add autonomous shuttles made by Austrian manufacturer Benteler Group to its network in late 2026, the company announced Friday. The shuttles will be deployed in partnership with U.S. cities and airports, according to Lyft, but could expand out from there if things go well.The partnership will let Lyft use urban electric shuttles made by Benteler’s mobility division under the Holon brand. The shuttles will not have a steering wheel or pedals and will feature inward-facing seats for up to nine seate ...

Tesla is launching an even-more-limited version of its early robotaxi service in San Francisco this weekend, according to Business Insider, after an initial rollout began last month in Austin, Texas.The company plans to offer rides with a driver in the driver’s seat, which is necessary because Tesla does not have the proper permits for driverless testing or deployment, according to California DMV records. It is not clear whether the company has obtained a permit from California’s Public Utilities Commissi ...

In Brief Tesla is well behind the pace needed to meet its earlier stated goal of producing at least 5,000 Optimus humanoid robots this year, The Information reports. Nearly eight months into 2025, and the number of bots Tesla has produced is only in the hundreds, according to two sources. That means Tesla will either need to step it up or push back the deadline. The news comes after Tesla reported a 12% decline in overall revenue in the second quarter, due to falling EV sales, less cash from regulatory cred ...

In response to the European Union's incoming regulation of political advertising, Meta said on Friday that it will stop selling and showing political ads in the EU from October. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from th ...

Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared an update on the adoption of consumer-facing AI apps and features, including Google Search’s AI Overviews, Gemini, and AI Mode. On the company’s Q2 2025 call with investors, Pichai shared that AI Overviews — a Google Search feature offering an AI summary of search results available in 200 countries and territories — now has 2 billion monthly users, up from 1.5 billion in May 2025.In addition, Google’s Gemini app has grown to 450 million monthly active users. “W ...

Core Insights - Tesla's financial performance in Q2 2025 was negatively impacted by declining EV sales, lower average selling prices, reduced revenue from regulatory credits, and a decrease in solar and energy storage revenue [1][4] - The company's revenue for Q2 2025 was reported at $22.5 billion, marking a 12% decline year-over-year, although it showed improvement from Q1 2025's revenue of $19.3 billion [2] - Net income for Q2 2025 was $1.17 billion, a 16% decrease from $1.4 billion in the same quarter last year, with operating income falling 42% year-over-year to $923 million [3] Revenue and Sales Performance - Tesla's revenue decline was attributed to falling sales and a significant drop in regulatory credits, which amounted to $439 million in Q2 2025, a 50% decrease from the previous year [4] - The company delivered 384,122 vehicles in Q2 2025, representing a 13.5% drop from the same period in 2024, although this was an improvement over Q1 2025's delivery of 337,000 vehicles [4] Legal and Regulatory Challenges - Tesla is facing regulatory scrutiny from the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which is arguing for the revocation of its license to sell vehicles in the state due to false advertising claims related to its Autopilot and Full Self-Driving systems [5] - A civil lawsuit is ongoing in Florida regarding a fatal crash involving a Tesla vehicle using Autopilot, which may lead to punitive damages being considered by a jury [6]

Core Viewpoint - The U.K.'s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) proposed granting "strategic market status" to Apple and Google's mobile platforms, which would enable regulatory changes to their app stores and mobile software operations [1][2] Group 1: Regulatory Changes - The proposal aims to foster a more open and competitive app economy, enhancing user choice [2] - If approved, the CMA would address issues such as commission rates on in-app purchases, app review processes, app rankings, developer access to technology, and default settings that may hinder competition [3] Group 2: Company Responses - Apple and Google have opposed the proposals, with Apple arguing that the changes could jeopardize user security and privacy [2] - Tim Sweeney, CEO of Epic Games, expressed disappointment in the proposal, noting it does not permit competing mobile app stores like the Epic Games Store [3]

Core Insights - PayPal has launched a new platform called PayPal World aimed at simplifying cross-border commerce by allowing users to pay using their local wallets and payment systems [1][4] - The platform has partnered with major global wallet companies, including India's NPCI International Payments Limited, China's Tenpay Global, and Latin America's Mercado Pago, to reach over two billion users worldwide [2][3] Group 1: Partnerships and Collaborations - PayPal's launch partners include NPCI International Payments Limited, which operates the UPI mobile payments framework in India, and Tenpay Global, which manages the WeChat payment ecosystem in China [2] - A memorandum of understanding has been signed with Mercado Pago, a fintech company in Latin America, to enhance payment capabilities [3] Group 2: Platform Features and User Benefits - PayPal World will enable PayPal and Venmo users to send money globally, even to non-PayPal users, facilitating transactions in different countries [4] - Users traveling in China can utilize PayPal on the Weixin payment network, while Indian customers can use their UPI wallets for purchases from U.S. sites [4] Group 3: Market Impact and Transaction Volume - Mercado Pago reported a total payment volume of $58.3 billion in Q1 2025, while UPI transactions in India exceeded $238 billion in June [7] - Tenpay Global is also enhancing its remittance framework to support cross-border peer-to-peer payments [7][8] Group 4: Future Developments - PayPal World is set to launch this fall, with Venmo users expected to be able to make payments for both online and offline shopping by 2026 [9]