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Google's data center energy use doubled in four years
TechCrunch· 2025-07-01 19:52
Core Insights - Google's data centers have seen a dramatic increase in electricity consumption, more than doubling from 14.4 million megawatt-hours in 2020 to 30.8 million megawatt-hours in 2024, indicating a growth of over 113% in just four years [1][2][5] - Data centers are responsible for 95.8% of Google's total electricity usage, highlighting the significant impact of this segment on the company's overall energy consumption [2] - The company's power usage effectiveness (PUE) has improved only marginally over the past decade, reaching 1.09 in 2024, suggesting that further efficiency gains may be challenging to achieve [6] Energy Strategy - Google is committed to using only carbon-free electricity sources, which has led to substantial investments in various energy technologies, including geothermal, nuclear fission, and fusion [7][10][15] - The company has made significant renewable energy purchases, including 600 megawatts of solar capacity in South Carolina and 700 megawatts in Oklahoma, as part of a broader $20 billion investment in carbon-free power plants [11][12] - Currently, about 66% of Google's data center electricity consumption is matched to the hour with carbon-free sources, but there are regional disparities, with Latin America achieving 92% while the Middle East and Africa only reach 5% [14]
Amazon deploys its one millionth robot, releases generative AI model
TechCrunch· 2025-07-01 17:01
Core Insights - Amazon has reached a significant milestone with one million robots deployed in its warehouses, with the latest robot delivered to a facility in Japan [1] - The company is on track to have an equal number of robots and human workers in its warehouses, with 75% of global deliveries now assisted by robots [2] - Amazon introduced a new generative AI model named DeepFleet, which enhances the efficiency of its robotic fleet by 10% [3] Group 1 - The milestone of one million robots signifies Amazon's advancements in robotic capabilities over the years [4] - The latest robot model, Vulcan, features two arms for inventory management and has a sense of "touch" for better item handling [6] - Amazon's next-generation fulfillment centers are set to include ten times the number of robots compared to current facilities, with the first center opening in Shreveport, Louisiana [7]
Ford EV sales fall 31% while hybrids rise
TechCrunch· 2025-07-01 15:22
Group 1: Electric Vehicle Sales Performance - Ford experienced a 31% decline in U.S. electric vehicle sales in Q2 2025, primarily due to a significant drop in E-Transit vans and reduced interest in the F-150 Lightning [1] - Year-to-date, Ford has sold 38,988 electric vehicles, reflecting a nearly 12% decrease compared to the same period in 2024, despite overall sales increasing due to aggressive employee pricing promotions [2] - The Mustang Mach-E sales fell nearly 20% year-over-year to 10,178 units, while F-150 Lightning sales dropped by 26% to 5,842 units [4] Group 2: Market Challenges and Competitor Performance - The U.S. electric vehicle market is facing challenges, with potential federal tax incentive removals under the Trump administration, impacting overall sales [3] - Competitors like Hyundai reported declines in their electric vehicle sales, with Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 down 12% and 8% respectively, while Kia's EV9 and EV6 saw even steeper drops [3] - Ford's E-Transit sales plummeted to 418 units from 3,410 in Q2 2024, attributed to larger fleet orders being placed earlier in the year [4] Group 3: Future Outlook - Ford is developing a lower-cost range of electric vehicles, starting with a small truck, but these are not expected to be available until 2027 [4]
Meta adds business voice calling to WhatsApp, explores AI-powered product reccomendations
TechCrunch· 2025-07-01 15:15
Core Insights - WhatsApp is enhancing its business suite with new AI features, including voice call capabilities for large businesses and AI-powered product recommendations [1][2][7] Group 1: AI Features and Business Capabilities - Large businesses will soon be able to use voice calls to interact with customers via WhatsApp, a feature currently available to small business accounts [3] - The introduction of AI-enabled voice agents will allow companies to manage customer service through platforms like Vapi, ElevenLabs, Coval, or Phonic [4] - An AI-powered chat-based customer support feature is being expanded to more merchants in Mexico, enhancing customer outreach [7] Group 2: Business Impact and Revenue Generation - WhatsApp Business has over 200 million monthly users and is a significant revenue driver for Meta through click-to-WhatsApp ads and messaging features [2] - While WhatsApp currently does not charge for its AI features, there is potential for monetization once these features achieve scale [2] - The rollout of AI features is expected to enhance user engagement and could lead to increased revenue opportunities for businesses using the platform [8]
Tesla sends driverless Model Y from factory to customer to promote its robotaxi tech
TechCrunch· 2025-06-30 21:06
Core Insights - Tesla recently demonstrated its self-driving technology by allowing a Model Y SUV to autonomously drive approximately 15 miles to deliver the car to its new owner, marking what CEO Elon Musk referred to as the first "autonomous delivery" of a customer vehicle [1][3] Company Developments - The Model Y was initially equipped with the same software used in Tesla's robotaxi service in Austin but was downgraded to the commercially available Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software upon delivery, which requires driver attention [2] - Following the delivery stunt, Tesla's stock price experienced a surge, although it later declined after a challenging trading day [3] Industry Context - The delivery route taken by the Model Y included complex driving scenarios, such as merging onto highways and navigating roundabouts, which were previously considered challenging for autonomous vehicles [4][5] - Other companies, such as Waymo and Zoox, are also advancing in the autonomous vehicle space, with Waymo operating in major cities and Zoox providing driverless rides in Las Vegas [5] Technology and Reliability Questions - The demonstration raises questions about the preparations made by Tesla prior to the delivery and whether the software can consistently perform the route safely without intervention [6][11] - Historical context is provided by referencing a 2016 video where Tesla's self-driving capabilities were portrayed in a misleading manner, raising skepticism about the current demonstration's authenticity [8][9][10] Future Implications - The delivery drive is set against Musk's previous ambitious claims regarding Tesla's self-driving technology, including the promise of a car traveling from Los Angeles to New York City without any interventions [12] - Criticism of the delivery included concerns about the car stopping in a fire lane, highlighting ongoing scrutiny of Tesla's Full Self-Driving software [13]
Apple reportedly considers letting Anthropic and OpenAI power Siri
TechCrunch· 2025-06-30 19:26
Group 1 - Apple is considering utilizing AI models from OpenAI and Anthropic for an updated version of Siri instead of relying solely on in-house technology [1] - The company is developing an internal project named "LLM Siri" that incorporates its own AI models while also seeking external assistance for training [1] - Apple has requested OpenAI and Anthropic to create versions of their AI models compatible with Apple's cloud infrastructure for testing purposes [1] Group 2 - The launch of AI-enabled Siri has been postponed from 2025 to 2026 or later due to various technical challenges faced by the company [2] - Apple has been lagging behind competitors like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic in the AI sector over the past few years [2] - Although Siri can currently utilize ChatGPT for complex inquiries, Apple is now looking into a more extensive integration with third-party AI technologies [2]
Netflix teams up with NASA to boost its live TV offering
TechCrunch· 2025-06-30 19:01
Core Insights - Netflix has announced a partnership with NASA to provide live space programming on its platform later this summer, including rocket launches, astronaut spacewalks, and views from the International Space Station [1] - This partnership indicates Netflix's strategy to expand its live programming offerings beyond in-house productions and exclusive events [2] Company Strategy - Netflix has been gradually introducing live TV content, focusing on genres such as stand-up comedy, awards shows, and special events, while also emphasizing sports programming [3] - The recent collaboration with TF1 allowed Netflix subscribers in France to access live sporting events and other entertainment content, showcasing its intent to diversify live offerings [3] Industry Context - NASA has previously partnered with streaming services to engage space enthusiasts, including a recent collaboration with Prime Video to launch a live FAST channel [3] - NASA maintains a robust presence on platforms like YouTube and offers NASA+ content for free on its website, indicating its strategy to reach a wider audience [3]
Meta restructures its AI unit under ‘Superintelligence Labs'
TechCrunch· 2025-06-30 17:56
Group 1 - Meta is restructuring its AI efforts to focus on building AI "superintelligence" under a new group called Meta Superintelligence Labs [1] - Alexandr Wang, former CEO of Scale AI, will lead the new group as chief AI officer, partnering with Nat Friedman, former GitHub CEO, who will oversee AI products and applied research [2] - Meta has invested $14.3 billion in Scale AI and has successfully recruited 11 new AI researchers from competitors, including notable hires from Google DeepMind and Anthropic [2][3]
Google inks its first fusion power deal with Commonwealth Fusion Systems
TechCrunch· 2025-06-30 13:00
Core Insights - Google has announced a deal to purchase 200 megawatts of electricity from Commonwealth Fusion Systems' (CFS) first commercial power plant, Arc, which is expected to be operational in the early 2030s [1][2] - This agreement represents the second instance of a major corporation committing to buy power from a fusion startup, following Microsoft's agreement with Helion in 2023 [3] Company Developments - CFS is currently constructing a demonstration reactor named Sparc, located near Boston, with completion expected in 2026 [2] - The company has raised a total of $1.8 billion in its most recent funding round, which closed in 2021, and is preparing for a new funding round that is expected to be comparable [2] Industry Trends - The demand for electricity is surging due to the growth of AI and cloud services, with forecasts indicating that data center power demand could double by the end of the decade [4] - Google is diversifying its energy investments across various time horizons, focusing on solar, wind, and batteries in the short term, while also exploring geothermal and small modular nuclear reactors [7] Strategic Insights - Google purchased 8 gigawatts of renewable power in 2024, which is double the amount acquired in 2023, indicating a strong commitment to expanding its renewable energy portfolio [8] - The company acknowledges the limitations of traditional renewables in certain regions and is considering fusion energy as a viable long-term solution to meet its energy needs [9][10] Future Outlook - CFS's CEO expresses confidence that the company can deliver power to Google within a decade, anticipating a significant increase in demand for fusion energy once the first power plant is operational [10] - Fusion energy is viewed as a promising technology that can provide consistent power without dependence on geography or weather, potentially allowing for global scalability [11]
Meta reportedly hires four more researchers from OpenAI
TechCrunch· 2025-06-28 18:31
Group 1 - Meta has hired several researchers from OpenAI, including Trapit Bansal and four others: Shengjia Zhao, Jiahui Yu, Shuchao Bi, and Hongyu Ren [1][2] - This hiring spree follows the launch of Meta's Llama 4 AI models, which did not meet CEO Mark Zuckerberg's expectations [2] - OpenAI CEO Sam Altman indicated that Meta was offering substantial signing bonuses, reportedly around $100 million, but noted that none of OpenAI's top talent had left [2] Group 2 - Meta's CTO Andrew Bosworth clarified that while senior leaders may have received high offers, the actual terms were more complex than just a signing bonus [2]