Innovation Spotlight: Tesla’s Robotaxi Trials Hit the Road in Austin
Tesla deployed a small fleet of fully driverless taxis to carry paying passengers around a limited zone in Austin, Texas, on June 22. The service runs at a flat fare of $4.20 per ride, marking the first time Tesla vehicles have operated without a human safety driver behind the wheel. Early public trials and videos shared by influencers have shown smooth operations, and investors sent Tesla shares up by about 10% on Monday, reflecting optimism about scaling the service, pending further regulatory approval.
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Regulatory Roundup: Federal Moratorium on State AI Laws Advances
Late Saturday, the Senate parliamentarian ruled that a 10-year freeze on state-level AI regulations can remain in the upcoming reconciliation megabill, a move pushed by major tech firms to prevent a patchwork of local AI laws. Opponents argue it undermines state rights and consumer protections, while backers contend it’s essential to maintain U.S. leadership in AI innovation. A floor vote on the bill is expected before the July 4 recess.
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Corporate Strategies: Apple Eyes Perplexity AI; LinkedIn’s Writing Assistant Sees Tepid Uptake
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Apple & Perplexity AI: Internal discussions are underway at Apple about a potential bid for Perplexity AI, the startup renowned for its real-time, citation-driven search engine. Such an acquisition, valued at around $14 billion, could supercharge Siri and Spotlight with advanced conversational search and reduce reliance on external AI partners.
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LinkedIn’s AI Writing Assistant: CEO Ryan Roslansky admitted the platform’s AI-powered drafting suggestions have not caught on as expected, despite surging demand for AI skills elsewhere on LinkedIn. Users cite concerns over professional authenticity and reputational risk on a site they view as “their resume online.”
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Talent and Funding Wars: Meta’s $100 Million Signing Bonuses and Startup Showdowns
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Meta’s Talent Blitz: Sam Altman revealed on a recent podcast that Meta offered signing bonuses up to $100 million to poach top researchers from OpenAI, though none have jumped ship so far. This high-stakes recruitment underscores the fierce competition for AI talent.
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Cluely’s Controversial Funding: Cluely Inc., the startup known for its “cheat on everything” marketing, snagged $15 million in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz. Despite ethical concerns over its interview-cheating tools, investors remain hungry for bold AI bets.
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Financial Integration: Banks Embrace AI Assistants and Superconducting Chips
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Goldman Sachs’ GS AI Assistant: Goldman rolled out its in-house generative-AI tool firmwide, with about 10,000 employees already using it to summarize documents, draft communications, and perform data analysi, a sign that traditional finance is doubling down on AI productivity gains.
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Snowcap Compute’s Superconducting Chips: Snowcap Compute raised $23 million to develop AI accelerators using superconducting materials, promising up to 25× better performance per watt. Backed by Playground Global with Pat Gelsinger joining its board, Snowcap aims to deliver its first chip by late 2026.
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