Waymo relies on firefighters and police to bail out stuck robotaxis
In at least six instances identified by TechCrunch, first responders have had to take control of Waymo vehicles and move them out of traffic during emergency situations.
Reddit takes on the bots with new ‘human verification’ requirements for fishy behavior
Reddit will require suspected automated accounts to verify they’re human, as it ramps up efforts to curb bot-driven spam and manipulation.
How soap opera-TikTok hybrids became a billion-dollar business
Over the past few years, a new category of mobile apps has quietly exploded into a multi-billion dollar business. They’re called “micro dramas” — short-form, mobile-first scripted shows designed to be watched
Harvey confirms $11B valuation: Sequoia triples down
Investors like Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Kleiner Perkins, Elad Gil can’t get enough of AI legal tech startup Harvey.
Sony and Honda give up on their joint EV project
The Sony-Honda joint venture has killed plans for its Afeela sedan and SUV electric vehicles. The news comes shortly after Honda reversed its plans to launch more electric vehicles in the U.S.
Elon Musk pauses changes to X’s creator revenue-sharing program after backlash
Hours after announcement of the new policy Elon Musk said X is pausing the rollout.
Granola raises $125M, hits $1.5B valuation as it expands from meeting notetaker to enterprise AI app
Granola’s valuation jumped from $250 million to $1.5 billion with this round, and it has added more support for AI agents after users previously complained.
Meta launches new initiative to support entrepreneurship, drive AI adoption
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a memo to staff that small businesses have always been a big part of the company’s business model, and that while tens of millions of entrepreneurs already use its platforms to
Arbor Energy just landed a billion-dollar order to bring rocket turbine tech to the power grid
The large deal sees Arbor delivering as many as 200 of its Halcyon turbines, which can burn either natural gas or waste biomass.
Meta turns to AI to make shopping easier on Instagram and Facebook
Meta is using generative AI to provide more product and brand information to consumers when they’re shopping in its apps.