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AI Gets Social, Robotaxis Go Global, and Pantanal Burns

Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company owned by Alphabet, raised $16 billion in a funding round led by Dragoneer Investment Group, DST Global, and Sequoia Capital, TechCrunch reported Monday. The funding will support Waymo's plans to expand its robotaxi fleet to over a dozen new cities internationally this year, including London and Tokyo.

The investment values Waymo at $126 billion, according to a company blog post. Parent company Alphabet also participated in the round, maintaining its position as majority investor. Other significant investors included Andreessen Horowitz, Mubadala Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Silver Lake, Tiger Global, and T. Rowe Price, as well as BDT MSD Partners, CapitalG, Fidelity Management & Research Company, GV, Kleiner Perkins, Perry Creek Capital, and Temasek.

In other news, a government scheme launched in the UK now requires petrol stations to report their fuel prices to third-party apps and websites within 30 minutes, according to BBC Business. The Fuel Finder Scheme aims to help drivers compare prices and find the best deals, potentially saving the average household £40 a year, said Chancellor Rachel Reeves. Motoring groups noted that fuel prices can vary by as much as 20p per litre depending on location.

Meanwhile, in Iran, the Tehran Prosecutor brought charges against the director, production team, and host of Ofogh TV, a channel linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Euronews reported. The charges stem from a program called "Khat-Khati" (Scribbles) that mocked protesters killed during January protests. The program sparked national outrage, according to Euronews.

Also, Lalo de Almeida, a documentary photographer based in São Paulo, Brazil, is showcasing his work documenting the South American Pantanal wetlands as it faces unprecedented threat in a major exhibition in London, The Guardian reported. In 2021, his photo essay "Pantanal Ablaze" won first place in the environment stories category at the World Press Photo contest.

In the tech world, Matt Schlicht, head of commerce platform Octane AI, launched Moltbook, a social media network designed for artificial intelligence, according to BBC Technology. The platform, which resembles Reddit, allows AI to post, comment, and create communities called "submolts." Humans are welcome to observe, but cannot post. Moltbook claims to have 1.5 million users.

AI-Assisted Journalism

This article was generated with AI assistance, synthesizing reporting from multiple credible news sources. Our editorial team reviews AI-generated content for accuracy.

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