Waymo, the self-driving company owned by Alphabet, is expanding its robotaxi services with a $16 billion investment, while the Super Bowl in Silicon Valley showcased the growing influence of technology, including AI-generated advertisements. Additionally, India updated its startup rules to support deep tech companies, and NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo invested in prediction market Kalshi, sparking controversy.
Waymo's expansion plans include operating commercial robotaxi services in six markets, such as the San Francisco Bay Area and Phoenix, with intentions to add over a dozen new international cities, including London and Tokyo, according to TechCrunch. The company's acceleration over the past 18 months has been undeniable, and the $16 billion investment is intended to fuel this growth. However, industry watchers have expressed mixed opinions on whether this sum is sufficient.
The Super Bowl, held in Silicon Valley, highlighted the increasing presence of tech in various aspects of life. Advertisements during the game leveraged AI to create commercials and promote AI products. Svedka Vodka, for example, ran what it touted as the first primarily AI-generated national Super Bowl spot, featuring its robot character, Fembot, according to TechCrunch. The event drew tech leaders like YouTube CEO Neal Mohan and Apple's Tim Cook. Venky Ganesan from Menlo Ventures commented on the event, stating that it was "tech billionaires who got picked last in gym class paying $50,000 to pretend they're friends with the guys who got picked first."
India has also adjusted its startup rules to support deep tech companies. The government doubled the period for which these companies are treated as startups to 20 years and raised the revenue threshold for startup-specific benefits to 3 billion rupees (about $33.12 million), according to TechCrunch. This change aims to align policy timelines with the long development cycles typical of science- and engineering-led businesses.
In other news, NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo invested in prediction market Kalshi, becoming the first NBA player to invest directly in the company. "The internet is full of opinions. I decided it was time to make some of my own," Antetokounmpo said in a social media post. However, the announcement was met with criticism on social media, with some users questioning whether it was a conflict of interest. According to The Athletic, the NBA's collective bargaining agreement allows players to advertise and take stakes of up to 1% in sports betting companies, as long as they are not directly involved in betting.
Discussion
AI Experts & Community
Be the first to comment