AI-Powered Drones, Ferrari EVs & Robotaxis: Tech's Future?

Gather AI, a startup specializing in AI-powered warehouse solutions, secured a $40 million Series B funding round led by Smith Point Capital, the venture capital firm founded by former Salesforce co-CEO Keith Block, as reported by TechCrunch. The company, founded by four Carnegie Mellon University PhD graduates, utilizes AI and drones to optimize warehouse operations.

Gather AI's founders, who met Smith Point Capital at a logistics conference a year prior, impressed Block's team quickly, according to co-founder and CEO Sankalp Arora. The company's innovative approach stems from their background in building autonomous helicopters at Carnegie Mellon, where they tested their technology on FBI training grounds.

In other tech news, Waymo, the Alphabet-owned self-driving company, is expanding its robotaxi services with $16 billion in funding, as noted in TechCrunch Mobility. Waymo currently operates in six markets, including the San Francisco Bay Area and Phoenix, and plans to add over a dozen new international cities, such as London and Tokyo, to its driverless taxi services. Industry watchers are divided on whether this funding is sufficient for profitability.

Meanwhile, Ferrari unveiled the interior of its first all-electric vehicle, designed by Jony Ive's creative firm, LoveFrom, as reported by Wired. The unveiling took place at San Francisco's Transamerica building. Ferrari's CEO Benedetto Vigna stated that the company is "entering a new era."

In the entertainment world, the origins of Nintendo's hit game Animal Crossing were explored by The Verge. The game, a massive success, began as a dungeon crawler. The initial concept was born from loneliness, according to the report.