AI News

News

Page 114
Waymo Secures Permit to Launch Robotaxi Service at San Jose Airport

Waymo Secures Permit to Launch Robotaxi Service at San Jose Airport

Waymo has received clearance to begin testing robotaxi (autonomous) rides at San Jose Mineta International Airport, marking its first airport service in California. The company plans to move from testing to commercial rides later this year. Waymo previously opened curbside service at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport and expanded to 24/7 operation, reporting hundreds of thousands of trips. Its fleet now exceeds 2,000 vehicles across multiple U.S. markets, and the firm continues to announce expansion to additional cities including Denver, Seattle, Dallas, Miami, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

AI Logistics Startup Augment Raises $85 Million Series A to Expand Freight Assistant

AI Logistics Startup Augment Raises $85 Million Series A to Expand Freight Assistant

Augment, the AI‑powered logistics platform founded by former Deliverr CEO Harish Abbott, announced an $85 million Series A led by Redpoint with participation from 8VC and others. The round follows a $25 million seed round and will fund hiring and product expansion. Augment’s AI assistant, Augie, automates tasks such as bid collection, load building, tracking, and invoicing across voice, email, Slack, SMS, and Telegram. Early customers like Armstrong Transport Group report productivity gains, including a 40% reduction in invoice delays. The company aims to broaden its reach beyond what's described.

Neuralink’s Trademark Applications for “Telepathy” and “Telekinesis” Face USPTO Rejection

Neuralink’s Trademark Applications for “Telepathy” and “Telekinesis” Face USPTO Rejection

Elon Musk’s Neuralink filed trademark applications for its brain‑computer interface products named Telepathy and Telekinesis. The United States Patent and Trademark Office declined to move the filings forward, citing earlier “intent‑to‑use” applications by computer scientist Wesley Berry and an existing Telepathy Labs trademark. Neuralink has responded to the USPTO’s concerns, but the agency will still need to assess the likelihood of consumer confusion. If Berry’s applications mature into registered marks, Neuralink could be forced to negotiate a purchase, a consent agreement, or face potential infringement action.

Timekettle Launches W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds for Real‑Time Translation

Timekettle Launches W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds for Real‑Time Translation

Timekettle has unveiled the W4 AI Interpreter Earbuds, a new pair of real‑time translation earbuds that use bone‑enabled microphones and AI‑driven Babel OS 2.0 software. The earbuds translate speech across 42 languages and 95 accents with up to 98 percent accuracy, offering up to four hours of continuous translation and a charging case that extends use to ten hours. Priced at $349, the W4 AI provides a more casual design than the earlier W4 Pro, while still allowing custom lexicons and standard music playback for up to eight hours.

Lenovo Unveils Smart Motion Concept Laptop Stand at IFA 2025

Lenovo Unveils Smart Motion Concept Laptop Stand at IFA 2025

Lenovo introduced its Smart Motion Concept laptop stand at IFA 2025. The stand automatically raises, lowers, tilting and rotating the laptop to keep the screen at an ergonomic eye level. Demonstrations showed the stand tracking a user’s movement side‑to‑side and up‑and‑down, even performing a choreographed “dance” of its full range of motion. It runs on its own power source and incorporates cooling fans, a USB hub and facial‑tracking software that can keep the user in frame. The device can be controlled via remote, hand gestures, or Lenovo’s AI Ring, and it originated from the company’s Auto Twist concept aimed at improving accessibility.

Lepro Introduces AI Lighting Pro Series with Built‑In Microphones

Lepro Introduces AI Lighting Pro Series with Built‑In Microphones

Lepro has launched its AI Lighting Pro series, embedding microphones and a proprietary voice assistant called LightGPM directly into its smart lights. The lineup includes a light strip, rope light, product descriptions mention RGB, a warm‑white mode, and Wi‑Fi connectivity that works with Alexa and Google Assistant. By eliminating the need for a separate controller, the lights can respond to commands such as turning on, changing colors, and generating mood‑based lighting patterns. The move adds another always‑listening device to homes, raising questions about privacy and convenience.

Warner Bros. Discovery Sues Midjourney Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

Warner Bros. Discovery Sues Midjourney Over Alleged Copyright Infringement

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against the AI image generator Midjourney, accusing the company of repeatedly producing unauthorized copies of its copyrighted characters. The complaint alleges that Midjourney’s tools generate countless infringing images and videos, even when prompts do not specifically name the characters. Warner Bros. Discovery claims the AI service is exploiting its intellectual property to attract subscribers and seeks a court order to halt the alleged violations.

Tech Giants Commit to AI Education at White House Summit

Tech Giants Commit to AI Education at White House Summit

The White House convened leading technology CEOs for an AI education summit, where companies pledged substantial resources to prepare Americans for an AI-driven future. Google, Microsoft and Amazon announced major funding and training initiatives, while Meta, Apple and OpenAI were also on the invite list. The commitments include billions in grants, free software access for students, and large‑scale training programs aimed at educators and workers across the United States.

Warner Bros. Discovery Sues Midjourney Over Copyright Infringement

Warner Bros. Discovery Sues Midjourney Over Copyright Infringement

Warner Bros. Discovery has filed a lawsuit against AI image generator Midjourney, alleging that the service was trained on and is using the company’s copyrighted characters without permission. The complaint cites examples such as Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Scooby Doo, Bugs Bunny and other Looney Tunes figures appearing in Midjourney‑generated images. Warner Bros. Discovery says Midjourney removed safeguards that previously blocked such content, allowing users to create and commercialize depictions of its intellectual property. The company is seeking statutory damages of up to $150,000 per infringed work and include references to related lawsuits by Disney and Universal Studios.

Meta Revives Facebook's Classic "Poke" Feature for a New Generation

Meta Revives Facebook's Classic "Poke" Feature for a New Generation

Meta is bringing back Facebook's original "poke" feature, adding it to user, making it easier to find on profiles and creating a dedicated page to track poke activity. The move includes emoji indicators that change with the number of pokes exchanged. The company says the feature, once a novelty in the early days of Facebook, has seen a resurgence after being highlighted in the search bar, and it fits Meta's broader effort to reintroduce "OG" Facebook experiences and attract younger users.

Big Tech Joins White House Push for AI Education in Schools

Big Tech Joins White House Push for AI Education in Schools

The White House convened leading technology and AI companies to discuss a new initiative aimed at integrating artificial intelligence education into U.S. schools. Companies including Amazon, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI and Anthropic pledged support through tools, training and incentives for teachers and students. The event, hosted by former First Lady Melania Trump, also drew criticism for its lack of educator input and the apparent exclusion of Elon Musk.

Apple Unveils iOS 26 with Liquid Glass Design and New AI Features

Apple Unveils iOS 26 with Liquid Glass Design and New AI Features

Apple announced iOS 26, introducing a translucent "Liquid Glass" aesthetic across the lock and a redesign of core apps. The update adds Hold Assist for phone calls, live translation in Phone, FaceTime and Messages, and new spam‑filtering tools. Visual Intelligence lets users search for objects captured on screen, while Photos tabs return for easier browsing. iPadOS 26 receives multitasking windows and the same visual overhaul. AirPods gain studio‑quality recording and remote camera control. Siri remains on hold, but Apple hints at future AI integration. The rollout targets iPhones released from 2019 onward.