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Waymo Secures Permit to Test Autonomous Vehicles at San Francisco International Airport

Waymo Secures Permit to Test Autonomous Vehicles at San Francisco International Airport

Waymo has obtained a Testing and Operations Pilot Permit from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), allowing the autonomous‑vehicle company to begin a three‑phase testing program at the airport. The agreement follows years of negotiations and follows recent clearance to test at nearby San Jose Mineta International Airport. The permit will let Waymo initially operate its driver‑less cars with a trained specialist onboard, later expand to employee passenger trials, and eventually offer paid rides in the airport’s Kiss & Fly area. Waymo sees SFO as a key step toward broader commercial service and further expansion in the Silicon Valley region.

OpenAI Announces New Safeguards for Under‑18 ChatGPT Users

OpenAI Announces New Safeguards for Under‑18 ChatGPT Users

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed a set of new policies aimed at protecting users under the age of 18. The changes prohibit flirtatious conversations with minors, tighten guardrails around discussions of self‑harm, and introduce mechanisms to alert parents or authorities if a teen appears suicidal. The move comes amid a wrongful‑death lawsuit linked to a teen’s suicide after interacting with ChatGPT, a similar suit against Character.AI, and a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the harms of AI chatbots. OpenAI also outlined plans for age‑verification tools and parental controls while reaffirming its commitment to adult privacy.

Figure Secures Series C Funding Valuing Company at $39 Billion

Figure Secures Series C Funding Valuing Company at $39 Billion

San Jose‑based humanoid robotics firm Figure announced a Series C financing round that values the company at $39 billion. Led by Parkway Venture Capital with participation from Brookfield Asset Management, Nvidia and Intel Capital, the round exceeded $1 billion. Figure plans to expand its robot fleet, accelerate training infrastructure, and boost data‑collection capabilities. The funding brings the company’s total capital raised to nearly $2 billion since its 2022 founding.

Google Tests New Windows Desktop Search App with AI‑Powered Features

Google Tests New Windows Desktop Search App with AI‑Powered Features

Google is piloting a new desktop search application for Windows that blends traditional file and web search with AI capabilities. Available through the Search Labs program, the app lets users summon a searchable bar with an Alt + Space shortcut, indexing local files, Google Drive, and the internet. Integrated Google Lens enables visual searches, image identification and text translation, while an AI Mode offers contextual answers, such as solving math problems. The app mimics macOS Spotlight, supports dark and light themes, and can be resized or moved on the screen. Currently limited to English‑speaking users in the United States on Windows 10 or newer, it requires a Google account to sign in.

YouTube Unveils Suite of AI Tools for Creators

YouTube Unveils Suite of AI Tools for Creators

YouTube hosted a creator‑focused event to announce a range of new artificial‑intelligence features. The platform will soon offer an AI editor that turns raw footage into a polished draft with music, transitions and voiceover, as well as tools that generate English and Hindi voiceovers and transform dialogue into catchy Shorts soundtracks. Expanded Veo 3 integration lets creators produce high‑quality videos from text prompts, while a conversational AI partner in YouTube Studio provides real‑time analytics insights. Additional updates include a multi‑creator collaboration feature, global rollout of these tools in the coming weeks, and A/B testing for video titles.

Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Sue AI App Hailuo Over Copyright Infringement

Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal Sue AI App Hailuo Over Copyright Infringement

Disney, Warner Bros. Discovery and Universal have filed a joint lawsuit in California against MiniMax, the Chinese company behind the Hailuo AI app. The studios allege that Hailuo "pirates and plunders" their copyrighted works on a massive scale, using the platform to generate images and videos that replicate characters and scenes from their film and television properties. The complaint includes numerous screenshots of infringing content and accuses MiniMax of actively encouraging violations while marketing the app as a "Hollywood studio in your pocket." This case follows similar actions against other AI generators.

NHTSA Opens Probe into Tesla Door‑Handle Entrapment Issues

NHTSA Opens Probe into Tesla Door‑Handle Entrapment Issues

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into Tesla’s electronic door handles after multiple reports of occupants, especially children, becoming trapped inside vehicles. The probe focuses on an estimated 174,290 Model Y SUVs and examines whether low‑voltage battery problems are preventing the door locks from operating from outside the vehicle. While Tesla provides manual release mechanisms, the agency notes that they may be difficult for some users to operate. The investigation was prompted by nine incidents involving children unable to exit the vehicle, raising safety concerns about entrapment in hot conditions.

Pinecone CEO Edo Liberty Highlights Search as the Next AI Frontier at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

Pinecone CEO Edo Liberty Highlights Search as the Next AI Frontier at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 in San Francisco, Pinecone founder and CEO Edo Liberty explained why the next wave of AI‑native applications will be driven by smarter search rather than larger models. He emphasized retrieval‑augmented generation, purpose‑built infrastructure, and the role of vector databases in unlocking AI potential. Liberty, who helped build Amazon’s AI backbone, described how Pinecone is scaling next‑gen search for hundreds of thousands of developers and enterprise teams, positioning search as the central differentiator for future AI workflows.

Rulebase Raises $2.1 Million to Deploy AI Coworker for Fintech Back‑Office Tasks

Rulebase Raises $2.1 Million to Deploy AI Coworker for Fintech Back‑Office Tasks

Rulebase, a Y Combinator‑backed startup founded by Nigerian engineers Gideon Ebose and Chidi Williams, has closed a $2.1 million pre‑seed round led by Bowery Capital. The company’s AI “agent coworker” automates back‑office functions such as compliance, quality assurance and dispute handling for financial‑service firms. Already deployed at U.S. business bank Rho and a Fortune 50 financial institution, the platform integrates with tools like Zendesk, Jira and Slack, evaluates 100 % of customer interactions, and claims cost reductions of up to 70 % and escalation cuts of up to 30 %. Rulebase plans to expand its workflow automation into fraud investigation, audit preparation and regulatory reporting.

Meta to Unveil New Smart Glasses with Wristband Control at Connect Conference

Meta to Unveil New Smart Glasses with Wristband Control at Connect Conference

Meta is set to announce its next generation of smart glasses at the upcoming Connect conference. The new model features a small display embedded in the right lens and can be operated via a wristband that reads hand‑movement signals using surface electromyography (sEMG) technology acquired from CTRL‑Labs. The glasses are expected to cost around $800 and may be larger and heavier than prior versions. Meta also hints at new Oakley designs with an integrated camera, while no new Quest headset is slated for release. Existing Ray‑Ban Meta glasses have already sold 2 million units, underscoring strong market demand.

Potential TikTok Deal Could Keep Chinese Algorithm in U.S. Version

Potential TikTok Deal Could Keep Chinese Algorithm in U.S. Version

A potential agreement between the United States and China on the future of TikTok could allow the American version of the app to continue using the Chinese‑origin algorithm under a licensing arrangement. Chinese regulator Wang Jingtao said the deal would involve licensing the algorithm and other intellectual property rights. U.S. Treasury officials indicated the new version would retain some Chinese characteristics while being controlled by American investors. Companies such as Oracle and Perplexity AI have been mentioned as possible partners in restructuring or overseeing the platform's data and technology.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince on AI Scraping, Internet Freedom, and the Future of Content Monetization

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince on AI Scraping, Internet Freedom, and the Future of Content Monetization

Matthew Prince, co‑founder and CEO of Cloudflare, explained the company’s new tool that forces AI services to pay for scraping website content. He warned that AI‑driven answer engines are cutting traffic to publishers and argued that a new exchange of value is needed to sustain content creators. Prince described partnerships with major publishers and Reddit that already generate significant revenue from AI companies. He also discussed seasonal internet shutdowns in some countries, the company’s neutral relationships with U.S. administrations, and his concern that the internet’s business model could collapse without new incentives.