🚗My First Waymo Ride.
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Greetings Team,
I’m thrilled to share my recent experience riding a Waymo Autonomous vehicle through the streets of LA — things are evolving rapidly! In other news, BMW is set to collaborate with the latest Figure humanoid robot. Additionally, we’ve included an MIT list detailing 700 AI risks that we should all be aware of, as well as the latest updates on Google AI from yesterday’s launch event. Buckle up for an exciting ride into the future of technology!
- 📰 News and Trends.
- My First Waymo Ride.
- Stop Overpaying for AWS — Pump Saves You 60% Instantly.
- 🧰 AI Tools (Avatars & Selfies III)
- BMW Goes Robotic.
📰 AI News and Trends
- Universal Music and Meta Announce ‘Expanded Global Agreement’ for AI, Monetization and More (Variety)
- China’s Huawei Technologies is close to introducing a new chip for artificial intelligence use, overcoming U.S. sanctions to challenge Nvidia’s green-up pointing triangle in the Chinese market (WSJ)
- Sakana, a Japanese AI firm, has launched an autonomous system to generate hypotheses, perform experiments, write code, and produce research papers. The company has shared examples and released an open-source version of the system. (Sakana)
- What are the risks from Artificial Intelligence? Check this comprehensive living database of over 700 AI risks categorized by their cause and risk domain (MIT)
- 8.8 million of the PCs shipped in Q2 2024 were AI-capable. That’s 14% of all PCs shipped globally (Reuters)
🌐 Other Tech news
- Air Taxis May Someday Be Your Flight To the Olympics, Airport, and sports events (Deadline)
- How Beijing is using the sun to fight the sand (Semafor)
- Food and grocery delivery platform DoorDash has launched a partnership with Warner Bros. Discovery to offer a Max subscription to its DashPass annual plan customers (Variety)
- Robots are replacing servers at restaurants and cutting costs, but compromising the dining experience (NYT)
- Twitch rolls out video stories to challenge Instagram (TC)
- Amazon Web Services $650 million deal for direct nuclear power from Pennsylvania’s Susquehanna Station has sparked regulatory concerns over energy fairness and grid costs, highlighting the tech industry’s pursuit of stable, carbon-free power (IEEE)
My First Waymo Ride.
Waymo, founded as a project within Google in 2009, is a pioneering autonomous driving technology company. In December 2016, it became a standalone subsidiary under Alphabet Inc, its main investor. Its significant milestones include launching the first public self-driving taxi service, Waymo One, in Phoenix, Arizona in 2018, and obtaining regulatory approval to charge for autonomous rides on freeways in California in 2023.
On Monday, I was able to jump on a Waymo and I was impressed by how smooth, comfortable, and safe the drive was. The fees are comparable to other ride-sharing services, but the cars are and smell brand new. You can control the music and climate settings directly from your phone while in the car using the car’s touchscreen control system. The app is user-friendly and intuitive. The car arrived within 5 minutes of booking, and it begins by providing instructions for this futuristic experience. Be aware, that it can accelerate quickly, so buckling up is a must. As evident in the video below, the Waymo attracts considerable attention, with many onlookers taking photos and videos. The ride was brief, avoiding highways since the company plans to start highway testing next week — an endeavor that certainly ups the ante. Would you take a ride, or would you echo my friend’s sentiment: “No thanks, I want to live.”?
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BMW Goes Robotic.
BMW Group has successfully tested the Figure 02 humanoid robot at its Spartanburg plant, marking its initial foray into using humanoid robots in car production. Developed by Figure, a California-based robotics company, the robot demonstrated its ability to handle complex and ergonomically challenging tasks, such as inserting sheet metal parts into chassis assembly fixtures.
This trial showcased the robot’s potential to enhance workplace safety and efficiency with its advanced processing power, superior sensors, and highly dexterous hands. BMW highlighted the promising developments in robotics and the company’s plans to explore further applications of humanoid robots in production. This initiative is part of BMW’s broader iFACTORY vision aimed at improving manufacturing through advanced technologies.
Google AI Updates and Concerns.
Pixel 9 lineup, Pixel Buds Pro 2 and Pixel Watch 3
Google highlighted AI-powered innovations at the Pixel 9 launch, showing features that may alter user interactions and raise privacy concerns. Despite data assurances, features like real-time call transcripts and photo manipulation, where users can insert people into photos, could provoke privacy backlash and trust issues in photographic authenticity.
In detailing the new Pixel 9 lineup, Google introduced four models, including a smaller Pro and a folding phone, marking significant smartphone expansion. The lineup features upgrades like the G4 Tensor chip, enhanced battery life, and a satellite SOS feature. Notably, the Pixel 9 Pro Fold offers larger, brighter screens and a thinner design, priced at $1,799.
Additionally, Google’s devices integrate new AI functionalities like the Gemini AI assistant and apps that allow in-screenshot information searches and AI-driven image generation. The Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Buds Pro 2 also received updates, including improved fitness tracking and enhanced audio features.
Despite these advancements, the presentation’s execution seemed less polished than typical industry standards, with moments of awkwardness, potentially dimming its impact compared to Apple’s more seamless unveilings.
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