U.K.’s Wayve Snags Up To $1.5 Billion To Scale ‘Plug-And-Play’ Robotaxi Software

The round values the startup at $8.6 billion. Robotaxis using its tech go into service in London this year, and Nissan will use it for hands-free driving in personal vehicles.

Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet
Let me see some ID: age verification is spreading across the internet

Age verification is a reality on a growing number of social media platforms, requiring an ID or facial scan for full access to everything from YouTube to Roblox. The age-gating wave is coming along with calls for stronger child safety measures online, despite concerns about privacy, security, and censorship.  In the US, lawmakers are pushing […]

Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout
Discord is delaying its global age verification rollout

Discord won’t roll out age verification globally on its platform next month as previously announced, and says in a blog post that it’s delaying the launch until the second half of 2026. “The way this landed, many of you walked away thinking we’re requiring face scans and ID uploads from everyone just to use Discord. […]

Archer Aviation accuses rival Vertical Aerospace of ripping off its air taxi designs
Archer Aviation accuses rival Vertical Aerospace of ripping off its air taxi designs

Look at the two air taxi designs above. Look similar? The company that designed the one on the left sure thinks so, which is why it’s accusing the firm that designed the one on the right of patent infringement. On Monday, Archer Aviation filed a complaint in the US District Court Eastern District of Texas […]

DJI sues over the FCC’s decision to block new drone imports
DJI sues over the FCC’s decision to block new drone imports

DJI wants a federal court to toss out the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to ban imports of its China-made drones and components, as reported earlier by Reuters. In a petition filed in an appeals court this week, DJI claims the FCC “exceeded its statutory authority” last December when adding drones made in foreign countries to […]

Inside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the Pentagon
Inside Anthropic’s existential negotiations with the Pentagon

Anthropic’s weekslong battle with the Department of Defense has played out over social media posts, admonishing public statements, and direct quotes from unnamed Pentagon officials to the news media. But the future of the $380 billion AI startup comes down to just three words: “any lawful use.” The new terms, which OpenAI and xAI have […]

Will Trump’s DOJ actually take on Ticketmaster?
Will Trump’s DOJ actually take on Ticketmaster?

In mid-February, the Department of Justice lost its head antitrust enforcer – just weeks before it was scheduled to argue one of the year’s biggest anti-monopoly cases in court. Antitrust Division chief Gail Slater announced her departure suddenly, via a post on her personal X account. But to those who follow the agency closely, it […]

Discord distances itself from Persona age verification after user backlash
Discord distances itself from Persona age verification after user backlash

Discord is attempting to distance itself from the age verification provider Persona following a steady stream of user backlash. In an emailed statement to The Verge, Discord’s head of product policy, Savannah Badalich, confirms the company “ran a limited test of Persona in the UK where age assurance had previously launched and that test has […]

You Know Who Likes Solar Power? Trump Voters

This week’s Current Climate newsletter also looks at a former top Tesla engineer’s plans to rewire the grid and the outlook for solving spiking electric power prices

Inside Chicago’s surveillance panopticon
Inside Chicago’s surveillance panopticon

Early on the morning of September 2, 2024, a Chicago Transit Authority Blue Line train was the scene of a random and horrific mass shooting. Four people were shot and killed on a westbound train as it approached the suburb of Forest Park.  The police swiftly activated a digital dragnet—a surveillance network that connects thousands…