Latest news with #Musk
Time of India
an hour ago
- Business
- Time of India
Musk says xAI will make kid-friendly app 'Baby Grok'
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills MMLU-Pro: Multitask language understanding GPQA Diamond: Graduate-level problem solving Humanity's Last Exam: General and existential reasoning LiveCodeBench: Real-time programming SciCode: Scientific computation and modeling AIME: Olympiad-level math reasoning Math-500: Advanced mathematical problem-solving Elon Musk-led artificial intelligence company xAI is working on a kid-friendly version of its Grok chatbot , the billionaire said in a post on social media platform X.'We're going to make Baby Grok @xAI, an app dedicated to kid-friendly content,' Musk posted on Sunday. The new version is expected to launch as a separate application tailored for younger users, though further details are yet to be announcement comes days after X, also owned by Musk, temporarily disabled new Grok mentions on the platform to address spam-related Musk hinted at a new capability that would enable Grok to generate viral videos, further expanding its creative launched its latest flagship model, Grok 4, on July 10, positioning it as a significant upgrade following criticism over antisemitic responses from earlier versions. The backlash included concerns raised by users on X and the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), after the chatbot was found praising Adolf Hitler in certain a livestream event, Musk and the xAI team also introduced a $300-per-month AI subscription called SuperGrok Heavy , featuring the company's multi-agent version of Grok 4. The upgrade aims to improve performance across advanced reasoning and creative 4 recently topped the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index, a benchmark suite assessing models across a range of capabilities:Each of these benchmarks focuses on measuring the reasoning capabilities of next-generation AI also recently announced Grok for Government, a suite of its AI models made available for use by US federal agencies. The company said its inclusion in the General Services Administration (GSA) schedule will allow any federal department or agency to directly procure xAI the company is reportedly in talks to raise fresh capital at a potential valuation between $170 billion and $200 billion, according to the Financial Times. If finalised, this could make xAI one of the most valuable private AI companies US continues to lead the global AI race, producing 40 notable models in 2024 so far.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Luxury carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars
Luxury carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars originally appeared on TheStreet. Tesla's () has been steering the robotaxi narrative for the longest time, but recently a brand new player quietly slid into the frame. Behind the scenes, one luxury EV maker just threw its hat into the race and is ready to challenge the status quo. 💵💰💰💵 At this point, it's not trying to out-Tesla Tesla, but instead aim for an entirely different lane. As we see partnerships evolving quickly and rivals repositioning, the road ahead for autonomous driving has become a lot more crowded and a lot more interesting. The robotaxi race just got real Robotaxis aren't science fiction anymore, as they turn into arguably the fastest-growing bet in the tech space. To put things in perspective, estimates suggest that the global market for autonomous ride services could explode from $4.4 billion this year to $125 billion by 2034. That's a massive 45% compound annual growth rate, led by cheaper sensors, smarter AI, and a major push to cut costs in urban transit. Tesla finally entered the game in June with the quiet launch of its invite-only Robotaxi service in Austin. The cars operate using Tesla's robust camera-only Full Self-Driving system, avoiding the need for expensive Light Detection and Ranging (lidar) and instead relying solely on vision and machine believes that's the edge Tesla needs in scaling a lot faster and cheaper than the competition. But it's still early days. We've already seen glitchy behavior, including phantom braking and navigation errors, which complicates the bullish thesis. Google's Waymo, on the other hand, is the veteran. It recently crossed the 100 million driverless miles mark with zero humans behind the wheel. Its coverage in cities like Phoenix and Austin dwarfs Tesla's footprint, giving it a massive data lead in improving its software. China's not sitting this out, either. has already dished out its seventh-gen robotaxi and is testing in multiple countries. WeRide, another robotaxi upstart, launched Southeast Asia's first fully autonomous robobus in Singapore, aiming to expand swiftly. And then there's Uber, which is effectively becoming the nerve center of the robotaxi era. In Atlanta, riders can now hail Waymo vehicles directly through Uber. Similarly, in Austin, Waymo's 90-square-mile service also runs on Uber's platform. More News: Moody's drops 2-word warning on housing market Rigetti shakes up quantum computing with bold advance JPMorgan reveals 9 stocks with major problems By owning the rider interface and centralizing fleet access, Uber is positioning itself as the gatekeeper for robotaxi adoption. Lucid takes its shot at Tesla in the robotaxi wars Lucid () just made a massive foray into the robotaxi arena, and Wall Street's starting to pay attention. Luxury EV maker Lucid is teaming up with Uber and autonomous tech firm Nuro to roll out 20,000 Gravity SUVs on Uber's network over the next six years. Each of these cars will be equipped with Nuro's Level 4 self-driving technology, signaling Lucid's largest leap yet into AI-powered mobility. Morgan Stanley's Adam Jonas hailed that partnership as 'strategic.'Jonas says this isn't your regular one-off announcement; it's a clear sign that Lucid is looking to carve out a key position in the robotaxi race that's been dominated by Tesla and Waymo. According to Jonas, Lucid has mostly been an under-the-radar player in the self-driving conversation. However, the Uber–Nuro deal could change that, helping the EV startup move beyond luxury retail and into recurring revenue streams. The Gravity SUV, Lucid's next blowout launch, now carries a lot more weight. Jonas feels the vehicle should be treated as a platform, not just for electric driving, but for autonomy and smart mobility partnerships. That makes the Uber deal a lot less about volume and more about signaling where Lucid is headed next. Uber is shelling out big money, with a $300 million investment in Lucid. That's not enough to solve the company's cash burn troubles, but it helps in a big way. Also, it puts Uber in a much stronger position to shape Lucid's roadmap. For a company that's been called a "Tesla-lite," this is Lucid's most ambitious pivot yet. Whether it pays off long-term is up for debate, but it's clear that Lucid just pulled up a seat at the lucrative robotaxi carmaker fires shot at Tesla in robotaxi wars first appeared on TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Jul 18, 2025, where it first appeared. Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Economic Times
4 hours ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Trump administration ordered review of SpaceX government contracts following Trump-Musk fallout: Report
Reuters FILE PHOTO: Elon Musk speaks with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and guests at a viewing of the launch of the sixth test flight of the SpaceX Starship, in Brownsville, Texas, U.S., November 19, 2024 . Brandon Bell/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo The White House has begun reviewing contracts awarded to Elon Musk's SpaceX after tensions between the billionaire and President Donald Trump spilled into the public. According to The Wall Street Journal, the administration launched the review to 'identify potential waste in agreements worth billions of dollars,' citing sources familiar with the Musk and SpaceX have not commented, government officials soon concluded that most of these contracts could not be dropped. Their importance to the Department of Defense and NASA made them virtually review also extended beyond SpaceX. A White House official confirmed that the assessment included several companies with lucrative government early June, Musk began criticising Trump's signature tax-and-spending bill on social media. What started as policy disagreement turned personal, prompting Trump to fire back. On 5 June, the president posted on Truth Social that the best way to save money was to 'terminate' government contracts held by Musk's days later, on 9 June, Josh Gruenbaum, Commissioner of the Federal Acquisition Service at the General Services Administration (GSA), sent an email to the Department of Defense. He requested a complete spreadsheet listing SpaceX contracts and other transaction agreements. According to the Journal, the data was intended for the White House. The same request was made to NASA and at least five other agencies. These spreadsheets—internally referred to as "scorecards"—detailed the value of each contract and evaluated whether other companies could do the same job more when officials at the Pentagon and NASA reviewed the findings, the answer was clear: the majority of SpaceX's deals were too essential to walk away from. Some contracts might face ongoing scrutiny, according to sources, but a wholesale exit was not an Musk was once close to Trump. He had a lead role in the Department of Government Efficiency, which aimed to reduce federal spending. That relationship has now Musk's online criticism, Trump's decision to publicly question SpaceX's funding marked a rare move against a key government contractor. But as the data rolled in, the limits of political retaliation became reported by the WSJ, during the review, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell met with White House officials. Details of the discussions remain undisclosed, but her presence highlights the seriousness of the review brought to light a fact US officials have long understood: the country has few viable alternatives to SpaceX. The company dominates the commercial launch industry. Its Falcon rockets, equipped with reusable boosters, have become the mainstay for launching government payloads. Its Crew Dragon capsule is currently the only American spacecraft certified to carry astronauts to the International Space Station. In May, SpaceX launched an upgraded GPS satellite for the US Space Force. In April, the Pentagon awarded the company 28 national-security flights worth $5.9 billion—more than any other has already scheduled another crewed mission with SpaceX later this the dependence cuts both ways. During the height of the Trump–Musk feud, Musk threatened to decommission Crew Dragon. He later reversed course. Even so, the statement caused concern within NASA, which has long sought to diversify its options for crewed rise hasn't gone unnoticed by competitors. Many rivals have struggled with delays and technical setbacks while building their own rockets and satellites. Government contracts have been structured to encourage more competition, but progress remains agencies are actively pushing other providers to step up. Still, officials acknowledge that no one else can currently match SpaceX's scale or its dominance, the company insists it supports competition. "We win these contracts by offering the best prices and executing," Shotwell said at an investor event in November. Even as scrutiny continues, SpaceX keeps expanding. Its Starlink satellite internet network now serves multiple government agencies. Meanwhile, Starshield, a separate SpaceX division, has secured classified contracts from US intelligence agencies.
Roya News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Roya News
Growing list of ex-supporters accuse Trump of hypocrisy, betrayal
Once key figures in amplifying Donald Trump's message, several high-profile celebrities, politicians, and influencers are now distancing themselves from the president, openly criticizing his policies and leadership style. What was once a coalition of vocal supporters is fracturing, with some accusing Trump of betraying the very promises that earned their support in the first place. Joe Rogan Joe Rogan, whose endorsement in October 2024 was considered a major win for Trump's outreach to young male voters, has now turned critical. While his Joe Rogan Experience interview helped humanize Trump to millions, Rogan recently slammed Trump's immigration crackdown as 'insane' and condemned ICE raids as 'horrific.' Rogan has also questioned the administration's handling of the Jeffrey Epstein case, calling the Justice Department's narrative 'insulting our intelligence.' Citing a CNN poll showing 65 percent of young men distrust the official Epstein conclusions, Rogan has increasingly invited Democrats onto his show, signaling a deliberate shift away from MAGA politics. Andrew Schulz Comedian Andrew Schulz, once a reliable pro-Trump voice, has been blunt in his criticism. 'He's doing the exact opposite of everything I voted for,' Schulz said, citing the USD 5 trillion tax and spending package and escalating military actions in Iran. Once praising Trump as a businessman who would avoid wars, Schulz now flirts with democratic socialist ideas, saying Bernie Sanders may be closer to 'America First' principles than Trump. His recent sit-down with Pete Buttigieg further signaled his political shift. Theo Von Theo Von, who once proudly interviewed Trump and attended his inauguration, has expressed regret over Trump's foreign policy. Condemning Trump's Iran bombings as a 'horrible idea,' Von argued it made the US look like it's 'working for Israel.' Von has been diversifying his platform, hosting progressive voices like Ro Khanna, signaling an ideological break. At a Detroit comedy show, even fans echoed his frustration, saying Trump's broken promises on foreign policy and economic stability were a dealbreaker. Elon Musk Elon Musk, once a megadonor who poured USD 270 million into Trump's campaign through America PAC, is now one of Trump's loudest critics. As head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk initially supported Trump's push to slash spending, but called the president's massive spending bill a 'disgusting abomination." Their feud escalated when Musk accused Trump of being linked to Epstein's client list. Trump retaliated by threatening to withdraw subsidies from Musk's companies, prompting Musk to announce that he might fund a third political party, stating, 'A new political party is needed in America to represent the 80 percent in the middle." Candace Owens Candace Owens, once a MAGA supporter, is also stepping back. Criticizing Trump's support for 'Israel's' bombing of Iran and accusing his administration of covering up the Epstein client list, Owens declared on X that she's no longer a 'Trumper.' While still conservative, her rhetoric suggests she's positioning herself outside of Trump's orbit. Omarosa Manigault Newman Omarosa Manigault Newman's break is not new but continues to intensify. Once a trusted Trump aide, she is now one of his most vocal critics, calling him a 'racist' and accusing him of undermining democracy. Her 2018 book Unhinged painted a damning portrait, and in 2024 she reiterated her regret for ever supporting him. Nicky Jam Reggaeton star Nicky Jam's support was short-lived. After endorsing Trump at a Las Vegas rally in 2024, he retracted his endorsement weeks later when comedian Tony Hinchcliffe mocked Puerto Rico at a Trump event, calling it a 'floating island of garbage.' Jam fired back on Instagram, saying, 'Puerto Rico deserves respect,' and cut ties with Trump entirely. - A fractured base - These shifts reflect a growing disillusionment among former Trump supporters, many of whom accuse him of hypocrisy, broken promises, and prioritizing foreign interests over American ones. What was once a unified front of influencers and celebrities is now splintering, raising questions about whether Trump can maintain the same cultural influence heading into future elections.
Business Insider
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Business Insider
I tried Tesla's new Robotaxi. Here's what it got right (and wrong).
This week, I flew to Austin to do what only a few have been able to: ride in Tesla's Robotaxis. I took five trips that my rider companion and I found mostly smooth, but there were some bumps. We encountered three issues, including one in which the Robotaxi began to drive the wrong way onto an empty one-way street clearly marked with "Do Not Enter" signs. Since the end of June, Tesla has been testing Robotaxi, the company's autonomous ride-hailing service. Musk has said that Robotaxi is part of Tesla's road map to becoming a full-fledged AI and robotics company. The service is still in its early stages. A limited number of autonomous Model Ys navigate Austin roads, and a safety operator sits in on every ride. A small group of people has been given early access to the service, including Vu Kong, an Austin resident who manages a dental group and invests in Tesla on the side. Kong seems to be one of the few Robotaxi invitees who aren't Tesla or EV influencers with a large social media presence. He told me he got access about a week after the Robotaxi launch by signing up on the company website. "I was pretty impressed about how consistent the rides were," Kong said after seven trips. "They were all pretty smooth, and I felt safe in all of them. By the third time, I just forgot I was in an autonomous car. I was doing meetings in the car, taking phone calls, and doing Zoom calls." I took two half-hour rides and three shorter rides with Kong. Pick-up times weren't always consistent, and the app had a few glitchy moments. In Downtown Austin, Tesla will be going up against pick-up times of less than 10 minutes and relatively low prices from Uber, which manages Alphabet's Waymo fleet. A spokesperson for Tesla and a few employees on Tesla's Robotaxi team BI reached out to did not respond to a request for comment. Here's what I saw. A confident Tesla First, the new 2025 Tesla Model Y feels great. I always appreciate how spacious Teslas feel, thanks to the glass roof that allows light to enter the cabin. The seats are comfortable enough, but I wondered why Tesla would go with bright white seats for cars that will presumably be taking on a lot of passengers. The seats are leather, so maybe they'll be easy to maintain. Throughout the rides, I saw an autonomous driving system that can be safe and confident in its maneuvers. Tesla's Robotaxi, unlike its competitors, relies only on external cameras and neural networks to navigate its environment. Our car maintained a safe distance with a cyclist, recognized construction zones that are rampant in Austin, and could judge when to make turns while there was oncoming traffic. Human interventions Despite the mostly smooth experience, I encountered a few disengagements — moments when the safety operator inside the car or a remote support agent had to intervene. Two of the Robotaxi disengagements occurred on the very first route, which we began at around 7 a.m. on Wednesday at Summer Moon Coffee, an Austin-based café chain. At the start, when the Robotaxi was attempting to pull out of the parking lot, a message appeared on the console screen: "Our team has identified an issue and is working to resolve it." A remote "support agent" connected with us: "It looks like the vehicle isn't making any progress. Is everything OK?" In-car safety operators hired by Tesla largely avoid interacting with riders. When the remote agent asked us the question, the operator quietly turned to us and nodded his head, nudging us to talk. It was unclear what caused the Robotaxi to be stuck. There were no oncoming cars and the roads were quiet. After the support agent said they would help, the steering wheel came back to life and made a jerky movement. The Robotaxi inched forward and slammed on the brakes. It's unclear how much control Tesla's remote team had over the vehicle. The Robotaxi pulled out of the parking lot and began its route. The second disengagement came 20 minutes into the ride, when Kong changed the route to return to his office. The safety operator inside the car touched the screen to pause the ride. While I was talking, I hadn't noticed the Robotaxi begin to head the wrong way down an empty, one-way road marked with two signs that said "Do Not Enter." The safety operator did not talk to us. When Kong pressed "Resume Ride," the operator immediately stopped the car again. That's when we realized we were supposed to wait for another remote support agent, who quickly helped us. The Robotaxi made a three-point turn to get back in the right direction. The last disengagement came during my fourth Robotaxi ride on a late Thursday morning. Kong and I wanted to go to the very tip of the phallic-shaped service area Tesla unveiled earlier this week. The Robotaxi app allowed us to put in a destination that was just outside of the service area — a Summer Moon Coffee location in North Austin. The app indicated that the vehicle would drop us off close to the destination, requiring a 10-minute walk the rest of the way. As we approached our destination, Kong changed the route to another location that was within the geofence. The Robotaxi put us on a route that would take the vehicle just outside of the service area for a brief moment in order to head to our new destination. The vehicle soon pulled over, and another remote support agent got in touch with us. "I just wanted to let you know it was routing a little bit outside of our range, so we just changed the route so that it wouldn't go outside our fence," the agent said. At no point did I feel the Tesla Robotaxi put us in danger. It was interesting to see the system's limits. Other Robotaxi limits Pick-up times for the most part were under 10 minutes. On Wednesday afternoon, the Robotaxi app gave us a nearly 30-minute pick-up time for a 20-minute ride. The app showed that a Robotaxi was picking us up from the northern part of the new service area. It was the same Robotaxi we had for the first ride that morning, based on the matching license plate. Kong attempted to find another car with a shorter pick-up time to no avail. It also appears that Tesla's Robotaxis are avoiding the highway. During our fourth ride to North Austin in the upper part of the service area, Kong, who has lived in the city for five years, said the Robotaxi was taking a longer route to a destination that should be about an 18-minute trip. "Normally we'd take the highway to get there," he said. Musk has long pitched an autonomous car that is generalizable — meaning the vehicle could handle any environment, including highways, with few operational limits and without the need to map a region before deployment. The AI driver is trained on large amounts of data, so, in theory, it should be able to drive the same way a human driver can go through unfamiliar areas. It's unclear why the Tesla Robotaxi avoided the highway. Tesla's FSD (Supervised) handled San Francisco's highway flawlessly in BI's last test. Kong added that the drop-off location could be improved so that the Robotaxi is closer to the actual destination. In terms of the app experience, Kong told me that it can be a bit buggy. We saw one moment when the app showed that a car was arriving in 29 minutes, even though we had just ended our ride and did not order another Robotaxi. A work in progress My colleagues and I at BI have closely reported on the robotaxi race, the efforts Tesla has made to push out an autonomous driver system, and the bold promises Musk has made around self-driving cars and artificial intelligence. I've also compared Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised), the EV company's advanced driver-assistance system, to Waymo with my colleague Alistair Barr. I walked away impressed that FSD could navigate San Francisco roads and highways using only cameras, but saw a critical error after the Tesla ran a red light. My expectations for the Tesla Robotaxi were high — I expected quiet, uneventful rides — but I also suspected that it would probably not be perfect. The company has indicated that the Austin service is a "pilot launch." Safety operators are inside the vehicle, access is limited to invitees, and the company is charging a flat fee of $6.90 per ride. Waymo began testing its own robotaxi service with an early-access program in California in 2021. That year, the company reported 300 disengagements to the California Department of Motor Vehicles. In 2024, when Waymo opened up to the San Francisco public, the company reported about 245 disengagements in the state. Waymo also says it's now providing over 250,000 paid rides a week. Tesla could get there. It just needs to start by conquering Austin.
