Importance Score: 65 / 100 🔴
Welcome to this week’s edition of Week in Review, your concise briefing on the top tech stories. This week, we cover a range of compelling developments: Jeff Bezos’ investment in electric vehicle startup Slate, whistleblower allegations of Meta’s potential collusion, Waymo’s exploration of interior camera data utilization, and much more. Let’s delve into the key highlights.
News
EV Startup Slate Gains Bezos Backing
Electric Vehicle Innovation: Slate, an emerging electric vehicle startup, is pursuing an ambitious objective: the development of an affordable two-seater pickup truck priced at $25,000. Bolstering its financial resources, the company has secured substantial funding, including support from Jeff Bezos. Slate aims to commence vehicle production potentially as early as late 2026.
Whistleblower Accuses Meta of China Collaboration
Social Media Controversy: Sarah Wynn-Williams, Meta’s former head of global public policy, and author of a book detailing her experiences at the social media giant, delivered impactful testimony before the U.S. Senate this week. Her statements were notably critical. Wynn-Williams asserted that Facebook, now rebranded as Meta, engaged in direct cooperation with the Chinese Communist Party to “undermine U.S. national security and betray American values.”
Nikola Founder Trevor Milton Seeks to Reacquire Assets
Business & Bankruptcy: In a surprising development, Trevor Milton, the founder of Nikola who recently received a pardon following a securities fraud conviction, is reportedly attempting to repurchase assets from his former company amidst its bankruptcy proceedings. Currently, it remains undetermined whether other parties have submitted competing bids for Nikola’s assets.
Waymo Considers Interior Camera Data for AI Training
Autonomous Vehicle Data: An unreleased version of Waymo’s privacy policy indicates that the autonomous vehicle company is exploring the use of data collected from its robotaxis, potentially including video footage from interior cameras linked to passenger identities, to train generative artificial intelligence models. Reports suggest that users may have the option to decline participation in this data collection.
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Trump Administration Renews Support for Coal Power
Energy Policy Shift: President Trump signed an executive order on Tuesday that champions the use of coal for powering data centers. This directive instructs the government to designate coal as a critical mineral and aims to prevent the closure of certain coal-fired power plants, mandating their continued operation. This represents a significant policy move regarding energy and infrastructure.
NetJets Guide Reveals Details of Serving Elon Musk
Executive Travel Insights: A data incident at Berkshire Hathaway’s private jet company, NetJets, has exposed information concerning guidelines for flight attendants serving Elon Musk on private flights. According to these instructions, Musk purportedly prioritizes speed and direct routes over fuel conservation, and prefers a notably cold cabin temperature of 65 degrees Fahrenheit. These details offer a glimpse into the preferences of the tech executive during air travel.
OpenAI Spinoff Thinking Machine Labs Attracts AI Talent
Artificial Intelligence Ventures: Mira Murati, OpenAI’s former CTO, has launched a new artificial intelligence venture named Thinking Machine Labs, which has attracted prominent figures in the AI research community as advisors. These include Bob McGrew, previously OpenAI’s chief research officer, and Alec Radford, a former OpenAI researcher recognized for his contributions to several of the company’s groundbreaking AI innovations. This new venture signals continued activity in the competitive AI landscape.
Dropbox Customer Chief Officer Steps Down
Executive Leadership Changes: Eric Cox, Dropbox’s chief customer officer who joined the company in 2023, is resigning from his position, as indicated by a recent SEC filing. The identity of his successor remains currently unknown. This leadership transition marks a change within the cloud storage and collaboration company.
Nest Co-founder Reflects on Company Evolution
Tech Industry Perspectives: Matt Rogers, co-founder of Nest, shared his perspective on the evolution of the company following its acquisition. “Nest is not necessarily doing everything that I set them out to do years ago,” Rogers stated in an interview. “It’s one of the things when you sell a company.” Despite this, Rogers indicated a continued strong interest in HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) technology, suggesting his ongoing engagement with the field.
Education Secretary’s AI Mispronunciation Sparks Reactions
AI in Education Discussion: At a summit focused on the impact of artificial intelligence on education, U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon referred to “AI” as “A1,” drawing a comparison to the steak sauce brand. While initially pronouncing “AI” correctly during a panel discussion, she subsequently used “A1” with increasing frequency, suggesting the initial correct pronunciation was not accidental, but rather a humorous slip. This lighthearted moment occurred during a serious discussion about AI’s role in education.
Analysis
The Rising Costs of AI Model Benchmarking
AI Cost Implications: While the operational costs of running artificial intelligence models are substantial, it is becoming increasingly apparent that the process of testing and evaluating these models also entails significant expenses. For example, evaluating OpenAI’s o1 reasoning model is estimated to cost $2,767. Benchmarking Anthropic’s recent Claude 3.7 Sonnet “hybrid” reasoning model using the same testing parameters amounts to $1,485.35. In comparison, evaluating OpenAI’s o1-mini costs considerably less at $141.22, and Claude 3.7 Sonnet’s non-reasoning predecessor is even lower at $81.41. Industry expert Kyle Wiggers examines the factors driving the escalating costs of benchmarking as AI models become increasingly sophisticated and complex, highlighting the financial considerations in AI development and deployment.