The use of AI voices at crosswalks by Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg illustrates innovative pedestrian interactions in technology-heavy environments.
Kodiak Robotics’ public offering through a SPAC reflects a renewed interest in this funding method despite past skepticism surrounding SPAC performance.
Deep dives
AI Voices for Pedestrians
Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have been deployed as AI voices at crosswalks in Palo Alto, prompting pedestrians to cross the street. These voices say humorous phrases like 'I’m so lonely' or political remarks like 'please don’t tax the rich', indicating a mix of entertainment and functionality. The discussion highlights how pedestrian-friendly areas in Silicon Valley may not be adequately utilized, potentially leading to less foot traffic for these humorous AI interactions. The novelty of the idea brings attention to how pedestrian experiences are being reimagined through technology, even in regions dominated by vehicular traffic.
The SPAC Comeback with Kodiak Robotics
Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving truck company, has gone public through a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), marking a notable re-emergence of this funding method. The market previously saw a decline in interest for SPACs due to the poor performance of many companies that pursued this route, leading to skepticism. However, Kodiak's decision signifies a shift in strategy, as it looks to capitalize on the growing need for automation in trucking, especially outside of the heavily regulated California environment. Their focus on tapping into defense contracts before this public offering indicates a strategic diversification that may bolster their financial stability moving forward.
Hugging Face's Robotics Expansion
Hugging Face has acquired Pollen Robotics, indicating a significant move towards integrating artificial intelligence with humanoid robotics. This acquisition highlights the increasing expectation that generative AI will power advanced robotic systems, which could change everyday life by providing household assistance. Hugging Face aims to create an open-source model ecosystem to democratize access to robotics technology while capitalizing on the growing demand for AI-reliant home devices. Nevertheless, the challenge remains in establishing a viable business model within this rapidly evolving sector as they navigate how to profit from both software and hardware offerings.
Today, on TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Max Zeff and Anthony Ha are unpacking the week’s news, including the possible return of the SPAC in an uncertain IPO market. It’s a curious moment for a public debut, as Kirsten points out, especially after so much chatter that 2025 would be the big comeback year for blockbuster IPOs, but some major players like Klarna and StubHub have already hit pause. And as investor Mark Goldberg put it on this week’s show, folks holding their breath for a fintech IPO wave this year “are going to be blue in the face.”
The latest wave of OpenAI models, updates to its o3 and o4-mini reasoning models, and why all eyes are on the bigger launch still to come: GPT-5.
Equity will be back next week, so stay tuned!
Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.
Subscribe to us onApple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here.
Credits:Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time.
