Techmeme Ride Home Mon. 06/23 – Tesla Launches Its Robotaxi
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Jun 23, 2025 Tesla has launched its robotaxi service in Austin, marking a significant leap in transportation technology. Meanwhile, Apple is racing against time to negotiate with the EU to avoid hefty fines. There's buzz about Apple possibly acquiring AI startup Perplexity to bolster its efforts in artificial intelligence. The music industry is grappling with the rise of AI-generated music, prompting the creation of new tools to track authorship. Additionally, a growing global divide in AI access raises concerns about equality in tech development.
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Tesla's Cautious Robotaxi Launch
- Tesla launched a limited robotaxi service in Austin with safety drivers present despite being fully autonomous.
- The Model Y robotaxis operate only in select areas with teleoperator support, targeting rapid expansion at low costs.
Apple EU App Store Negotiations
- Apple is negotiating last-minute EU App Store changes to avoid fines up to 5% of daily revenues.
- The key issue involves Apple's steering provisions and annual install fees from developers surpassing one million installs.
Apple Eyes AI Acquisitions
- Apple may pursue acquihires to catch up in AI, with Perplexity AI as a top target for its consumer-ready product and team.
- Perplexity could become Apple's search engine and conversational AI, helping prepare for a future without Google dependence.