Apple has decided to discontinue its Apple Car project and shift its focus towards perfecting and shipping its own brand of generative AI. The decision has disappointed industry analysts, but could lead to groundbreaking developments in the field of AI.
Apple Car Project Shelved as Company Focuses on AI Development
( Credit to: Thestreet )
In a recent report by Bloomberg, it was revealed that Apple has decided to discontinue its ambitious Apple Car project, also known as Project Titan. After a decade of investment and development, the company has shifted its focus towards perfecting and shipping its own brand of generative AI. This move has disappointed industry analysts, who see it as a missed opportunity for Apple in the electric vehicle market and a testament to Tesla's dominance.
The report states that nearly 2,000 employees who were part of the Apple Car team will now be transferred to Apple's artificial intelligence division. This decision underscores the company's increasing emphasis on advancing its AI capabilities behind closed doors. While automotive technology presents a significant long-term revenue opportunity for Apple, the decision to pivot to generative AI could lead to groundbreaking developments in the field.
Gene Munster from Deepwater and Dan Ives from Wedbush expressed their disappointment with Apple's decision, referring to it as "another black eye" for the electric vehicle industry. Both analysts believe that Apple was a potential long-term competitor for Tesla in the United States. However, the shift in focus towards AI development could benefit Tesla in the short term.
Google Pays News Publishers to Beta Test Private Generative AI Platform
As concerns about copyright infringement continue to plague the generative AI industry, Google has reportedly taken a different approach. AdWeek reported that Google is paying news publishers to beta test a private generative AI platform. The program requires publishers to use the platform for publishing articles, newsletters, and marketing campaigns. The AI-powered aggregator function allows publishers to list other relevant news organizations' websites, which are then scraped by the AI tool and reworded for display on the platform's dashboard.
While Google did not immediately respond to requests for comment, the company stated that these AI-enabled tools are not intended to replace journalists but rather assist them in their work. However, the program raises concerns about copyright permissions and the labeling of AI-generated content.
Elon Musk Announces Expected Shipping Date for Tesla Roadster
Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla, announced that the long-awaited Tesla Roadster is expected to ship next year. The production design will be unveiled by the end of this year. Musk claimed that the new Roadster will have unprecedented acceleration capabilities, going from 0 to 60 mph in less than one second. While such a feat is rare, it has been achieved by Swiss students who purpose-built an electric car with similar acceleration capabilities.
SpaceX's Starship Nears Third Launch after FAA Investigation
SpaceX's Starship, which experienced a mishap during a previous launch, is now one step closer to its third launch. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has closed its investigation into the November Starship launch. SpaceX has identified the root causes of the failure and implemented 17 corrective actions, which have been accepted by the FAA. Before the third launch can take place, SpaceX must complete all corrective actions and obtain a license modification from the FAA.
Tumblr and WordPress.com Reportedly Planning to Sell User Data to AI Companies
In other news, Tumblr and WordPress.com are reportedly planning to sell user data to AI companies, OpenAI and Midjourney. Internal documents and a source familiar with the deal suggest that these partnerships are imminent. The exact nature of the data involved remains unclear, but concerns have been raised regarding user privacy and consent. Automattic, the company behind WordPress.com, stated that users can opt out of sharing their content and that partnerships will respect these opt-out settings.
As tech companies increasingly pursue data at any cost, copyright infringement concerns are becoming more prevalent. OpenAI and Midjourney are currently facing multiple lawsuits alleging copyright violations in their AI models' training data. OpenAI has argued that training AI models without using copyrighted materials would be impossible, while also seeking licensing deals with publishers. However, content creators often disagree with this stance.
As the tech industry continues to grapple with these challenges, it remains to be seen how AI development and data usage will shape the future of various sectors, including automotive technology and journalism.
