Welcome to the latest edition of Week in Review. This week, we highlight DeepSeek’s significant rise in the U.S., Elon Musk’s acknowledgment of his previous misjudgments regarding FSD, the declining trust of teenagers in Big Tech, and much more! Let’s dive in.
DeepSeek is making headlines this week as its AI models prompt Wall Street analysts and tech experts to reconsider the U.S.’s ability to stay ahead in the AI competition. Additionally, DeepSeek asserts that its R1 “reasoning” model matches OpenAI’s o1 model on essential performance metrics. With so much happening around DeepSeek, we’ve compiled all crucial insights you need right here.
Perplexity faces a trademark lawsuit in federal court, accused of infringing upon another company’s trademark. Lawyers for Perplexity Solved Solutions claim that Perplexity has violated its trademark rights by using the name “Perplexity.” The Texas-based company contends that the AI startup has been infringing since around August 2022 to publicize its AI-driven search tool.
Google is launching a “voluntary exit program” this week for employees in its Android, Chrome, and Pixel divisions, as revealed in an internal memo from Google SVP Rick Osterloh. This severance initiative comes just months after Google consolidated its separate teams into a unified “Platform and Devices” division, managed by Osterloh.
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News
Waymo enters Hollywood: Waymo’s autonomous robotaxis are gearing up to operate on the Los Angeles freeway system. The company plans to start testing on Interstates 10, 110, 405, and 90 without a human safety operator at the wheel. Read more
Facebook looks backwards: Mark Zuckerberg hinted at a plan for a “return to OG Facebook” as one of his objectives for 2025 during Meta’s Q4 earnings discussion. While details remain unclear, it’s evident that Meta must attract younger users to ensure its future. Read more
A new e-book option beyond Amazon: Bookshop.org has launched its own e-book platform, offering readers a chance to bypass supporting Jeff Bezos directly. This new feature allows users to purchase e-books while backing their preferred independent bookstore (shoutout to my new local store, Restoried). Read more
Perplexity makes another approach for TikTok: Perplexity AI has submitted a revised offer to merge with TikTok, suggesting that the U.S. government would acquire up to 50% ownership of the new venture. Previously, Perplexity proposed merging with TikTok U.S. and equity investors to form a new entity. Read more
Elon Musk’s admission: After years of affirming that Tesla vehicles were equipped with the necessary hardware for self-driving capabilities, Elon Musk has now conceded that many do not. He stated that some Tesla models will require upgrades before they can operate the still-in-development unsupervised self-driving software. Read more
Meta AI seeks personalization: Meta is enhancing its Meta AI, its multi-platform chatbot, allowing it to utilize your Facebook and Instagram data to remember conversation details — whether you enjoy traveling or follow a vegan diet — to provide customized responses in the future. Read more
GM could save $1 billion by dismantling Cruise: General Motors anticipates saving nearly $1 billion per year by discontinuing its Cruise autonomous taxi program, as stated by CEO Mary Barra during the company’s earnings call. The firm declared in December that it would halt financial support for its self-driving division. Read more
Google Maps updates geographic names: Google plans to rename the Gulf of Mexico and Denali mountain in Alaska on Google Maps in compliance with an executive order from President Donald Trump that altered the names of numerous American landmarks. Read more
How to disable Apple Intelligence: With iOS 18.3, users are automatically enrolled in Apple Intelligence, at least on newer devices. However, not everyone desires generative AI features activated by default, so here’s a simple way to disable it. Read more
Analysis
Teens have lost faith in Big Tech: A recent report from Common Sense Media reveals that American teenagers are increasingly skeptical of Big Tech. The organization conducted a survey with over 1,000 teens about whether companies like Google, Apple, Meta, TikTok, and Microsoft genuinely prioritize their welfare and safety, make ethical choices, and safeguard their personal information. The results were telling; a significant majority of teenagers expressed low levels of trust in these corporations — with nearly half indicating little to no confidence that these companies would responsibly manage AI technologies. Read more
Compiled by Techarena.au.
Fanpage: TechArena.au
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