🔄 Google reshuffles execs, Perplexity innovates, Tesla's self-driving probe
Good morning. It’s Friday, October 18. Today we are covering:
Google is replacing the exec in charge of Search and ads
Perplexity lets you search your internal enterprise files and the web
Tesla's Full Self-Driving software under investigation by federal safety regulator
Sam Altman's identity and cryptocurrency venture Worldcoin has a rebrand
Self-Driving Startup Pony.ai Said to Plan to Publicly File for US IPO This Week
Let’s dive in
Google is replacing the exec in charge of Search and ads
By Emma Roth via The Verge
Google is replacing Prabhakar Raghavan, head of search, ads, and other divisions, with Nick Fox, while Raghavan transitions to Chief Technologist.
The Google Gemini app team, led by Sissie Hsaio, will join Google DeepMind, and the Google Assistant team will merge with Google’s platforms and devices team.
The leadership changes occur as Google faces potential breakup by the U.S. government, which has labeled its search business a monopoly.
𝕏: Google Replacing Head of Search (Well, this is interesting.) - AJ Kohn (@ajkohn)
Perplexity lets you search your internal enterprise files and the web
By Emilia David via VentureBeat
Perplexity has introduced Internal Knowledge Search, allowing Pro and Enterprise Pro users to search both the web and internal files on one platform, limited to uploaded files.
The company also launched Spaces, a tool for teams to share, organize, and control access to research, with support for third-party data integration like Crunchbase and FactSet.
Early access customers, including Nvidia and Dell, used the tool for tasks like due diligence and combining internal and external research to boost productivity.
𝕏: Today, we're launching Perplexity for Internal Search: one tool to search over both the web and your team's files with multi-step reasoning and code execution. - Aravind Srinivas (@AravSrinivas)
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Tesla's Full Self-Driving software under investigation by federal safety regulator
By Sean O'Kane via TechCrunch
The NHTSA has opened an investigation into Tesla's Full Self-Driving (Supervised) software after four crashes in low-visibility conditions, including a fatal pedestrian accident.
The probe aims to determine if the software can respond appropriately to reduced visibility from factors like sun glare, fog, or dust; the investigation is classified as a preliminary evaluation.
Tesla also faces legal challenges, including a Department of Justice investigation and lawsuits over previous Autopilot crashes, as well as scrutiny from the California DMV for inflating software capabilities.
Sam Altman's identity and cryptocurrency venture Worldcoin has a rebrand
By Ina Fried via Axios
Worldcoin, co-founded by Sam Altman, has rebranded to World (and World Network) to reflect its broader mission of distinguishing humans from bots in an AI-dominated society.
The venture unveiled a new version of its Orb iris-scanning technology, powered by Nvidia's Jetson chipset, designed for wider deployment, including self-service kiosks.
World is also introducing alternatives to iris scans for identity verification, such as using NFC-enabled passports, and plans to integrate its system with apps like FaceTime, WhatsApp, and Zoom to combat deepfakes.
𝕏: Sam Altman's Worldcoin rebrands to World as project broadens. Also just shown off at a San Francisco event is a new iris-scanning Orb using fewer parts and Nvidia's Jetson chip, paving the way for self-service Orbs etc - Ina Fried (@inafried)
Self-Driving Startup Pony.ai Said to Plan to Publicly File for US IPO This Week
By Dong Cao via Bloomberg
Pony.ai, a Toyota-backed autonomous driving startup, plans to publicly file for a US IPO this week, seeking to raise up to $300 million.
The IPO received regulatory approval in April 2024, with potential investment interest from Guangzhou Automobile Group, a backer of WeRide Inc..
The listing marks a significant step for Pony.ai as it looks to further expand in the self-driving technology space.
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