In other tech news, DeepMind workers have expressed dissatisfaction with Google's defense contracts, NASA is deciding whether astronauts will return to Earth on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft or SpaceX’s Dragon, and Alphabet X's latest spinout is bringing computer vision and AI to salmon farms. Additionally, Waymo's robotaxis might soon be available for parents to pick up their kids from after-school activities, and Cruise, General Motors’ self-driving subsidiary, has partnered with Uber to bring its robotaxis to the ride-hailing platform in 2025.
Key takeaways:
- Waymo, the Alphabet subsidiary, is considering a subscription program that would let teens hail one of its cars solo and send pickup and drop-off alerts to their parents. The program is referred to as “Waymo Teen,” and prices could range from $150 to $250 per month for up to 16 rides.
- Uber has also started to target the teen market, matching teens ages 13 through 17 with highly rated drivers in its network. Consent is required from a child’s legal guardians, who then receive notifications about their child’s whereabouts during rides.
- At least 200 workers at DeepMind, Google’s AI R&D division, are displeased with Google’s reported defense contracts and circulated a letter internally expressing their concerns.
- NASA officials will soon announce whether two NASA astronauts will return to Earth on Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft or use SpaceX’s Dragon instead.