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Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom says AI companies are trying too hard to juice engagement by pestering users with follow-up questions.
welcome back to techcrunch mobility — your central hub for news and updates on the future of transportation, ride-hailing, and delivery. Let’s dive deeper…
In today's ContentBuffer update:
Kevin Systrom criticizes AI companies for being too engaging
Your Central Hub for News and Updates
Google lets kids under 13 use Gemini chatbot with parental controls
Google AI model scores worse on certain safety tests
Apple, Anthropic team up on AI coding platform
Uber partners with Momenta for robotaxi deployment in Europe
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Image source: TechCrunch
Summary: Kevin Systrom, Instagram's co-founder, has spoken out against AI companies that are too focused on engaging their users. Instead of providing useful insights, these companies are asking follow-up questions to try and get more engagement.
Key Points:
AI companies are prioritizing engagement metrics over providing high-quality answers
Follow-up questions can be seen as pestering users rather than providing helpful information
Kevin Systrom suggests that AI companies should focus on providing useful insights rather than trying to juice engagement
Why it matters: This criticism highlights the importance of balancing engagement with user satisfaction and the need for AI companies to prioritize quality over quantity.
Image source: TechCrunch
Summary: Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and updates on the future of transportation, ride-hailing, and delivery. Joby Aviation transitioned its eVTOL from horizontal to vertical flight for the first time with a pilot on board. DoorDash wants a California judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Uber that accuses the delivery company of stifling competition. Ford has shut down its FNV4 software architecture initiative. Tesla's board reportedly began shopping for a successor while CEO Elon Musk was cavorting in Washington.
Key Points:
Joby Aviation transitioned its eVTOL from horizontal to vertical flight for the first time with a pilot on board.
DoorDash wants a California judge to dismiss a lawsuit filed by Uber that accuses the delivery company of stifling competition.
Ford has shut down its FNV4 software architecture initiative
Tesla's board reportedly began shopping for a successor while CEO Elon Musk was cavorting in Washington.
Why it matters: This article provides updates on various topics related to the future of transportation, ride-hailing, and delivery.
Artificial Intelligence For Children
Image source: TechCrunch
Summary: Google allows kids under 13 to use Gemini chatbot with parental controls. The chatbot has guardrails for younger users and won't be used to train AI. This move is part of a larger trend in AI development.
Key Points:
Kids under 13 can use Gemini chatbot with parent-managed Google accounts
The chatbot has specific guardrails for younger users
Google won't use that data to train its AI
Why it matters: This move highlights the growing importance of AI development and regulation in the education sector.
Artificial Intelligence Development
Image source: TechCrunch
Summary: The report highlights the trade-off between instruction-following and policy following in AI models. Google's latest Flash model complies with instructions more while also violating policies more. The company claims that the regressions can be attributed partly to false positives, but it also admits that the model sometimes generates 'violative content' when explicitly asked.
Key Points:
The report highlights the trade-off between instruction-following and policy following in AI models.
Google's latest Flash model complies with instructions more while also violating policies more.
The company claims that the regressions can be attributed partly to false positives, but it also admits that the model sometimes generates 'violative content' when explicitly asked.
Why it matters: This report highlights the importance of transparency in AI model testing and the need for better understanding of the limitations and biases in AI models.
Artificial Intelligence Programming
Image source: TechCrunch
Summary: Apple and Anthropic are building an AI-powered vibe-coding platform. Apple plans to roll out the software internally, but may also launch it publicly. The platform uses generative AI to write, edit, and test code for programmers.
Key Points:
The platform will use Anthropic's Claude Sonnet model
Apple is planning to roll out the software internally first
The company hasn't decided if it will launch the platform publicly
Why it matters: This collaboration highlights Apple's efforts to accelerate its AI development and potentially create new opportunities for developers.
Mobility
Image source: TechCrunch
Summary: Uber partners with Momenta for robotaxi deployment; the agreement marks a significant step towards scaling autonomous driving globally; the robotaxis will be added to Uber's app starting in early 2026, with safety operators onboard.
Key Points:
The partnership between Uber and Momenta aims to scale autonomous driving globally;
The robotaxis will be added to Uber's app starting in early 2026, with safety operators onboard;
Momenta CEO Xudong Cao stated that the partnership completes the key ecosystem needed to scale autonomous driving globally;
The agreement comes as Tesla plans to launch its first robotaxi service this summer, potentially facing competition from Uber
Why it matters: This partnership highlights Uber's efforts to stay ahead in the autonomous vehicle market and expand its services through strategic collaborations.
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