The Tesla Robotaxi rollout, as of May 28, 2025, is in its early stages, with a pilot program set to launch in Austin, Texas, by the end of June. Here’s a concise overview based on available information:
Launch Details: Tesla plans to initiate its robotaxi service with a small fleet of about 10-20 Model Y vehicles equipped with Full Self-Driving (FSD) Unsupervised software in Austin. The service will be invite-only initially, operating in geofenced areas deemed safest, with plans to scale to around 1,000 vehicles within months if successful.
Preparation and Testing: Tesla has been testing the service with approximately 300 test operators in Austin and the San Francisco Bay Area, accumulating over 1,500 trips and 15,000 miles for employees. These tests involve safety drivers and remote teleoperators to ensure safety, with training events held for local first responders to simulate real-world scenarios.
Safety and Regulatory Scrutiny: The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is investigating Tesla’s FSD technology, particularly its performance in poor weather, requesting details on how the robotaxi system will handle reduced visibility. Tesla’s reliance on cameras rather than additional sensors like LIDAR has raised concerns among critics, who question the technology’s readiness.
Skepticism and Optimism: While some analysts and investors are optimistic about Tesla’s autonomous ambitions, citing potential for significant financial impact by late 2026, others are skeptical due to Tesla’s history of missing deadlines and the complexity of autonomous driving. Critics like Dan O’Dowd argue the technology is unproven and potentially unsafe, while supporters highlight FSD’s progress and Tesla’s data-driven approach.
App Integration: Tesla’s latest app update (4.44.5) includes robotaxi functionality, such as managing pickups and ETAs, integrated into the main Tesla app rather than a standalone one, indicating a streamlined user experience.
Challenges: Tesla faces regulatory hurdles, with permits still needed in some regions, and public backlash against CEO Elon Musk’s political involvement has impacted Tesla’s brand perception. The rollout’s success hinges on proving safety and reliability in real-world conditions.
In summary, the Tesla Robotaxi rollout is a cautious, small-scale pilot with significant preparation but faces technical, regulatory, and public perception challenges. Its success could redefine Tesla’s future, but skepticism persists due to past delays and safety concerns.
Trump threatens new 'Dark Age' with policy of 'deliberate destruction': analysis "Every week brings fresh examples," wrote Serwer. For instance, Trump "is threatening colleges and universities with the loss of federal funding if they do not submit to its demands, or even if they do. The engines of American scientific inquiry and ingenuity, such as the National Science Foundation and the National Institutes of Health, are under sustained attack. Historical institutions such as the Smithsonian and artistic ones like the Kennedy Center are being converted into homes for MAGA ideology rather than historical fact and free expression."
Trump considers new sanctions on Russia as he grows more furious with Putin Harvard Professor Slams Trump’s Crackdown in Scathing NYT Op-Ed: ‘None of This is Good for the Jews’ Homan taunts AOC after arrest of House Democrat over ICE protest: ‘Waiting on the consequences’ House Democratic leadership condemned the charges against her. ........ "Members of Congress have a constitutional responsibility to conduct oversight of the executive branch wherever and whenever it is needed," they wrote in a joint statement. "We are lawfully permitted to show up at any federal facility unannounced to conduct an inspection on behalf of the American people. By visiting the detention center in Newark, Rep. McIver and two other Members of Congress were upholding their oath of office. They didn’t assault anyone, but were themselves aggressively mistreated by illegally masked individuals." ......... Homan also sparred with Ocasio-Cortez in the media earlier this month: “I take pleasure [that] I can live with her mind rent-free every day, but we all know exactly what she’s doing,” Homan said. ........ Ocasio-Cortez had said she wasn't afraid of Homan at a Queens, New York, town hall: “Tom Homan said he was going to refer me to [the] DOJ because I’m using my free speech rights in order to advise people of their constitutional protections. To that I say: Come for me. Do I look like I care?”
SpaceX’s Starship rocket spins out of control, breaks apart after latest launch Putin Makes Major Demand To End Ukraine War, Sources Say The three Russian sources said Putin wants a “written” pledge by major Western powers not to enlarge the U.S.-led NATO alliance eastwards — shorthand for formally ruling out membership to Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova and other former Soviet republics......... Russia also wants Ukraine to be neutral, some Western sanctions lifted, a resolution of the issue of frozen Russian sovereign assets in the West, and protection for Russian speakers in Ukraine .......... if Putin realizes he is unable to reach a peace deal on his own terms, he will seek to show the Ukrainians and the Europeans by military victories that “peace tomorrow will be even more painful.” ........ Putin and Russian officials have repeatedly said any peace deal must address the “root causes” of the conflict — Russian shorthand for the issue of NATO enlargement and Western support for Ukraine. ......... Kyiv has repeatedly said that Russia should not be granted veto power over its aspirations to join the NATO alliance. Ukraine says it needs the West to give it a strong security guarantee with teeth to deter any future Russian attack. ............. NATO has also in the past said that it will not change its “open door” policy just because Moscow demands it. ........ Russia currently controls just under one fifth of the country. Though Russian advances have accelerated over the past year, the war is costing both Russia and Ukraine dearly in terms of casualties and military spending. ......... Putin was growing concerned by the economic distortions in Russia’s wartime economy, amid labour shortages and high interest rates imposed to curb inflation. The price of oil, the bedrock of Russia’s economy, has declined steadily this year. ......... if Putin saw a tactical opportunity on the battlefield, he would push further into Ukraine — and that the Kremlin believed Russia could fight on for years no matter what sanctions and economic pain were imposed by the West. ......... Putin was now less inclined to compromise on territory and was sticking to his public stance that he wanted the entirety of four regions in eastern Ukraine claimed by Russia. ........... As Trump and Putin joust in public over the outlook for peace in Ukraine, Reuters could not determine whether the intensification of the war and the toughening of positions heralds determination to reach a deal or the collapse of talks. ........... In June last year, Putin set out his opening terms for an immediate end to the war: Ukraine must drop its NATO ambitions and withdraw all of its troops from the entirety of the territory of four Ukrainian regions claimed and mostly controlled by Russia. ............ Putin casts the war as a watershed moment in Moscow’s relations with the West which he says humiliated Russia after the Soviet Union fell in 1991 by enlarging NATO and encroaching on what he considers Moscow’s sphere of influence. .......... At the 2008 Bucharest summit, NATO leaders agreed that Ukraine and Georgia would one day become members. Ukraine in 2019 amended its constitution committing to the path of full membership of NATO and the European Union. ........... Trump has said that previous U.S. support for Ukraine’s NATO membership bid was a cause of the war, and has indicated that Ukraine will not get membership. ............. In 2021, just two months before the Russian invasion, Moscow proposed a draft agreement with NATO members that, under Article 6, would bind NATO to “refrain from any further enlargement of NATO, including the accession of Ukraine as well as other States.” U.S. and NATO diplomats said at the time that Russia could not have a veto on expansion of the alliance. .............. Russia wants a pledge on NATO in writing because Putin thinks Moscow was misled by the United States after the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall when U.S. Secretary of State James Baker assured Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1990 that NATO would not expand eastwards ............. There was such a verbal promise, former Central Intelligence Agency Director Director William J. Burns said in his memoires, but it was never formalised - and it was made at a time when the collapse of the Soviet Union had not occurred. .......... NATO, founded in 1949 to provide security against the Soviet Union, says it poses no challenge to Russia - though its 2022 assessment of peace and security in the Euro-Atlantic area identified Russia as the most “significant and direct threat”. .......... Russia’s invasion of Ukraine that year prompted Finland to join NATO in 2023, followed by Sweden in 2024. ...... Western European leaders have repeatedly said that if Russia wins the Ukraine war, it could one day attack NATO itself - a step that would trigger a world war. Russia dismisses such claims as baseless scaremongering, but has also warned the war in Ukraine could escalate into a broader conflict.
Netanyahu says Israel killed elusive Hamas leader Mohammed Sinwar in recent Gaza strike Elon Musk’s $5 Billion ‘Ultimatum’ to Apple That May Have Fractured Tim Cook’s Leadership Circle Musk wanted Apple to choose SpaceX as the only satellite provider for iPhones. His offer included 18 months of exclusive service and then a yearly payment of $1 billion. Apple rejected this huge demand. Just two weeks later, Musk kept his word. He announced a new partnership with T-Mobile that would use Starlink satellites. This deal looked like it would leave Android devices behind and give Apple no space to compete.............. When T-Mobile officially turns on the satellite feature in July, compatible iPhones will use Starlink, not Apple’s Globalstar. This change will make Starlink more visible on iPhones, which is exactly what Musk wanted from the beginning. ........ There’s also a fear of government rules. If Apple adds too many satellite services, it might be treated like a phone carrier. That could mean Apple would have to add backdoors in private apps like iMessage, which Apple strongly opposes.
I'M SHOCKED.
While researching for my podcast, I realized China isn't just competing with the USA in AI. They're positioning to completely dominate us.
Everyone thinks America leads in AI. But China is building the energy infrastructure to crush us.
Here's what scares me:
— Nathan Lands - Lore.com (@NathanLands) May 28, 2025
The markets are starting to panic about our ability to pay our debts. Look at this chart. Credit default swap prices just hit levels we haven't seen since the financial crisis.
We can't cut our way out of $36.2T in debt. There isn't the political will.
Through my work as a venture partner in a Saudi AI fund, I've seen how serious the Middle East is about this transition.
Saudi Arabia and UAE aren't just sitting on oil money - they're investing hundreds of billions in AI infrastructure, renewable energy, and future tech.
These…
— Nathan Lands - Lore.com (@NathanLands) May 28, 2025
50/50 chance we go back to 145% tariffs on China simply because Trump is really insecure about his new nickname TACO.
🌮🐔
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) May 28, 2025
*TRUMP SAYS HARVARD SHOULD CAP FOREIGN STUDENT ENROLLMENT AT 15%
Don’t worry Harvard.
If you ignore him for just another few days, he will let you have as many foreign students as you like again.
Trump Always Chickens Out.
🌮
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) May 28, 2025
Sound on 🔊 Veo 3 is rolling out in 70+ countries *and* we’re making it available to Pro users to try. Here’s how:
1⃣ Sign in at https://t.co/382WL5xkFE and upgrade to Pro 2⃣ Tap the “Video” button in the prompt bar 3⃣ Describe your idea & hit submit
Welcome to Nepal, Cinnabon! It’s always special to see a piece of home abroad, and even more meaningful knowing U.S. businesses are expanding their reach and deepening our economic ties with Nepal. Love seeing growing entrepreneurial spirit in Nepal! 🇺🇸🇳🇵 pic.twitter.com/7FRGQrHFGt
— U.S. Ambassador Dean R. Thompson (@USAmbNepal) May 28, 2025
There is another, better option. Everyone has a job. AI And Robotics Break Capitalism https://t.co/T9UW1sbM0r
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) May 28, 2025
You have the spirit (of a Founder). But do you have Co-Founders?
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) May 28, 2025
A couple of years back, a new team member pointed out that we didn't have a good strategy for video content, and he was right. In hindsight, it was obvious 😀 We were publishing educational content in text form on Varsity, Z-Connect, etc., but we weren't focusing on videos. We… pic.twitter.com/PE9bCqICMi
“I was disappointed to see the spending bill, frankly. It actually increases the deficit, not decreases it. It undermines all the work that DOGE has been doing”. - Elon Musk
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) May 28, 2025
I think you are right.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) May 28, 2025
My immigrant dad asked me where the missing 10% went when I scored a 90. He came to America for the chance to work hard & pursue excellence. Giving A’s for 80% & no homework is not equity—it betrays the American Dream and every parent who wants more for their kids. https://t.co/aFcF8SurV9
— Spencer Hakimian (@SpencerHakimian) May 28, 2025
The U.S. government is actively combatting illegal migration. We will pursue criminal charges against those who engage in visa fraud and those who bring in and harbor illegal aliens. If you do not follow the law, you will be caught. pic.twitter.com/USTXLlj3sX
— U.S. Embassy Nepal (@USEmbassyNepal) May 28, 2025
my dad is a beast. he's turning 60 this year and learning python/torch/ml for the first time with grok/chatgpt for his mechanics research exploring physics-informed neural nets. llms are helping him speedrun whole new avenues for his research in record time. absolutely wild. pic.twitter.com/8ubxfDLDFm
They don't get it yet... but they will. This new Veo 3 release is absolutely terrifying for the film and TV industry. You see, it’s not just the images that make up the video. It’s not just the stitching. It’s not just the background sounds or the voice or the lip-syncing.
I could have never conceived that the U.S. President would be far more aggressive against a great university than he would be against a Russian dictator engaged in invading a U.S. ally. Why is it smart to starve cancer research, students on financial aid, innovation in public…
> fundraising (at absurd valuations) — for vanity > pursuit of consensus ideas > funding only for consensus ideas (back to vanity) > over-index on central casting > bad pirate-to-larp ratio
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) May 28, 2025
One state ***increased*** its reading literacy for the bottom 10% of students while 49 other states let standards keep slipping.
It was the poorest state in the country, Mississippi. In 2013 they enacted a rule where at 4th grade if you can’t read, you repeat until you can. pic.twitter.com/Xe8Omy4BYx
Elephants, Not Unicorns The next generation of great tech companies won’t look like the last
Why Thinking Big Is the Safest Bet in the Age of AI and Exponential Technologies https://t.co/wiT3XYL0J1 AI-Era Social Network: Reimagined for Truth, Trust & Transformation https://t.co/QCQYG5NSkJ Building a herd of elephants.
— Paramendra Kumar Bhagat (@paramendra) May 28, 2025
The next two decades are poised to witness an unprecedented proliferation of trillion-dollar companies, driven by the convergence of multiple transformative technologies and a paradigm shift in how businesses are built and scaled.
🐘 Elephants vs. 🦄 Unicorns: A New Business Archetype
In her essay "Elephants, Not Unicorns," Erica Wenger of Park Rangers Capital argues for a shift from the traditional "unicorn" startup model—focused on rapid growth and high valuations—to "elephant" companies that prioritize community, purpose, and sustainable growth. These companies are characterized by:(Candor)
Community-Centric Models: Building loyal user bases through shared values and missions.(Park Rangers Capital)
Transparent Operations: Emphasizing authenticity and openness in business practices.
Purpose-Driven Growth: Focusing on long-term impact over short-term gains.(Park Rangers Capital)
This approach aligns with the increasing demand for businesses that not only deliver value but also foster a sense of belonging and purpose among their stakeholders. (LinkedIn)
🚀 The Age of Exponential Technologies
The article "Why Thinking Big Is the Safest Bet in the Age of AI and Exponential Technologies" highlights the convergence of multiple groundbreaking technologies—such as AI, quantum computing, synthetic biology, and blockchain—that are collectively reshaping industries and creating new markets. This technological synergy is lowering barriers to entry and enabling startups to tackle complex, global challenges. (Netizen)
🌐 The Emergence of Trillion-Dollar Companies
The intersection of these trends suggests that the next 20 years will see the rise of numerous trillion-dollar companies that embody the "elephant" ethos and leverage exponential technologies. These companies will likely:
Address Global Challenges: Tackle issues like climate change, healthcare, and education at scale.(Netizen)
Foster Inclusive Innovation: Utilize technologies that democratize access and empower diverse communities.
Build Sustainable Ecosystems: Create business models that prioritize long-term value creation over short-term profits.
Examples of such companies include OpenAI, which is advancing general-purpose AI, and SpaceX, which is revolutionizing space travel and connectivity.
🧭 Conclusion
As we navigate this transformative era, the fusion of community-driven business models and exponential technologies will redefine success in the corporate world. The companies that embrace this new paradigm—balancing purpose with innovation—are poised to become the trillion-dollar giants of tomorrow.
Summary: Elephants have much, much easier paths to trillion-dollar valuations.
