A Silicon Valley rivalry may shake up the autonomous driving scene.
In a report about the falling out between OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, Forbes dropped a nugget about the former’s avenues to help create a firm that could compete with the electric vehicle pioneer.
Amid Tesla’s slump, OpenAI is backing self-driving software maker Applied Intuition. In 2024, Altman helped robocar network startup Glydways pick up $76 million.
“We have some new technology that could just do self-driving for standard cars way better than any current approach has worked,” he said of OpenAI on Uncapped with Jack Altman, per Forbes.
The OpenAI co-founders’ contest could speed the development of robotaxi services. Tesla unveiled its entry in Austin, Texas, in June, but the rollout was marred by problems. Waymo is far ahead in the space, and competitors, including Glydways, could usher in a new era of ride-hailing companies.
These businesses have used EVs to get off the ground. The automobiles have come down in price and are on par with gas-powered options, thanks to government incentives. They are cheaper to operate and produce zero tailpipe pollution, which is a major win in the face of rapidly rising temperatures.
As a result, autonomous vehicles are part of a clean energy future in which extreme heat subsides, improving human health and keeping the most catastrophic consequences of dirty energy use at bay.
While Tesla struggles on the whole, it is leaning into its robotaxis and similar endeavors to steady itself for the future. It gained statewide approval in Texas to operate driverless vehicles, though other regulators are not so keen.
The space is clearly a frontier, as artificial intelligence-powered programs are taught rules of the road and safety measures. These developments bank on energy-hungry data centers, and the tech industry is working to make that sustainable by using renewable sources such as wind and solar rather than dirty fuels such as natural gas.
Whether or not you’re willing to take a trip in a vehicle without a driver, you can make your next car an EV. Do so by Sept. 30 to bank expiring incentives up to $7,500, savings you will compound with no trips to the gas station and less maintenance.
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