Bill Feng

Baidu wants to bring robotaxis to Germany. With Lyft. Sounds like a tech coup. But is it a Trojan Horse on four wheels, or a quiet step into the future? Yes, Baidu, Inc. has the AI chops. Yes, Lyft knows ride-hailing. But will foreign autonomous vehicles really be allowed to roam freely in German cities, in a country where 5G towers and port deals have already caused a stir? Also: Waymo's Boston tests showed one thing clearly: AVs prefer Austin's dry heat. How will they handle the foggy chaos of Berlin in February? Snow. Potholes. Jaywalkers. Streetcars. Curious to see. And then there's the B-word. Bureaucracy. New mobility rules? Still in draft. Test zones? Limited. Approval processes? Bring snacks. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. This might be the start of something, or just another nice press release lost in translation. But if it works, what changes next?

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New: Uber will let customers hail robotaxis from Amazon’s Zoox, starting in Las Vegas this summer and in Los Angeles next year. The partnership could provide fresh validation for Uber’s bid to become the leading aggregator of robotaxi services and a commercial partner for companies developing self-driving technology. Tune into Bloomberg TV at 10:30am ET today to watch Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi and Zoox CEO Aicha Evans discuss the news with Edward Ludlow. https://lnkd.in/gFZtM278

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The newly introduced K visa, designed to attract young international science and technology talent to China, is being viewed as a major step toward surpassing the US in technological leadership. #China #Chinavisa #Asia Charles Sun China Education International (CEI) Edwin van Rest Studyportals The PIE

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Having to explain tech to non-techies humbles and grounds you in reality in so many ways, in that it really isn’t as serious as we hype it up to think it is. Typically if we’re asked to explain Model Context Protocol (MCP) in a professional context, we use more tech buzz words and play up the importance of this xxx model having to talk to that xxx model otherwise the whole system can’t communicate and then our investment goes to sh*ts — cue apocalyptic tech scenario. Taking a step back, what an irony it is — when MCP and so many other tools are meant to simplify communication. What are we doing here? Equipping ourselves with these technical terms like badges to validate our competence? Joy Li really humbled Victoria Lo, Saloni Kaur and I when she came up with this awesome analogy of talking to another person in a different language (a Korean oppa in this case). I loved that she framed her question in this analogy, because it helped us latch on to it and took us out of our sometimes self-absorbing tech brains to realize, it’s not that serious or difficult to understand. In a world of endless tech jargon meant to obscure and confuse, and draw lines between techies and non-techies, we need to remind ourselves that it really isn’t all that complicated and serious. All of us are users of tech, and tech is but a replica of everyday life (think machine learning being a replica of brain learning function, LLM chatbots replicating human language, blockchain replicating trust in human to human transactions…), don’t you think? We post biweekly real life in tech episodes on ragTech! Tell us what you would like to see :)

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[Uber Invests Millions in Lucid and Nuro to Boost Robotaxi Fleet] #Uber to expand #selfdriving #vehicle operations in own PF through investment & purchase order agreement with #EV startup; #Lucid for installation of #Nuro's technology, which it already invests in. Apart from the current partnerships with various companies, the company is embarking on its own enhancements. Uberが自社PFにおける自動運転車両運用の拡大に向け、既に投資するNuroの技術搭載に向けてEV新興;Lucidに数百万ドル投資&発注契約を通じた提携を結びました。現在の様々な企業との連携とは別に、自社での強化に乗り出します。 https://lnkd.in/gWyq3rY3

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I’m excited to share that I’ve returned to Coupang after spending a year at Meta. While the work-life balance at Meta was quite challenging, the experience was invaluable and taught me a great deal. Here are a few key takeaways I bring back with me: - Focus on real value. Ruthlessly cut unnecessary meetings, especially recurring ones. Most should be under 30 minutes, with preparation done beforehand and follow-ups afterward. Keep meetings limited to those truly required—just for quick sync and alignment. - Move fast and show impact. Iterate quickly, but also take the time to communicate the value of your work clearly and effectively. - Collaborate with intention. Choose partners strategically, aiming for win-win outcomes. True synergy is the key to strong partnerships. - Lead with clarity. Leaders naturally want to make everyone better, but sometimes it’s essential to focus on those with the right capabilities and mindset. Otherwise, you risk slowing down the entire team. I’m thrilled to be back at Coupang and to work again with the talented colleagues I know and admire. I look forward to building great things together—and applying what I’ve learned at Meta to help us succeed.

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ByteDance is hiring nearly 100 AI experts in the US. This isn't just about talent. It's a strategic move in the middle of a high-stakes geopolitical race. While the headlines focus on the TikTok deal, the real story is happening in labs from San Jose to Seattle. ByteDance's Seed division is quietly building a formidable AI team. They're recruiting for roles in: 🔬 Drug discovery and science modeling 🎬 Advanced video and image generation 🧠 Human-like AI research 📊 Data generation for large language models This expansion comes at a complex time. ByteDance is navigating a TikTok sale to address US security concerns, while its AI models face copyright lawsuits from major Hollywood studios. Yet the hiring continues. Why? Former White House tech adviser Aaron Bartnick points to ByteDance's advantages: massive compute power, data, capital, and government support. US Senator Pete Ricketts frames this as a contest for talent, chips, and algorithms that will shape future power. The takeaway? The AI race isn't slowing down for political or legal battles. Companies are playing the long game, building capabilities that transcend any single app or controversy. What's your read on this dual-track strategy—addressing security concerns in one area while aggressively expanding in another? #AI #TechStrategy #Geopolitics #Innovation 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲꞉ https://lnkd.in/gKKq6_Sn

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