From billion-dollar AI startups to bold regulatory moves, the United States tech scene is firing on all cylinders this week. Here's everything you need to know about the major developments shaking up Silicon Valley and beyond.
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Alphabet’s autonomous driving arm, Waymo, announced today that it will bring its self-driving ride-hailing service to Dallas, Texas, by early 2026. The move follows recent expansions into Los Angeles and Austin, as Waymo continues to cement its lead in the U.S. robotaxi race.
The company is partnering with Avis Budget Group to manage vehicle fleets and maintenance operations in Texas — a strategy aimed at scaling faster without building new infrastructure from scratch.
Why it matters:
Mira Murati, former CTO of OpenAI, has raised a massive billion in funding for her new venture, Thinking Machines, just six months after stepping down from her former role.
Backed by major players like Andreessen Horowitz, the startup is building foundational AI models with a strong focus on safety, performance, and open access.
Key points:
In another major AI funding round, Micro1, a fast-growing AI data labeling and workflow automation company, has closed a 0 million Series A.
Highlights:
On the policy front, former President Donald Trump released a sweeping AI Action Plan, laying out his administration's vision for accelerating U.S. dominance in artificial intelligence.
Key directives:
The plan also includes executive orders aiming to repeal certain Biden-era environmental and data privacy restrictions seen as roadblocks to growth.
The U.S. tech landscape is experiencing a perfect storm of:
From robotaxis to AI mega-funding, America is making bold moves to maintain global leadership in technology — even as competition heats up from China and Europe.
Stay tuned to CortexHub.Studio for more deep dives into how these trends are shaping the future of tech, business, and society.
President Trump hosted tech leaders including Sam Altman, Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, Mark Zuckerberg, and Tim Cook for a White House dinner centered on AI strategy and U.S. innovation leadership.
Once a sci-fi dream, humanoid robots are now stepping into real-world jobs. From warehouses to household chores, companies are testing their potential while experts warn of safety and reliability hurdles.
Anthropic will pay $1.5 billion to authors over copyright issues in AI training, marking a major precedent for IP in generative AI.
