Welcome to Tech Beat, your daily look at the stories shaping our digital world.
Tesla's so-called Robotaxi program is facing fresh scrutiny tonight, after new federal crash data reveals five collisions tied to the vehicles — and in every single case, a remote human operator was at the controls, not the autonomous system. Every remote takeover in Tesla's own filings has ended in a crash, which raises uncomfortable questions about whether the humans backing up the AI are making things worse, not better.
Shifting to surveillance, a Citizen Lab investigation has found that an Israeli advertising technology firm was used to plant malware on dozens of Al Jazeera devices — delivered not through phishing or hacking in the traditional sense, but through ordinary digital advertisements. It's a reminder that the ad networks woven into everyday browsing can be weaponized against journalists and institutions with remarkable precision.
And Bill Gates is stepping back into the spotlight, this time focused on the risks artificial intelligence poses rather than the promise. According to Axios, Gates is directing significant attention and resources toward AI safety efforts — a notable signal given his history of both championing and warning about transformative technologies. Whether his involvement shifts the conversation remains to be seen.
That's where the stories stand tonight. Keep surfing. Tech Beat out.
