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Waymo is drawing attention today for how it thinks about AI deployment, and the answer is more methodical than you might expect. The self-driving car company says an AI project isn't considered ready when a model performs well — it's ready when the evaluations themselves are solid. It's a meaningful distinction, and one more companies probably should be making.
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, the surveillance cameras made by Flock Safety are facing a serious political moment. Representative Thomas Massie is pushing legislation to cut off federal funding for the technology, as backlash grows across the country over how these license-plate-reading cameras are being used in communities. The debate cuts right to the heart of how much passive surveillance Americans are willing to accept in public spaces.
And in financial news, Robinhood slid nearly four percent despite beating earnings expectations. The culprit was crypto — revenue from digital asset trading fell thirty-eight percent year over year, landing at one hundred million dollars. Stronger performance in options, equities, and prediction markets helped cushion the blow, but the numbers suggest the crypto trading frenzy has genuinely cooled.
That's your Tech Beat for today. Keep surfing. Tech Beat out.
