Robotics

OpenAI Taps Thinking Machines as First APAC Services Partner to Boost Enterprise AI Thinking Machines Data Science is now OpenAI’s first official services partner in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region. This strategic collaboration aims to accelerate enterprise AI adoption across APAC. Thinking Machines will provide businesses with specialized training for ChatGPT Enterprise, support for building custom AI applications, and expert guidance on integrating AI into daily operations. The partnership will initially target Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand, with future plans to expand into other markets and develop tailored services for key sectors like finance, retail, and manufacturing. This initiative directly addresses the challenge many regional companies face in converting AI adoption into tangible business value. ...

Daily News Feed: AI Security, Quantum Leaps, and Microsoft’s Rust Bet Cloudsmith Launches ML Model Registry for Centralized AI Model Management Cloudsmith, a software supply chain management company, has launched its ML Model Registry. This new platform will serve as a single source of truth for all AI models and datasets that a company utilizes. The registry integrates with the Hugging Face Hub and SDK, allowing developers to efficiently push, pull, and manage their machine learning models. ...

O2 Telefonica, Tech Mahindra & Nvidia to Build Generative AI for Telecom Operations O2 Telefonica is partnering with Tech Mahindra and Nvidia to develop a generative AI model designed to revolutionize telecom network operations. The “Large Telco Model” (LTM) aims to significantly improve operational efficiency and customer service reliability. This advanced system will empower technicians to identify network disruptions faster and coordinate field operations more effectively. Built on Nvidia’s AI Enterprise software, the model leverages agent-based AI specifically tailored for the telecommunications sector. This initiative is a key part of O2 Telefonica’s strategy to pioneer data-driven and autonomous network management in Germany. ...

Stellantis Halts Level 3 Autonomous Driving Program, Citing High Costs and Low Demand Stellantis has officially suspended the development and launch of its Level 3 autonomous driving system, known as AutoDrive. The decision to halt the self-driving technology program is attributed to significant development costs, technical complexity, and a perceived lack of consumer demand for the advanced feature. While the company stated the AV technology is ready for deployment, it has been put on hold with no immediate plans for a market launch. This move is seen as a strategic reset for the automaker, which will now increase its reliance on external suppliers and technology partners like aiMotive for future autonomous systems. The work already completed on the Level 3 system will be integrated into future platform developments, reflecting the broader challenges legacy automakers face in the competitive autonomous vehicle sector. ...

MIT Report: 95% of Enterprise GenAI Projects Fail to Deliver ROI A new report from MIT’s NANDA initiative reveals that a staggering 95% of enterprise generative AI pilot programs are failing to produce a significant return on investment. Despite investments totaling between $35 and $40 billion in the US, only 5% of organizations have successfully deployed AI tools into production at scale. The report, titled “The GenAI Divide: State of AI in Business 2025,” is based on interviews with enterprise leaders, analysis of public AI initiatives, and a survey of business professionals. The primary reasons for failure are not a lack of infrastructure or talent, but rather the inability of AI systems to retain data, adapt, and learn over time. The study also found that purchasing AI tools from vendors and forming partnerships has a significantly higher success rate than in-house development. ...

Zoox Gets Federal Green Light for Driverless Robotaxi Deployment Amazon’s subsidiary, Zoox, has received a crucial federal exemption from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) to deploy its purpose-built, driverless robotaxis on public roads. This is a landmark decision, making Zoox the first U.S. company to gain such an exemption under the expanded Automated Vehicle Exemption Program (AVEP). The custom-designed vehicles notably lack traditional controls like steering wheels or pedals, featuring a carriage-style interior with inward-facing seats for four passengers. As a condition of the approval, Zoox must remove any claims that its vehicles comply with all Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. This regulatory milestone clears the path for Zoox to scale production at its California facility, as the NHTSA has also closed its investigation into the company’s self-certification processes. ...

EU AI Act’s New GPAI Rules Take Effect, Mandating Data Transparency In a significant step for AI governance, new provisions from the EU’s Artificial Intelligence (AI) Act for general-purpose AI (GPAI) models became effective on August 2, 2025. Providers of new GPAI models must now maintain current technical documentation and publish detailed summaries of their training data. More stringent requirements are set for GPAI models identified as posing a “systemic risk.” To streamline compliance, the European Commission’s AI Office has issued a mandatory template for training data disclosure. While the complete AI Act will apply from August 2, 2026, these specific rules for GPAI models are now enforceable. A voluntary Code of Practice has also been released to guide companies in meeting their legal obligations. ...

AI & Robotics News: WeRide’s Saudi Robotaxi Launch, Waymo in Ontario, and Mystery ‘Horizon Alpha’ AI WeRide Secures Saudi Arabia’s First-Ever Robotaxi Permit WeRide has officially become the first company granted a permit for commercial robotaxi operations in Saudi Arabia. This significant milestone marks the sixth country where WeRide has received autonomous vehicle (AV) approvals, joining China, the UAE, Singapore, France, and the US. In a strategic collaboration with Uber and Ai Driver, WeRide has already initiated pilot robotaxi operations in Riyadh. The company aims for a full commercial service launch by the end of 2025. This permit was awarded following the successful completion of Saudi Arabia’s rigorous AV Regulatory Sandbox program. ...

Rajasthan Government to Introduce Policies on AI, Gaming, and Data Centers The government of Rajasthan in India is set to launch three new policies focused on artificial intelligence, gaming, and data centers. The Rajasthan AI Policy 2025 will promote the ethical and inclusive use of AI and establish a Centre of Excellence to support AI startups and research. An AVGC-XR Policy will support the animation, visual effects, gaming, and extended reality sectors, with plans for four Atal Innovation Studios backed by a Rs 1,000 crore budget. Additionally, a Data Centre Policy 2025 aims to create a secure ecosystem for private data centers to attract investment. ...