Autonomous Vehicles

Uber and Rivian Announce Major Partnership for Autonomous Robotaxi Fleet Uber Technologies and Rivian Automotive have forged a strategic partnership to deploy up to 50,000 fully autonomous R2 robotaxis. As part of this landmark deal, Uber is set to invest up to $1.25 billion in the electric vehicle manufacturer, with the investment contingent on Rivian meeting specific autonomous performance milestones. An initial commitment of $300 million has been made, pending regulatory approval. The first deployment phase will introduce 10,000 vehicles, with initial rollouts planned for San Francisco and Miami in 2028, expanding to 25 cities by 2031. These fully autonomous Rivian R2 robotaxis will be exclusively bookable through the Uber platform. ...

Nissan, Uber, and Wayve to Launch AI-Powered Robotaxi Service in Tokyo Nissan Motor Co., Uber Technologies Inc., and Wayve Technologies Ltd. have entered into a partnership to develop and launch a robotaxi service in Tokyo. The collaboration will utilize Nissan’s LEAF electric vehicles equipped with Wayve’s AI-powered autonomous driving system, which will be accessible to passengers through the Uber ride-hailing app. A pilot program is scheduled to begin in Tokyo by late 2026, initially with human safety operators present in the vehicles. This initiative marks Uber’s first venture into autonomous vehicle services in Japan and is part of a broader plan to introduce robotaxis in over ten major cities globally, including London. The partnership aims to address challenges such as driver shortages and improve the efficiency of urban transportation. ...

Nuro Tests Self-Driving Cars in Tokyo, Marking First International Expansion U.S. self-driving startup Nuro has commenced testing its autonomous vehicles on public roads in Tokyo, representing the company’s first international deployment. The vehicles are currently operating with safety drivers present. This expansion is notable as Nuro claims its system did not require pre-training on local Japanese driving data, a capability it refers to as “zero-shot” autonomy. The company’s technology is designed to learn the fundamental principles of safe driving, allowing it to adapt to new environments like Tokyo’s dense and complex streets, which feature left-side driving and different traffic patterns from the U.S. Backed by investors including Nvidia and Toyota, Nuro has established a local office and deployed a small number of test cars to begin data collection. The company is also partnered with Uber and Lucid Group. ...

Samsung Enters AI Smart Glasses Market with Project HAEAN Samsung has officially announced its entry into the AI smart glasses market with ‘Project HAEAN’, revealed at MWC 2026. The device will feature an eye-level camera and connect to a smartphone for processing, a design choice aimed at keeping the glasses lightweight. Positioned as a direct competitor to Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, which currently dominate the market, Samsung’s offering is slated for a 2026 launch. The smart glasses are being developed in partnership with Qualcomm and Google, leveraging their respective expertise in chips and AI. This move from Samsung is expected to significantly intensify competition in the nascent AI smart glasses sector. ...

Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning AI Industry Sees Major Developments in Early March 2026 The artificial intelligence sector has experienced a flurry of significant activity in early March 2026, marked by major infrastructure adjustments and new AI model advancements. In a notable development, Oracle and OpenAI have reportedly canceled plans to expand a major AI data center in Texas. This facility was a key part of the ‘Stargate’ infrastructure project, but disagreements over financing and evolving demands from OpenAI led to its cancellation. Concurrently, the AI model landscape continues its rapid evolution with OpenAI’s launch of GPT-5.4, a new model boasting enhanced reasoning and coding capabilities. Adding to the industry’s momentum, the Allen Institute for AI (AI2) has released Olmo Hybrid, a new open-source 7B-parameter model demonstrating improved data efficiency. These events highlight the dynamic nature of the AI industry, with simultaneous shifts in both large-scale infrastructure and the continuous innovation of AI models. ...

Volkswagen Advances Autonomous Driving with ID. Buzz Pre-Series Production Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has officially commenced the pre-series production of the autonomous ID. Buzz at its main plant in Hanover, Germany. These self-driving vehicles are being assembled on the same production line as the conventional, non-autonomous ID. Buzz models, showcasing an integrated manufacturing approach. After the standard production stages, the autonomous models are uniquely fitted with a specialized roof module containing cameras and other critical sensors required for self-driving functionality. This development marks a significant milestone towards the commercial deployment of Volkswagen’s autonomous vehicle technology. ...

IIT Kharagpur Launches New School for Applied AI to Boost Industry Innovation The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kharagpur has announced the launch of its new School of Digital Engineering, Applied Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning. This new school is designed to be a premier hub for research and innovation, with a strong focus on industry integration to promote the real-world application of AI technologies. According to the institution’s director, Suman Chakraborty, this initiative represents a significant shift in institutionalizing applied AI. The ultimate goal is to position IIT Kharagpur as a leading global center for developing responsible and sovereign AI for key sectors like healthcare and manufacturing. ...

AI & Machine Learning: Google’s Nano Banana 2 and Anthropic’s Policy Shift Today’s top stories in AI and Machine Learning include Google DeepMind’s launch of Nano Banana 2, a new image generation model; a significant shift in AI safety policy at Anthropic; and a growing market trend towards the adoption of AI agents, with major implications for the tech industry. Sources: The Motley Fool South Korea Greenlights Autonomous Driving Tech Export to UAE Autonomous A2Z has received the first-ever approval for the export of national core autonomous driving technology from South Korea to the United Arab Emirates. This development is a follow-up to a future industry cooperation agreement signed between the two nations. A2G, a joint venture between Autonomous A2Z and the UAE’s AI and space tech company Space42, will now deploy its Level 4 autonomous vehicle, “ROii,” in the UAE. The partnership aims to expand autonomous vehicle production and AI mobility businesses throughout the Middle East. ...

Biotech’s ‘Builder’ Phase: AI Integration Drives R&D Transformation The biotech industry is shifting from standalone artificial intelligence tools to developing fully integrated, AI-native discovery systems. According to the 2026 Biotech AI Report from Benchling, this new “builder” phase sees organizations reshaping their data infrastructure and company structures to make AI a core component of their research and development models. A common trend is to embed AI leadership directly within R&D to ensure technology remains connected to the experimental context. However, the report highlights that poor data quality and availability are the top reasons for the failure of AI pilot projects. These infrastructure issues are creating a significant bottleneck for AI adoption in more complex areas like generative design and biomarker analysis. ...

Telefónica and Nokia Pioneer New AI-Agent API Monetization Models Telefónica is exploring how agentic AI can shift revenue models for network APIs away from traditional per-call pricing. In a collaboration with Nokia, Telefónica has been testing AI software agents to support network API use as part of the GSMA Open Gateway initiative. A key application, showcased with Mavenir, is a ‘No-Show Prediction’ agent designed to forecast attendance and trigger interventions, reducing missed appointments in sectors like healthcare and retail. According to Telefónica’s Alex Harmand, other monetizable use cases include identity orchestration, context-aware risk scoring for payments, and network quality optimization for enterprise clients. ...