Uber Bets Big on Robotaxis with Massive Deal Involving Lucid and Nuro

Uber is making a bold move into the robotaxi space by investing hundreds of millions in Lucid and Nuro, planning to launch 20,000+ autonomous SUVs starting in 2026. Lucid’s luxury Gravity SUV will be fitted with Nuro’s Level 4 self-driving tech, available exclusively through the Uber app. Honestly, this is a huge gamble, especially when both Lucid and Nuro have faced financial trouble lately. Still, Uber’s aggressive bet shows it’s serious about leading the autonomous ride market. If they pull this off, it could finally push robotaxis out of test mode and into reality — something the industry has long overpromised.

Credit: The Verge

Scale AI Lays Off 200 Staff, Shifts Focus After Meta Deal Shakeup

The data-labeling startup just laid off 200 employees and dropped 500 global contractors, about a month after Meta hired its CEO in a $14.3 billion deal. According to a memo, interim CEO Jason Droege admitted the company scaled too fast in its original data-labeling business. Now, Scale plans to refocus on enterprise and government sales. The timing’s tough — with major clients pulling back after Meta’s investment, Scale seems to be paying the price of rapid growth. Like other AI firms that peaked too soon, it’s now scrambling for a second act.

Credit: Bloomberg