✈️ Flying taxis

The world's first factory-made air taxis are ready for real-world testing

June 29, 2023

IN THIS ISSUE ✈️ Flying taxis just took a big step toward becoming a reality 🏢 OpenAI plans to set up shop in the heart of the U.K. 🕹️ Microsoft is making its final plea to save the Activision deal

UP FIRST Flying taxis just took a big step toward becoming a reality A factory-made eVTOL aircraft just won FAA approval for testing California-based Joby Aviation – one of the more promising startups in the electric vertical-takeoff-and-landing (eVTOL) sector – has received permission from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to begin flight tests of its latest air taxi.   It's a big deal as Joby claims the craft is "the first eVTOL built on a production line" – a breakthrough that the company thinks will make it possible to launch a commercial drone taxi service by as early as 2025.   Among the plans for the Toyota-backed company is a service delivering emissions-free travel for Delta Air Lines customers traveling between cities and airports.   Joby's piloted aircraft has four passenger seats and can reach speeds up to 200 mph (322 kph).   Joby is one of a growing number of companies developing eVTOL aircraft for the urban mobility market, and while regulatory hurdles and challenges remain, this week's green light from the FAA suggests that steady progress toward viable commercial services is being made. Read more

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE OpenAI is setting up shop in the U.K. The company's second headquarters will soon be in London ChatGPT creator OpenAI is set to open an office in London, marking its first move outside of the U.S.   San Francisco-headquartered OpenAI said its first international location will broaden the scope of its work, expose it to diverse perspectives, and accelerate its mission of ensuring that artificial general intelligence (AGI) -- a more advanced version of AI where a machine can learn and think like a human -- can benefit society.   The expansion is an opportunity to "attract world-class talent and drive innovation in AGI development and policy," according to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman.   Besides an abundance of local talent fostered by acclaimed universities and U.K.-based AI startups, OpenAI may also have been attracted by an expectation that the U.K. will go easy on the regulation of the fast-developing technology, highlighted by the government's recent promise of a "pro-innovation approach."   The company has yet to say when it plans to open the office, and how many people it will employ. However, four roles for the new location have already been advertised, among them a security engineer and a head of U.K. policy. Read more

BIG TECH Microsoft is bending over backward trying to convince the FTC to approve its $69B Activision Blizzard acquisition CEO Satya Nadella made some big promises during his FTC hearing Microsoft's $69-billion battle to acquire Activision Blizzard in the face of regulators' objections continued on Wednesday, with the computer giant's CEO appearing in federal court to voice his support for open platforms and consumer choice, the New York Times reported.   "If it was up to me, I would love to get rid of the entire 'exclusives on consoles,'" Nadella testified, facing down claims by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that the acquisition would impact competition and harm consumers as popular Activision titles like Call of Duty might be restricted to Microsoft's Xbox console.   Activision Blizzard CEO Bobby Kotick, who was also at the hearing, said: "You would have a revolt if you were to remove the game from one platform. It would cause reputational damage to the company."   The CEOs' comments came on the fourth day of a hearing in U.S. District Court in San Francisco. The FTC is seeking a preliminary injunction that would prevent the two companies from closing the deal before the agency has an opportunity to argue its case.   But Microsoft fears that any delay could derail the acquisition bid and so wants the judge to reject the FTC's action. Read more

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