450K
Google’s Waymo is now doing more than 450,000 paid autonomous rides per week, CNBC reports. That’s nearly double the 250,000 it reported doing in April, as the service expands to cities across the country and widens its lead against Tesla.
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Google’s YouTube to launch cheaper streaming packages that could potentially compete with Netflix
Google’s YouTube announced today that it will launch 10 genre-specific packages early next year that will cost less than its existing $82.99-per-month YouTube TV.
While the company didn’t specify how much these new packages will cost, they’re expected to come in well under the price of the full YouTube TV bundle. That could put its price point in line with other major streaming services like those offered by Apple, Disney, and Netflix. YouTube already commands the largest share of TV viewership in the US, and lower-priced subscription options could widen its lead even further.
That’s unwelcome news for other streamers, particularly Netflix, which has faced investor pressure since reports emerged about its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Paramount has since launched a hostile counterbid, but Netflix’s stock continues to struggle. Shares are down nearly 2% today.
While the company didn’t specify how much these new packages will cost, they’re expected to come in well under the price of the full YouTube TV bundle. That could put its price point in line with other major streaming services like those offered by Apple, Disney, and Netflix. YouTube already commands the largest share of TV viewership in the US, and lower-priced subscription options could widen its lead even further.
That’s unwelcome news for other streamers, particularly Netflix, which has faced investor pressure since reports emerged about its acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Paramount has since launched a hostile counterbid, but Netflix’s stock continues to struggle. Shares are down nearly 2% today.
Elon Musk tells Google executive that “Waymo never really had a chance against Tesla”
Not one for modesty, Tesla CEO Elon Musk responded to a post on X by Jeff Dean, chief scientist at Google DeepMind, by saying, “Waymo never really had a chance against Tesla.” He added, “This will be obvious in hindsight.”
Dean had noted that Waymo vehicles have driven riders 96 million miles autonomously without a driver, alluding to the fact that Tesla’s Robotaxi service still requires safety operators in the front seat in both its locations.
Tesla currently operates about 30 Robotaxi vehicles in Austin and 120 in the Bay Area, while Waymo had more than 2,500 across the country (at least 200 in Austin and 1,000 in the Bay Area) as of late November. Musk has said Tesla would remove safety monitors in Austin and that it would scale to 500 vehicles there and 1,000 in the Bay Area by year-end, but the clock is ticking on reaching those goals.
Waymo never really had a chance against Tesla. This will be obvious in hindsight.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2025
Tesla, of course, is more focused on the 6.7 billion miles its vehicles have driven with Full Self-Driving tech, driver assistance software that requires a driver be present and paying attention. The idea is that, with a software update, millions of Teslas could be turned into potential robotaxis.
Read more on Tesla and Waymo’s battle for driverless supremacy here.
Amazon announces major AI investment in India a day after Microsoft
Amazon said today that it plans to invest more than $35 billion in India by 2030, adding to the nearly $40 billion it has invested in the country so far. The latest investment is focused on AI-driven digitization, boosting exports, and expanding employment, the company said.
The news comes just after Microsoft revealed it would spend $17.5 billion on the subcontinent from 2026 to 2029 to accelerate the nation’s AI infrastructure.
India has become a strategic battleground for global tech firms thanks to its rapidly growing digital economy, vast developer base, and government support for AI infrastructure. Together, the back-to-back announcements underscore how aggressively both cloud giants are ramping up their global AI spending as they race to build — and profit from — the next generation of computing.
India has become a strategic battleground for global tech firms thanks to its rapidly growing digital economy, vast developer base, and government support for AI infrastructure. Together, the back-to-back announcements underscore how aggressively both cloud giants are ramping up their global AI spending as they race to build — and profit from — the next generation of computing.
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