Texas Freezes New Funding for Flock Cameras After Spending $30 Million
1. Texas Governor Freezes New Funding for Flock Cameras After State Spent More Than $30 Million Texas Governor Greg Abbott has frozen further state spending on Flock’s AI surveillance cameras, closing the funding tap for additional purchases after mounting scrutiny of how the systems are used.
2. SpaceX Builds Gas-Turbine Blade Foundry in Texas; Musk Claims It Could Cut Deployment Times by Up to 18 Months SpaceX is building a foundry in Bastrop, Texas, to cast blades and vanes for natural-gas turbines, Elon Musk confirmed on Saturday.
3. Caterpillar Brings Mining Automation Experience to Jobsite AI and Plans $100 Million in Worker Training Over Five Years Caterpillar is taking automation lessons learned in mines into more dynamic jobsites, quarries and construction sites, while preparing its workforce for the resulting changes.
In Brief
- Medical Researchers Predict Autonomous AI Could Surpass Physicians by 2030 A JAMA article led by University of Pennsylvania oncologist and medical ethicist Ezekiel Emanuel argues that autonomous AI may outperform physicians and doctor-AI teams in five core medical tasks by 2030. The American Medical Association disputes the conclusion, citing simulated studies and evidence that patients struggle to use medical language models effectively.
- Former a16z Partner Launches AI-Driven Venture Firm Vijay Pande, who managed nearly $4 billion in life-sciences investments at Andreessen Horowitz, left to cofound VZVC with investor Zach Werner. The firm has no associates, relies heavily on AI for daily operations, and plans to make only a handful of concentrated investments each year.
- Screen-Free Fitness Bands Put AI Health Analysis in Phone Apps Garmin, Google Fitbit, Polar, Amazfit, and Whoop are selling wearable health trackers without displays, leaving users to review collected data in companion apps. Google charges $10 per month for Health Premium, which uses AI to explain Fitbit Air metrics and daily events.