*By Rebecca Heilweil*
As Tesla stock prices spiked Wednesday upon [news] (https://cheddar.com/media/tesla-shares-pop-following-report-of-production-hike) that the electric auto manufacturer appears to be increasing production, the company's 2013 Model S was also named [Ultimate Car of the Year] (https://www.motortrend.com/news/2013-tesla-model-s-beats-chevy-toyota-cadillac-ultimate-car-of-the-year/) by MotorTrend, beating out all other models and makes that won car-of-the-year in the publication's seven decades.
The MotorTrend's editor-in-chief, Ed Loh, told Cheddar Friday that the 2013 Model S beat out cars from years past because other companies haven't managed to keep pace with the electric vehicle manufacturer.
"The average lifecycle of a car before it gets changed over is about six to eight years. 2013 was a while ago. You would expect a lot of other car manufacturers to have surpassed Tesla at this point, and they really haven't, if you look at the range and the performance," he explained. "That Model S is still the top in its category right now."
"That one really set the standard for our first 70 years," said Loh.
Other companies have ventured into the EV space. General Motors ($GM) says it plans to eventually transition to [only producing electric cars] (https://cheddar.com/media/gm-electric-vehicles-charging-infrastructure). Porsche ($POAHY), Jaguar, and BMW ($BMWYY) are among other car manufacturers that have new electrical vehicles in the work.
Just today, Ford ($F) and Volkswagen ($VWAPY) announced that they would share electric car technology -- Volkswagen's modular electrification toolkit -- as part of a [larger partnership] (https://cheddar.com/media/although-fiercely-competitive-in-the-marketplace-volkswagen-and-ford-invest-together-in-self-driving-tech) between the companies.
But Tesla ($TSLA) has stayed ahead, Loh said, because it specializes in the vehicles. He believes that competitors have yet to build a model that can compete with Tesla Model S.
"They're only going after electric cars," said Loh. "And most of the big manufacturers are still trying to do internal combustion engines, hybrids, and maybe some of these new technologies."
"Cars are incredibly capital intensive. You have to not only build them, but you have to build the factories, you have to train the workers. You have to market them. You have to create a dealer network," said Loh.
"All of this stuff takes a ton of money. And actually, comparatively speaking, the margins are quite low."
Spain's government has fined Airbnb 64 million euros or $75 million for advertising unlicensed tourist rentals. The consumer rights ministry announced the fine on Monday. The ministry stated that many listings lacked proper license numbers or included incorrect information. The move is part of Spain's ongoing efforts to regulate short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis especially in popular urban areas. The ministry ordered Airbnb in May to remove around 65,000 listings for similar violations. The government's consumer rights minister emphasized the impact on families struggling with housing. Airbnb said it plans to challenge the fine in court.
The Islamic State group and other militant organizations are experimenting with artificial intelligence as a tool to boost recruitment and refine their operations. National security experts say that just as businesses, governments and individuals have embraced AI, extremist groups also will look to harness the power of AI. That means aiming to improve their cyberattacks, breaking into sensitive networks and creating deepfakes that spread confusion and fear. Leaders in Washington have responded with calls to investigate how militant groups are using AI and seek ways to encourage tech companies to share more about how their products are being potentially misused.
President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to block states from regulating artificial intelligence. He argues that heavy regulations could stifle the industry, especially given competition from China. Trump says the U.S. needs a unified approach to AI regulation to avoid complications from state-by-state rules. The order directs the administration to draw up a list of problematic regulations for the Attorney General to challenge. States with laws could lose access to broadband funding, according to the text of the order. Some states have already passed AI laws focusing on transparency and limiting data collection.
Waymo's self-driving taxis have been in the spotlight for both negative and positive reasons. This week, the automated ride-hailing taxis went viral after a San Francisco woman gave birth inside a Waymo taxi while on her way to the hospital. A Waymo spokesperson on Wednesday confirmed the unusual delivery. It said the company's rider support team detected unusual activity inside the vehicle and alerted 911. The taxi arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services. Waymo's popularity is growing despite heightened scrutiny following an illegal U-turn and the death of a San Francisco cat. The company, owned by Alphabet, says it is proud to serve riders of all ages.
OpenAI has appointed Slack CEO Denise Dresser as its first chief of revenue. Dresser will oversee global revenue strategy and help businesses integrate AI into daily operations. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman recently emphasized improving ChatGPT, which now has over 800 million weekly users. Despite its success, OpenAI faces competition from companies like Google and concerns about profitability. The company earns money from premium ChatGPT subscriptions but hasn't ventured into advertising. Altman had recently announced delays in developing new products like AI agents and a personal assistant.
President Donald Trump says he will allow Nvidia to sell its H200 computer chip used in the development of artificial intelligence to “approved customers” in China. Trump said Monday on his social media site that he had informed China’s leader Xi Jinping and “President Xi responded positively!” There had been concerns about allowing advanced computer chips into China as it could help them to compete against the U.S. in building out AI capabilities. But there has also been a desire to develop the AI ecosystem with American companies such as chipmaker Nvidia.
