Waymo Faces NY Expansion Delay as AI Summit Highlights Rivalries
New York Governor Kathy Hochul withdrew her proposal enabling robotaxi services in smaller cities, delaying Waymo’s expansion beyond its six-city footprint. At India’s AI summit, Google CEO Sundar Pichai shared the stage with AI rivals Sam Altman and Dario Amodei, whose handshake avoidance underscored deepening competition in AI leadership.
1. Robotaxi Expansion Proposal Withdrawn
New York Governor Kathy Hochul rescinded her plan to authorize commercial robotaxi operations in smaller cities outside New York City after stakeholders indicated insufficient support. Waymo, which holds the state’s first autonomous vehicle testing permit and currently operates paid driverless rides in six U.S. markets including the Bay Area, Los Angeles and Phoenix, said it will engage legislators to revive the initiative.
2. AI Summit Highlights Industry Rivalries
At India’s AI Impact Summit, Prime Minister Modi invited 13 global AI leaders onstage, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Anthropic’s Dario Amodei. Altman and Amodei briefly avoided a handshake, raising their fists instead, in a moment reflecting intensifying competition between major AI developers that could influence Alphabet’s AI strategy.