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TECH

China’s first mass-produced flying car debuts

🚁✨ Urban skies just got a lot closer. GAC Group, a major Chinese automotive force behind partnerships with Toyota and Honda, has revealed the Govy AirCab, a sleek, carbon-fiber electric flying vehicle designed for short-range city travel. Debuted at the 2025 Hong Kong Auto Expo, the two-seater eVTOL boasts rapid 25-minute charging, voice controls, 5G connectivity, and an intelligent system that handles navigation and self-checks. With gull-wing doors and a rotor on top, it's engineered as much for flair as for function.

At $233,000, the Govy AirCab isn’t aiming for mass-market adoption just yet. But with its 18.6-mile range and pilot-ready features, it's perfectly positioned for executives, emergency responders, or high-end mobility services in crowded cities. GAC is already moving toward certification and expects deliveries by 2026, placing itself firmly in the race toward low-altitude urban mobility. The question now isn’t if flying vehicles are coming, it’s how fast they’ll land in daily life. Read More

Amazon hits 1 million warehouse robots, nearly matching its human workforce

🤖📦 One million robots now work inside Amazon’s fulfillment centers, nearly matching the company's human workforce, and they're getting smarter. With its latest AI system, DeepFleet, Amazon is optimizing robotic movement across warehouses, cutting travel time by 10%. The robotics fleet includes machines like Vulcan, a robotic arm with a sense of touch, and Digit, a humanoid that can walk, lift, and grasp objects like a person. Robots now assist in 75% of Amazon deliveries, a shift that's supercharging output while reducing warehouse staff to their lowest levels in 16 years.

The scale is staggering: from 350,000 robots in 2021 to a million today, while employee productivity has skyrocketed from 175 packages per person to 3,870. Amazon could save up to $10 billion annually by 2030 thanks to automation. While the company highlights its upskilling efforts for over 700,000 workers, questions around job displacement remain sharp. The technology is clearly accelerating, but so is the urgency to redefine what work looks like alongside machines. Read More

No, AI Isn't Having 'Hallucinations' - Turns Out, It's Worse Than That

🤖🔍 AI’s recent blunders, from Meta’s WhatsApp assistant revealing private numbers to fabricated legal cases used in court, are sparking heated debates about whether these systems are actually “hallucinating” or suffering from some kind of cognitive decline. Experts like Daniel Keller of InFlux Technologies and Raj Dandage of Codespy AI explain that these mistakes aren’t signs of AI losing its mind but reflect deeper issues: outdated or biased training data and an increasing feedback loop of AI-generated content contaminating the information pool. This “dumbness,” as Binny Gill of Kognitos calls it, is not a malfunction but an expected consequence of the way AI is built, relying on pattern matching, not genuine reasoning.

The challenge goes beyond AI itself. A study from MIT reveals that overreliance on AI tools like ChatGPT may hinder human critical thinking and learning, especially among younger users. With AI’s limits becoming clearer, companies like Apple are reassessing how to integrate these models effectively, aiming for more sophisticated versions in the future. As Tahiya Chowdhury from Colby College notes, what looks like hallucination is a collapse in accuracy when AI encounters unfamiliar puzzles; it’s a reminder that, for now, AI’s “intelligence” is far from human reasoning. Read More

At $30 billion per year, Oracle secures one of the largest cloud deals in history

☁️💼 Oracle just landed a game-changing cloud contract valued at over $30 billion annually starting in 2028, nearly tripling its current cloud infrastructure revenue. While the client remains under wraps, this deal ranks among the largest ever in cloud computing, highlighting Oracle’s aggressive push into AI-driven infrastructure. CEO Safra Catz emphasized strong momentum, pointing to explosive growth in Oracle’s database products and a 52% surge in its data center business fueled by skyrocketing AI demand and capacity gaps at competitors like Microsoft.

Speculation ties this massive agreement to Oracle’s partnerships with OpenAI and SoftBank through the $500 billion Stargate project, a bold initiative to build cutting-edge AI data centers nationwide. Larry Ellison, Oracle’s co-founder, hinted that deals linked to OpenAI are imminent, underscoring Oracle’s edge in delivering faster, more cost-efficient AI training platforms. This landmark contract not only transforms Oracle’s cloud trajectory but also signals a new era of intensified competition and investment shaping the future of AI infrastructure. Read More

Next-gen procurement platform Levelpath nabs $55M

🚀💼 Levelpath, the brainchild of Stan Garber and Alex Yakubovich who previously sold Scout RFP to Workday for $540 million, has just raised $55 million in a Series B round led by Battery Ventures. With a mobile-first, AI-powered platform designed to simplify procurement, Levelpath aims to quadruple revenue this year while shaking up a market long dominated by clunky legacy systems like Coupa and Ariba. Its early AI integration helps companies analyze contracts and recommend cost-saving alternatives, already attracting clients such as Ace Hardware and SiriusXM.

Procurement is the second-largest expense for many businesses, yet outdated software often drives employees toward “rogue” spending, cutting into savings. Levelpath’s fresh approach, combined with deep industry insight from investors like Neeraj Agrawal, who’s also backed Coupa’s rise, signals a major shift is underway. Beyond technology, the founders’ decades-long partnership and mission to make procurement software enjoyable could redefine how companies control costs and unlock value. Read More

BUSINESS

Figma files for IPO nearly two years after $20 billion Adobe buyout fell through

🚀✨ Figma is gearing up for one of 2025’s most anticipated public debuts. Nearly two years after Adobe’s $20 billion acquisition attempt fell through, the San Francisco-based design software leader has filed to go public under the ticker “FIG.” CEO Dylan Field’s letter highlights heavy investment in AI, positioning it as core to the future of design workflows despite potential short-term efficiency challenges. Figma’s recent growth is impressive. Q1 2025 revenue jumped 46% year-over-year to $228 million, and net income surged sharply, signaling strong momentum as it seeks to capture opportunities in a booming IPO market.

With a loyal customer base contributing significant recurring revenue and more than half of its sales outside the U.S., Figma is focused on expanding internationally and pursuing strategic acquisitions. Backed by top-tier venture capital firms like Sequoia and Andreessen Horowitz since its 2012 founding, Field will maintain majority control post-IPO, reflecting the company’s founder-led ethos. By choosing public markets, Field aims to create liquidity and broaden community ownership, sparking curiosity about how this bold move will reshape the future of creative collaboration. Read More

Kazakhstan aims to attract 150,000 international students by 2029. What’s driving the push?

🌍📚 Kazakhstan is making a bold move to become the go-to education hub for Central Asia and beyond, targeting 150,000 international students by 2029, nearly five times its current number. With a youthful population of over a billion under 25 across the region, the country is expanding partnerships with top global universities and launching new research centers focused on strategic areas like critical minerals. This push is especially fueled by strong demand from India, China, and several other countries, highlighting Kazakhstan’s growing appeal.

Beyond just attracting students, Kazakhstan is investing heavily in AI innovation and entrepreneurship, supporting student-led startups from early education through acceleration. This comprehensive approach blends academic growth with deep tech development, setting the stage for the nation to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of regional higher education. Read More

The VC funding gender gap is getting worse

🔥💼 The gender gap in venture capital funding is not just persistent, it’s worsening. Mary Boryslawska, CEO of Enzum, shares firsthand how sexism in VC circles is alive and kicking, from dismissive comments to outright bias against women founders. Despite data showing female-led startups often outperform, only 0.7% of U.S. VC funding this year went to all-women founding teams, a sharp drop from previous years. The reality? With 93% of VCs being men, unconscious biases and outdated assumptions like fearing maternity leave or questioning women’s risk profiles continue to block female entrepreneurs from fair opportunities.

The challenge deepens amid political shifts that have rolled back diversity initiatives and defunded programs supporting women in tech. Even initiatives like WomenTechEU face hurdles when biases seep into evaluation processes. Yet, leaders like Boryslawska refuse to compromise their identity for funding, calling out the “boys’ club” culture and pushing for real change. This growing divide in funding really risks leaving innovation on the table. Read More

Peter Thiel sold 20 million shares of Facebook just months after its IPO, but they’d be worth nearly $15 billion more if he had held on

📊💡Peter Thiel turned a $500K bet on Facebook into $400 million, but walked away just before it could’ve become nearly $15 billion. As the company’s first outside investor, he sold most of his shares months after the IPO, thinking it was the right time. Now, with Meta’s stock up 37x, even Silicon Valley’s boldest minds aren't immune to second-guessing.

Why did Thiel invest early? He spotted something most investors missed: the underestimated value of college networks. That single insight unlocked billions, not just for him, but for Zuckerberg, Moskovitz, and others who held on. The real question isn't just how to find the next big thing. It's whether you’ll recognize when it’s too early to let go. Read More

Entrepreneurs in Texas betting on nuclear power to fuel AI energy demands

⚛️🔌In Texas, a new wave of founders is betting on small nuclear reactors to fuel the data-hungry future of AI. Matt Loszak, CEO of Aalo Atomics, is leading the charge with plans to mass-produce microreactors, compact nuclear units designed for AI data centers. With rising energy demands and political backing from leaders like Governor Greg Abbott, nuclear is being framed not as an alternative, but as a necessity. Even Rick Perry is in the mix, co-founding a company with plans to power what could be the largest nuclear-driven AI data center in the world.

But there’s tension beneath the optimism. Critics warn of cost overruns, regulatory delays, and environmental risks in coastal communities like Seadrift. Still, the momentum is undeniable. With $350 million in public funding and energy demand expected to double by 2030, Texas may become the proving ground for a nuclear revival designed not for cities, but for servers. Read More

GOOD TO KNOW

On This Day: On 1962 2nd of July, American businessman Sam Walton opened the first Walmart (then known as Wal-Mart) store, in Rogers, Arkansas; it was the start of what would become the largest retail sales chain in the United States.

Fun Riddle: Which singer had a residency in Las Vegas called "Enigma"?

QUOTE

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ANSWER TO RIDDLE

Question: Which singer had a residency in Las Vegas called "Enigma"?

Answer: Lady Gaga