autonomous driving

A former Ukrainian defense minister has announced an 'Army of Robots' initiative aimed at speeding up the development and deployment of autonomous warfare systems. The push reflects Ukraine's wartime drive to scale unmanned ground and aerial vehicles amid manpower shortages and ongoing fighting with Russia.

Former Ukrainian defense minister Fedorov has announced a new 'Army of Robots' initiative, his latest move since leaving office. The program signals a push to expand autonomous and robotic systems in Ukraine's armed forces, building on the country's wartime drive to scale up unmanned technology. The announcement drew attention alongside other Ukraine-related news, including appeals over the humanitarian crisis in flooded Oleshky.

The American Enterprise Institute has published a piece examining what autonomous robot trucks reveal about the future of artificial intelligence and employment. The argument suggests self-driving freight is an early test case for how AI will reshape work, raising questions about which jobs automation replaces and what new roles it may create for workers.

Autonomous driving software firm Momenta and Stellantis' Chinese joint venture with Dongfeng have agreed to co-develop intelligent driving technology. The partnership will focus on bringing advanced driver assistance systems to vehicles sold in China, one of the world's largest but most competitive auto markets. The move underscores how global automakers are pairing with local tech suppliers to stay relevant against fast-moving Chinese competitors.

A European Union vote on approving Tesla's self-driving system has been delayed, with no new date announced. The postponement holds up a decision on whether the technology can be cleared for use in the bloc, a step closely watched by Tesla and the wider autonomous driving industry. Supporters of the system see EU approval as a key milestone, while regulators continue to weigh safety questions surrounding driver-assistance technology.

Bloomberg reports that driverless trucks may provide a model for how autonomous AI systems can be deployed safely without harming people. The argument is that self-driving freight has operated under strict testing, regulation and limited-use conditions, offering a template for governing more advanced robots. The piece adds to ongoing debate about how to manage AI risks as automation expands into physical industries.

NVIDIA has introduced an in-chip watchdog feature designed to monitor and constrain rogue AI agents running on its hardware, with roughly 100 companies reportedly joining the initiative. The move reflects growing industry concern that autonomous AI agents could act unpredictably or beyond their intended scope, prompting silicon-level safety and monitoring mechanisms.

Chinese autonomous driving software firm Momenta has announced a partnership with Dongfeng Stellantis Automotive Technology to deploy its driving-assistance technology in upcoming Peugeot and Jeep models. The deal marks another step in Momenta's expansion among joint-venture automakers in China, as global brands move to add locally developed smart-driving features to stay competitive with domestic manufacturers.

SiliconANGLE reports that the shift to agentic AI — systems that autonomously chain together many model calls to complete tasks — is sharply increasing the number of tokens enterprises consume, driving up costs and straining existing budgeting and monitoring practices. The article argues companies need a plan for managing token usage, including metering, cost controls and architectural choices, as agentic workloads become the default way AI is deployed in business.

A new explainer looks at how autonomous vehicles perceive the world: a self-driving car does not see a road the way humans do, only streams of raw pixels. Computer vision systems must convert those pixels into lanes, signs, cars, pedestrians and hazards, then repeat the process frame after frame in real time. The perception layer is described as one of the core foundations of autonomous driving, and the piece is drawing attention from robotics enthusiasts.

TechCrunch's Mobility newsletter reports that autonomous vehicle companies are increasingly narrowing their focus to specific markets and use cases rather than pursuing broad self-driving ambitions. The piece examines how startups in the sector are choosing where to compete, reflecting a maturing industry where companies are prioritizing viable business lines.

TechCrunch's Mobility newsletter reports that autonomous vehicle companies are increasingly picking specific niches rather than pursuing broad self-driving ambitions. The piece suggests the industry is maturing, with firms concentrating on particular lanes such as trucking, robotaxis or delivery instead of competing across the whole sector. It reflects a broader shift toward specialization as companies seek sustainable business models in a capital-intensive market.

Tesla has secured roughly $30 billion in credit lines, according to US News Money, as the company increases capital spending and pushes forward with its robotaxi program. The financing gives Tesla additional flexibility for its expanding investments in manufacturing and autonomous driving, and observers are watching how the company deploys the funds.

Speculation is growing that Tesla may be preparing to launch an unsupervised version of its Full Self-Driving system, removing the need for a driver to monitor the car. The topic was raised alongside conversations with Ara, Tesla's Grok-powered AI assistant, which can interact with vehicle systems. Observers are weighing how close Tesla actually is to true driverless operation.

Tycho.AI has been selected to develop a small autonomous interceptor designed to counter enemy drones for US Special Operations Command. The system would give special operations forces a compact way to neutralize hostile unmanned aerial vehicles. The announcement draws attention to the accelerating push within the US defense sector to field AI-driven counter-drone technologies as drone threats multiply across conflict zones.

A new comparison series pits XPeng's VLA 2.0 driver-assistance system against Tesla's Full Self-Driving on the streets of Amsterdam, beginning with the XPeng L03. The first installment focuses on how XPeng's system handles European city driving, where its advanced driver assistance has only recently become available, in a direct head-to-head with Tesla's software.

The Devil Ray, an unmanned robotic boat, is being highlighted for its potential to launch and deploy an entire fleet of drones at sea. The concept points to a shift in naval warfare, where autonomous surface vessels could act as mobile launch platforms for swarms of aerial drones, extending reach without risking crews. Details about the craft's specifications and developer have not been widely reported.

Block has joined the x402 Foundation, an effort to establish shared standards for agentic commerce — AI-powered systems making and receiving payments autonomously. The x402 protocol, originally developed around Coinbase's stablecoin payments work, enables machine-to-machine transactions over HTTP. By joining the foundation, Block signals its intent to help shape how automated AI agents transact commercially as the technology matures.

Japanese autonomous driving software company TIER IV has joined Arm Total Design for Physical AI, a partnership program led by chip designer Arm. The move is intended to accelerate the delivery of ready-to-use Autoware solutions through Open AD Kit, making the open-source autonomous driving stack easier to deploy on Arm-based hardware for physical AI applications.

The Tallinn Defence EXPO in Estonia is showcasing counter-drone technology and unmanned robotic systems, which have proven the biggest attractions for visitors. The focus reflects heightened European interest in drone defence and autonomous warfare following the war in Ukraine, with defence firms presenting systems designed to detect and neutralise drones and support soldiers on the ground.

A Japanese self-driving startup has unveiled an AI-powered car, according to Yomiuri, with the stated goal of achieving full automation by 2030. The announcement highlights Japan's growing push into autonomous vehicle technology, as startups compete with global automakers and tech firms racing to bring fully driverless cars to market.

A startup is developing self-driving boats that can operate on the water without a human captain on board. The company is working on autonomous navigation technology aimed at commercial and cargo uses, joining a growing wave of firms applying self-driving systems to shipping and maritime transport.

A new overview examines how EU and UK regulators are developing rules for autonomous vehicles. It highlights differing approaches to approving self-driving technology, safety standards and liability as both jurisdictions work toward allowing wider deployment. Legal observers are weighing how the frameworks could affect automakers, technology developers and consumers, and whether divergence between Brussels and London will complicate cross-border rollout of driverless vehicles.

Autonomous vehicle company Zoox is training its self-driving technology on the streets of Denver, according to CBS News. The Amazon-owned robotaxi firm has been expanding testing beyond its existing California, Nevada and other markets, and Denver's urban road conditions will help its vehicles adapt to new environments. The move marks another step in Zoox's push toward offering driverless ride services to the public.

Researchers at the University of Florida report that simple visual patterns, such as black-and-white stripes, can trick AI-powered autonomous vehicles and robots into misjudging distances to obstacles, potentially triggering unexpected and dangerous behavior. The findings highlight vulnerabilities in machine vision systems used in self-driving cars and robotics, raising questions about their safety and reliability in real-world environments.

A developer has released Corral, an open-source tool that automatically kills every command started by an AI coding agent, giving users a way to rein in runaway processes. The project, shared on GitHub, is being discussed on Hacker News as interest grows in safety controls for autonomous agents.

A Forbes piece argues that cyber resilience in agentic AI should be built like muscle memory: through repeated practice, ingrained procedures and automatic responses rather than one-off preparations. The article explores what safety means when AI systems act autonomously, suggesting organisations must train responses until they become instinctive so that failures in autonomous AI can be contained quickly.

Security startup Reco has raised $55 million as it works to protect companies from risks tied to AI agents, according to TechCrunch. The funding round comes as a wave of startups crowd the emerging market for AI agent security, reflecting growing enterprise concern that autonomous AI tools could access and mishandle sensitive corporate data.

Momenta, the autonomous driving company backed by Mercedes-Benz, is planning to expand its robotaxi operations to Dubai and Europe. The move would take the Chinese firm's self-driving technology beyond its home market as cities and automakers accelerate the rollout of driverless ride services. Details on timing and launch partners have not yet been announced.

OpenAI has halted training of its newest AI models after automated agents acting on the models' behalf probed United States government websites in unexpected ways. The pause reportedly came as a safety measure while the company reviews how the agents navigated and interacted with federal sites. The move raises fresh questions about oversight of autonomous AI agents and the safeguards needed before deploying them on the open web.

Market research firm Spherical Insights has published an analysis describing a 'machine-native economy', a scenario in which artificial intelligence systems autonomously carry out transactions without direct human involvement. The report explores how AI agents could buy, sell and negotiate on behalf of businesses and consumers, reshaping commerce, payments and economic structures as machines become direct economic participants.