Welcome to the TechMean right home for Monday, June 23rd, 2025. I'm Brian McCullough today.

Tesla launches its Robotaxy service in Austin. Apple is negotiating desperately to avoid an EU fine coming as soon as this week.

Also, why doesn't Apple do some aqua hires to get back in the AI game? Maybe perplexity

would be attractive? The music industry gathers tools to detect AI, and is there a global

divide growing when it comes to AI access? Here's what you miss today in the world of tech.

It's official. Tesla's Austin Robotaxi service has gotten a limited launch with around 10 Model Y

vehicles and safety drivers. Now roaming the streets of a limited section of Austin, Elon Musk says

initial users will pay a $4.20 flat fee because, of course, quoting the FT.

Despite the hype surrounding Tesla's Robotaxi, the launch, with a company employee seated

in the passenger side for safety while leaving the driver's seat empty, was low-key,

and the initial service was open only to a select group of social media influencers.

According to Musk, who has stepped back

from his U.S. government role to focus on the electric carmaker and the robotaxie, the self-driving

Tesla Model Y vehicles will only operate in limited areas, avoiding challenging intersections,

and have teleoperators who can intervene if problems arise. Musk said in a social media post this

month that the company was

being super paranoid about safety, but he has also claimed there would be a thousand robotaxies

in a few months and that the service would expand to cities such as San Francisco and Los Angeles.

On Sunday, Tesla opened a new website for the public to sign up to get updates on the robotaxies,

which can be held via an app.

It is unclear how fast Tesla will be able to expand its service and catch up with Waymo,

the only company with a fully public self-driving ride hailing service in the U.S.

...