Four things that happened in tech worth knowing. Two lines each, link to the source.
Nvidia pays $6 billion to license Poolside without buying it
Nvidia agreed to pay $6 billion to license Model Factory, the AI model-development software built by startup Poolside, and extended job offers to 109 employees who worked on its open source model Laguna. It also invests another $1 billion in Poolside, which stays independent at a $12 billion valuation. The deal's structure, a license plus a minority stake, sidesteps the antitrust scrutiny a full acquisition would trigger.
Nevada opens Las Vegas to paid robotaxis
Nevada's transportation authority unanimously approved permits letting Tesla, Uber and Waymo run paid driverless rides across Clark County, home to Las Vegas. Tesla can deploy up to 5,000 vehicles and Waymo up to 1,000, with the total reaching as many as 7,000 cars over the next year. Local taxi drivers opposed the move over congestion concerns, and the companies now have to meet insurance, inspection and crash-reporting rules.
TSMC unveils its 1.6-nanometer A16 process
TSMC showed off its next production node, called A16, built on a 1.6-nanometer process, with mass production planned for late 2026. Compared with its current N2P node it promises 8 to 10 percent more speed, 15 to 20 percent lower power use and a similar jump in transistor density. The company raised its 2027 spending forecast to $85 billion to keep up with AI-driven capacity demand, adding pressure on Intel and Samsung.
OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens
OpenAI rolled out ChatGPT for Teens, a version built for users aged 13 to 17, with stricter filters on self-harm, suicide and romantic or sexual conversations. An age-prediction system automatically moves suspected minors into the restricted version, and anyone flagged by mistake can verify their age through the Persona identity service. The teen version also adds broader parental controls than standard ChatGPT.
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