| 1 | | Neuralink, Elon Musk's brain-computer interface (BCI) company, has received FDA approval to launch its "first-in-human clinical study." The neurotech startup is developing the Link brain implant, which could allow patients with severe paralysis and other neurological conditions to control external devices and communicate using their thoughts. More: - For example, patients with degenerative diseases like ALS could regain communication abilities through mind-controlled cursor movements and typing.
- The effort requires invasive brain surgery to implant the Link, a BCI device connected to thin threads that detect neural signals.
- Neuralink is also working on an ocular implant to restore human vision and implants for the spinal cord that could restore full-body movement in people with a severed spinal cord.
Zoom out: - While Neuralink is not yet recruiting patients for the clinical trial, the FDA approval raises the question of who would agree to participate.
- Following accusations that it mistreated animal test subjects, Neuralink is under investigation for violating the Animal Welfare Act. It has also been accused of unsafely transporting contaminated devices.
- Musk has said he intends to get an implant himself.
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| 2 | | What happened: Rivals Ford and Tesla have joined forces to allow Ford electric vehicle owners to use Tesla's North American Supercharger network starting in early 2024. Owners of Ford EVs, including Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, will gain access to more than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers in the U.S. and Canada. Details: While current Ford EV owners need an adapter for Superchargers, future Ford EVs will have Tesla's charging plug, making it one of the first carmakers to tie into Tesla's network. The collaboration, announced Thursday, could boost the adoption of electric vehicles by providing more convenient charging options. The bigger picture: In February, the White House said Tesla would open up some of its Superchargers to other electric vehicles as part of federal plans to create a national network of 500,000 electric car chargers by 2030. Tesla is required to make the chargers available to the "broadest number of people" so it can qualify for federal funding. What it means: The partnership marks a crucial step in Ford's efforts to catch up to Tesla. Tesla dominates the EV market, with a 57% share of new battery electric vehicle registrations in January, followed by Chevrolet with 8.5% and Ford with 7.7%. 
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| 3 | | Korean giants Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution unveiled plans to build a $4.3B electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in the U.S. With an annual production capacity of 30 gigawatt-hours (GWh), the plant will be capable of supplying enough batteries to power 300,000 EVs every year. More: - The plant, a 50% joint venture, will be located in Savannah, Georgia, alongside Hyundai's existing all-electric vehicle factory.
- Construction is set to begin in the second half of 2023, with production starting sometime in 2025.
- In 2022, Hyundai announced a $5.5B investment to manufacture electric vehicles and batteries in Ellabell, near Savannah, with production also starting in 2025.
Zoom out: - The announcements contribute to a surge in electric vehicle and battery investments in the U.S., driven by the Inflation Reduction Act.
- Under the law, EVs must be assembled in North America, and a certain share of their battery parts and minerals must come from North America or a U.S. free trade partner to qualify for the full $7,500 EV tax credit.
- Vehicles manufactured by Hyundai, as well as its Kia subsidiary, have not been eligible for the credits.
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| 4 | | YouTube is shutting down its Snapchat-like feature, called "YouTube Stories," as it shifts its focus to Shorts, live videos, and Community Posts. YouTube will discontinue its version of Stories, a feature for creators to share temporary posts, on June 26. More: - YouTube Stories was introduced as "Reels" in 2017 and restricted to creators with 10,000+ subscribers.
- Creators were allowed to share time-limited updates and behind-the-scenes content to promote their channels
- However, Stories failed to gain momentum, despite the success of similar offerings on Snapchat and Instagram.
- YouTube is now urging creators to shift their content to Shorts and Community Posts, its text-based updates feature that offers time expiration and different content formats such as polls, quizzes, images, and videos.
Zoom out: - Twitter, LinkedIn, Netflix, and Spotify have also moved away from their versions of the Stories format.
- YouTube has replicated and then discontinued features from rival platforms, such as YouTube Gaming (similar to Twitch) in 2019 and YouTube Originals (similar to Netflix) in 2022.
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| 5 | | Nothing, the consumer tech startup led by Oppo co-founder Carl Pei, is launching its second-generation smartphone in the U.S. in July. Pei confirmed the details to Forbes, saying the Apple-dominated U.S. market is a good opportunity for Nothing as there is a lack of iPhone alternatives. More: - Pei said the Phone 2 will be a more premium version than its Phone 1, which launched last year.
- The latest generation will be powered by a Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1, with a larger 4,700mAh battery, and sold in Europe as well as the U.S.
- Its predecessor, a rival to Apple's iPhone SE, has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 778G Plus, along with a 6.55-inch OLED display and 120Hz adaptive refresh rate.
- Nothing released its first product, wireless earbuds, in 2021. About one-third of the earbud sales are from the U.S.
- The company has decided that the U.S. will be its No 1 priority market, Pei has said.
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| 6 | | Scientists from MIT and McMaster University used a machine learning model to help discover a new antibiotic capable of fighting a dangerous hospital superbug. The bacterium, called Acinetobacter baumanni, is designated as a critical threat by the World Health Organization, posing significant risks to human health. Key points: - A. baumannii has natural resistance abilities and can transfer genetic material, contributing to the development of drug-resistant bacteria.
- It primarily affects hospitals and is responsible for numerous drug-resistant infections, endangering vulnerable patients.
- In the study, researchers employed an AI model to analyze chemical compounds that could inhibit the growth of A. baumannii.
- Within a short span of two hours, the algorithm screened thousands of potential drug compounds and identified promising candidates.
- Through testing, one antibiotic proved highly effective against A. baumannii while sparing other bacterial species.
- If further developed for patient use, this antibiotic holds great potential in combating the bacterium, the researchers said.
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- YouTube says it will allow NFL Sunday Ticket subscribers to watch unlimited simultaneous streams of games at home. Previously, it had limited streams to two per subscriber.
- TikTok is now testing a chatbot named "Tako" with select users in the Philippines.
- Twitch is hiking the price of its monthly subscription plan that eliminates most ads. Twitch Turbo will now cost $11.99 a month, up from $8.99, in the U.S.
- Google has opened up access to Search Labs, giving early testers the chance to try out its new AI-enabled Search Generative Experience. Search Labs is Google's space for testing experimental search features.
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 | AI and technology writer | | Beth is a writer and editor at Inside.com covering artificial intelligence and daily technology news. She has written the Inside AI newsletter since 2019. You can reach her at Beth.Duckett@inside.com. | | This newsletter was edited by Eduardo Garcia | |
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