Major shifts are happening in the tech world, raising questions about the future of AI, self-driving cars, and user trust. DeepSeek’s latest AI models have sparked debates on whether the U.S. can keep its competitive edge in artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, AI company Perplexity is facing legal trouble over its name, but what does this mean for the growing AI industry? Google is offering buyouts to some employees—why is the tech giant making these cuts now? In the world of self-driving cars, Waymo is pushing forward with testing in Los Angeles, while General Motors is stepping back by shutting down its Cruise robotaxi program to save $1 billion. At the same time, Elon Musk now admits that some Tesla cars need hardware upgrades before they can truly drive themselves. In social media, Mark Zuckerberg teases a return to Facebook’s earlier days, possibly in an attempt to win back younger users. Meta is also making changes, as its AI chatbot now uses Instagram and Facebook data to create more personalized responses. Elsewhere, Bookshop.org is stepping up to challenge Amazon by offering an alternative way to buy e-books. In a surprising move, Google is renaming the Gulf of Mexico and Denali Mountain following a past government order, raising curiosity about the reasons behind it. Apple users are also wondering how to turn off AI features in iOS 18.3, as not everyone is comfortable with automatic AI integration. Most notably, a new study reveals that teens are losing trust in major tech companies, questioning whether these platforms truly care about their privacy and well-being. With so many changes happening, one big question remains—where is the tech industry headed next?
