Waymo tests Toronto robotaxis as AI tools race across sectors

Waymo pushes robotaxis into Toronto

Waymo announced that it will start testing its self‑driving vehicles on Toronto streets.^1234567 The move places the first large‑scale U.S. autonomous fleet on Canadian roads and forces regulators to confront cross‑border safety data.¹³⁶⁷⁸

Waymo’s fleet has logged millions of miles in Phoenix and San Francisco.¹ Extending operations to Toronto requires a data‑sharing agreement with Transport Canada and a local licensing process that has stalled similar pilots in the past.¹⁸ The company says the pilot will run for several months, gathering performance metrics under Canadian traffic laws.¹³⁴⁵⁶

Vercel’s Jev model hits adoption record

Vercel reported that its Jev model has become the fastest‑adopted AI model on the company’s AI gateway. The gateway aggregates model endpoints behind a single API, a design Vercel likens to services such as OpenRouter.

Developers can call Jev through the gateway without managing infrastructure. Vercel’s internal telemetry shows a steep uptake in the weeks after the model’s release, suggesting that ready‑to‑use language models still attract significant traffic despite the proliferation of open‑source alternatives.

Veritas chips aim at the superfake market

Veritas announced an expansion of its anti‑counterfeit chip to cover jewelry, trophies and fragrance bottles. Counterfeiters have been producing “superfakes” that replicate brand marks with high fidelity, prompting brands to seek hardware verification.

The chip embeds a cryptographic signature that can be read by a handheld scanner. Early adopters include a luxury watch maker and a perfume house that plan to embed the tag in limited‑edition releases. Industry observers note that the chip adds cost and requires supply‑chain changes, factors that could limit rapid diffusion.

Cal AI’s $30 million run and MyFitnessPal acquisition

Cal AI generated more than $30 million in revenue over two years and was acquired by MyFitnessPal in March. The acquisition price was not disclosed.

The startup’s growth stemmed from a coordinated push by a small network of influencers who promoted its health‑focused AI tools. MyFitnessPal plans to integrate Cal AI’s recommendation engine into its nutrition tracking platform, a move that could deepen personalization but also raises questions about data sharing across the two services.

Advisory claim entangles former White House press secretary

Katie Zacharia appeared on a public advisory list for an AI‑driven rare‑earth mining startup linked to Kristi Noem. Both the startup and Zacharia have publicly denied that she ever worked with the company.

The startup claims it will use AI to identify ore deposits more efficiently, a proposition that has attracted scrutiny from environmental groups. The controversy highlights how political figures can become entangled in emerging AI ventures, even when the relationships are unclear.

What to watch

Waymo’s Toronto pilot will reveal how quickly the company can meet Canadian safety benchmarks; regulators are expected to release a compliance report by early next year. Vercel will likely publish detailed usage stats for Jev, offering a data point on model demand trends. Veritas’s chip rollout will be measured by adoption rates among luxury brands during the holiday season. MyFitnessPal’s integration of Cal AI’s engine should surface in user‑experience updates slated for Q2. Finally, any formal statement from the rare‑earth startup or Zacharia could trigger a broader investigation into AI‑enabled mining claims.