Latest news with #AV
NDTV
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- NDTV
Throwback Gold: Kareena Kapoor's First Interview With Refugee Director JP Dutta
New Delhi: Kareena Kapoor, who has completed a glorious 25 years in the Hindi film industry, has come a long way. From being perceived as the epitome of beauty to proving her acting mettle on OTT platforms with actors like Jaideep Ahlawat and Vijay Varma, Kareena Kapoor is and will always be a star in her own right. As she completed 25 years in the industry, an old video of her has resurfaced. What's Happening In an old video, shot during the promotions of her first film Refugee, Kareena Kapoor looks a bit nervous. But she seems to win the audience's hearts with her intrinsic charm and aura. When she was asked to share her thoughts on starting work at an early age, Kareena said, "I don't feel anything, so I am... I don't know what to say." After a pause, she shared her expectations from the film, "After seeing the AV, what did I feel? Yeah, I felt that the film is going to be a huge success, and we all are going to be appreciated because we all have put in so much effort, and that's it. The film is going to be a very, very, very big success." The interview was dug out by Reddit and it has been receiving loads of comments. A user wrote, "She was so raw and innocent at that time..." Another user wrote, "She's so pretty." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Celebs Real Talk (@dystopiacape) Another comment read, "She didn't feel anything that's why reached on the top. So stop feeling start working." Celebrating this huge milestone in her career, Kareena shared mesmerising stills from the film, and wrote, "25 years and forever to go ..." View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) Kareena Kapoor's Achievements Kareena Kapoor has acted in more than 60 Hindi films. She made her acting debut opposite Abhishek Bachchan in the 2000 drama Refugee, directed by JP Dutta. She's known for films like Ajnabee, Omkara, Jab We Met, Tashan, to name a few. She has also made her OTT debut with Sujoy Ghosh's Jaane Jaan in 2023. In A Nutshell Kareena Kapoor's throwback interview during Refugee promotions resurfaced as she completes 25 years in the industry this year.
Yahoo
10-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Analyst Explains Why Uber Technologies (UBER) Stock Can Grow More Despite 50% Year-to-Date Gains
Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is one of the . Mark Mahaney, Evercore ISI head of internet research, explained in a recent program on CNBC that Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) needs to expand in more geographies for growth via partnerships 'If you get more of these rollouts with Waymo, and you get other AV companies—there's more than just, you know, it's not just Waymo's world and it's not just Tesla's world. And by the way, of those two, Waymo is dramatically better in terms of what they've been able to show and roll out so far. But if you get Zoox in the market, and then you get a couple of Chinese players—not in the US but in parts of the Middle East, maybe in Europe—and if you get more companies like Mobileye, Mobilewave, if you get these companies out there showing that you can get multiple AV vendors, maybe not two or three but maybe four, five, or six, that's better for Uber's economics.' The analyst thinks there's still more room for Uber Technologies (NYSE:UBER) stock to grow: 'I think there's a lot more room for Uber stock. I know it's up 50% year to date, but this thing trades at like 18–19 times free cash flow. It should trade at 25 times free cash flow. They're growing their free cash flow 25% to 30%.' Hinde Group stated the following regarding Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) in its Q1 2025 investor letter: 'With operations in more than 10,000 cities across 72 countries and gross bookings expected to exceed $180 billion this year, Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is one of the largest transportation network companies in the world. Each month, Uber helps more than 170 million users meet their mobility and delivery needs by connecting them with more than 7 million independent drivers and couriers. Uber's mobility and delivery services are enabled by a highly sophisticated and efficient technology platform that automatically manages and optimizes demand prediction, matching & dispatching, routing, pricing, and personalization, among other functions. Uber has a leading category position in eight of its top ten mobility and delivery markets. While we acknowledge the potential of UBER as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an extremely cheap AI stock that is also a major beneficiary of Trump tariffs and onshoring, see our free report on the . READ NEXT: 30 Stocks That Should Double in 3 Years and 11 Hidden AI Stocks to Buy Right Now. Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey. Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
10-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Future Is Immersive: Are You Ready To Meet The Expectations?
Eric Hutto is Chief Executive Officer at Diversified. AV, AI and IT are converging and advancing, and what customers want is rapidly evolving. As an AV technology solutions provider focused on producing and enhancing client experiences, our customers don't talk much about hardware or other products anymore. Instead, they tell us about the experiences they want to deliver and the outcomes they're aiming to achieve. Demand for seamless hybrid experiences is accelerating, as today's business users expect to transition effortlessly between physical and virtual environments without friction or delay. The days of AV and building systems operating separately are over. Instead, these systems will be integrated. For example, in the future, my identity will follow me to various spaces and auto-set the temperature, pull documents for my agenda and configure the room for the platform I am using—Google Meet, Teams, Zoom, etc. I believe that by 2030, AV solution providers will be delivering intelligent, self-optimizing environments that adapt in real time to context, content and user behavior. As the focus shifts to immersive and more personalized experiences, technology will naturally move into the background. In this new world, businesses and their solution partners need to think about and do things differently. Here are a few ways people and businesses can get the best results: Solve for ease of use by automating configuration. I was ready for a call today. But someone couldn't join Teams, so we had to switch to Zoom. Even when people are in the same physical room, they often struggle to launch applications or face technology compatibility issues, which can create frustration and delay. Clearly, humans haven't completely solved the problem of making technology easy to use. But now, with AI, we can eliminate the need for people to configure technology and change settings. AI can auto-configure technology, and spatial audio can sense a room's layout and use that intelligence to balance sound. Functioning more like a staff member and not a background participant, AI can ensure that the room is optimized for the Zoom meeting or in-person event. No more messing around with dials or having to adjust sound levels, for example. Your AI agent will take care of it for you. This lets your team focus on what's important: the people in the room. These technologies are fast and easy to use and can increase productivity while reducing the need for tech specialists to keep environments running. Understand that evolving tools call for evolving teams. Just because organizations are now able to create immersive experiences doesn't mean people will know how to take advantage of and be productive inside of them. AI is here. But are we productive with AI? Or are we still just tinkering with it? Now that AI is becoming widespread, there are a lot of skill sets that businesses will need to consider. From office associates to doctors, AI and other technologies are vastly altering how people learn and work. For example, surgeons are beginning to use simulated environments to practice, over and over again, before they operate on patients, which is far less risky than human trial. As AI, AV and IT merge, it is also transforming the integrator's role to a convergence architect. This is like what happened with IT enterprise architects. IT had separate server, storage and network experts. But with the realization that what really matters is architecting solutions that allow technologies to play together to deliver outcomes, the enterprise architect was born. Today, integrators are in the same position, with gurus in particular disciplines. But we're moving to an approach that applies an understanding of all the things needed to achieve business results—from knowing how IT and AV connect, to how AI wraps around the necessary data analytics to measure metrics, to marrying technology understanding with business acumen. Study the experiences that people find engaging. Designing solutions typically starts with talking to clients about what they want. To build future-proof solutions, it can also be informative to have discussions with the next generation of workers. Considering the views and habits of young people is important since they will be our future consumers and business users. What are they looking for? What are they unhappy with? Two basic workplace problems I consistently see business leaders face are attracting and retaining talent and collaboration issues. If people have outdated technology that makes it hard for them to work wherever they are and creates a collaboration problem, they may start looking for the exits. As we work to use technology to deliver immersive experiences, we can also learn from what's already engaging people and consider how to bring it into enterprise environments. This might include analyzing what makes gaming environments like Fortnite so addictive, for example. Break down silos and innovate together. As different technologies and disciplines advance and converge, it is also becoming more crucial than ever for different technology ecosystem companies to work more closely together. Without collaboration, we may be headed in different directions and end up with components rather than solutions that deliver results. To be effective together, we've got to break down silos, let one another in on our innovations and roadmaps three to five years out and develop standards so that solution providers and their customers can move forward faster. We're already co-inventing with some of our partners, and we encourage and look forward to even more collaboration across the entire technology ecosystem. Leverage lessons for a brighter future. Social media has evolved differently than initially envisioned, presenting unexpected challenges. While social media platforms have created unprecedented global connections, they have also led to bullying and general divisiveness, misinformation and a range of mental health challenges. Let's consider this a learning experience and use it to inform how we move forward as a society. We now have the opportunity to develop more thoughtful governance for creating and leveraging technology so the experiences we deliver will help business, humanity and society. The future is bright—and it will be different, exciting and immersive. Forbes Business Development Council is an invitation-only community for sales and biz dev executives. Do I qualify?
Forbes
08-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
Democratizing Venture Capital And Building A Better World
Mike Collins, Founder & CEO, Alumni Ventures (AV) Democratizing Venture Capital And Building A Better World Venture-backed companies have created trillions in market value over the past few decades but less than 1% of U.S. households have access to venture capital investments, according to Forbes. This exclusivity has contributed to wealth inequality and limited the capital available to innovative startups. Today, however, venture capital is being democratized in ways that are opening up more private investment opportunities and making the world a better place at the same time. In terms of pure financial performance, data from Cambridge Associates shows that U.S. venture capital has delivered a 19.3% pooled return over the past 25 years compared to 9.1% for the S&P 500. It's also a market that is expected to grow over 20% in 2025 according to Wise. The biggest areas of growth? AI, healthcare innovation, green technology and the democratization of the industry. Increasingly, more people will have the opportunity to invest in startups they believe in and help to bring the truly great ideas into the mainstream. And, with new investors on board, the venture capital sector will benefit from more diverse sources of capital and new perspectives. Including those of next generation investors who are increasingly 'impact curious' and are looking for opportunities to leverage their capital for meaningful change, according to research by the Center for Sustainable Finance & Private Wealth. Alumni Ventures (AV) has become one of the most active venture capital firms in the United States and is leading the path towards democratizing access to private investing. Since 2014 the firm has raised over $1.5 billion, made investments in more than 1,600 companies, and built a network community of more than 850,000 members. The firm recently launched AV Syndicate, a new investment platform allowing accredited investors to participate in individual venture deals with a minimum investment of only $10,000. But what sets AV apart isn't just the scale of its network or the size of its portfolio. It's the firm's commitment to democratizing venture capital in a way that channels investment dollars toward startups that are building a better future. AV was founded in 2014 by serial entrepreneur and Dartmouth alumnus Mike Collins on the idea that venture capital doesn't have to be exclusive. By leveraging the power of alumni networks and new technology, AV is making high-quality venture capital opportunities accessible to individual investors at scale. 'We believe that democratizing access to alternative investments is not just good business—it's essential for a more equitable financial system and a more innovative economy,' said Collins. 'By opening venture capital to individual accredited investors, we're helping to bridge this gap and create more opportunities for wealth creation.' Recently I had the opportunity to speak with Collins about why democratizing access to venture capital will be good for the investment community and for the world. Paul Klein: You've built a very different kind of venture capital firm. How did people react when you started? Mike Collins: When I started Alumni Ventures, people asked 'Why the hell would you bother with a $50,000 check from a heart surgeon in Des Moines?' But that heart surgeon in Des Moines, along with 11,000 other people, is part of a really powerful network that's valuable to entrepreneurs, allows us to get into better investments that gives better returns, and makes it appealing for more people to join the network. Paul Klein: Why hasn't the same investment ecosystem that has built America's strength in technology, and made the U.S. economy successful, been accessible to ordinary investors? Mike Collins: With the goal of protecting people from themselves, we've made the world of investing exclusively the purview of endowments, pension funds, and super rich people. Today, however, companies are staying private longer because they can raise as much without being public and dealing with short term thinking, day traders and algorithms. This is creating more opportunities for private investors. For example, OpenAI just raised $40 billion privately. What we're doing is creating a global entrepreneurial ecosystem where venture capital is democratized. Paul Klein: What makes investing in venture capital fundamentally different from investing in the public markets? Mike Collins: If you buy S&P's ETF, it's just a number that shows up in your Schwab statement or your 401(k). When you invest $10,000 into Oura, and the company does really well, there's the pride of being really involved in helping something great. That's very different from owning Apple or Microsoft. Paul Klein: What do you see as the key ingredients that have made U.S. entrepreneurs so successful? Mike Collins: I would say the strategic strength of the United States, the reason we are in the position we are as a society, is because we have dominated technology, had an ecosystem that supported innovation and entrepreneurship, and sold our products globally. More than that, as we moved from a manufacturing economy to an information economy, many companies, including Google, and NVIDIA, were founded by first generation Americans. One of the reasons that so many great companies are founded by first generation Americans is because it's a tough job and you've got to be gritty. You don't have a lot of trust fund kids growing up in Greenwich starting companies - it's too hard. Paul Klein: Accessing capital is the first test for every entrepreneur. How does AV help people from underrepresented backgrounds who have an even tougher time starting companies? Mike Collins: Building a company is hard but great entrepreneurs are able to find ways to access capital. Usually that starts out with a small group of friends and family, or people from your industry that get you going. Then you've got to prove yourself. At some point, the really good companies want a really strong venture capital firm as a lead investor. We also have a dedicated and fully staffed Women's Fund, have invested in an Anti-Bias Fund, and have one of the most tenured and prodigious Venture Fellow Programs in the world, which is specifically designed to help under-represented populations get into VC. Paul Klein: AI has been flagged as one of the three biggest areas for growth in venture capital investing. What's your take on the risks and opportunities in this space? Mike Collins: AI has been around a couple years now and I don't see it taking over the world. I don't see massive unemployment. Our healthcare system sucks, our education system is 100 years old, and it's a good thing that change is in order. There will be problems and unintended consequences, but the answer isn't to go back to 1950. Today, an open-minded, AI-native young person who is comfortable with these tools can accomplish so much more, so much quicker, and help older people be more productive. Paul Klein: Some investors argue that venture capital is risky, especially for individuals. How does your model address that? Mike Collins: I think venture capital as an asset class is perceived as risky because most people don't really have access to the best deals. We reduce risk by creating a big network of pooled capital and offering people large portfolios where they can own a hundred ventures led by top VCs. Paul Klein: What's your view of the role that next generation investors will play in the growth of venture capital investing? Mike Collins: The next generation wants to feel that they're investing in things that they believe in and care about—not just an asset class and a number that grows. There's also the psychology of feeling like you're helping to create the future of something important to the world by investing in areas you can believe in like small nuclear reactors, energy or AI. Next Gen investors also want to be part of a community of people who want to make the world a better place. We hold events where alumni of schools look at their portfolios together and hear from entrepreneurs about the timeframe for how their companies will be impacting our lives. Paul Klein: Finally, what investments are you most proud of? Mike Collins: Doing well and doing good are not mutually exclusive. For example, eleven years ago there was a company called Groups that created a national network of drug addiction clinics. It was a good investment and that also solved a problem. Some of our other portfolio companies in energy are creating new technology that allows us to do safer, more local distributed energy production, where we don't have to dig into the ground and burn carbon. I'm very proud of the work they're doing because I want to leave the world a better place for my kids. Collins and his team at AV are contributing to a fundamental reinvention of the investment industry. One where accessible venture capital may become the first choice for people who want access to private markets and to be part of a community of investors who want healthy returns and a healthy planet. "We're here to democratize venture capital, empower individual investors, and help entrepreneurs make the world a better place,' said Collins. 'That's how we'll reinvent this industry—and why I believe the best is yet to come."
Forbes
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Forbes
Uber's VW Robotaxi Makes Space For Cyclists And Pedestrians While Waymo And Tesla Lag
MOIA robotaxi on the streets of Hamburg. I've had a preview ride in Volkswagen's driverless ID Buzz electric minivan, which, later this year, Uber will use for a robotaxi ridepooling project in Los Angeles. Christian Senger, CEO of MOIA, VW's autonomous driving subsidiary, joined me for the journey which saw the robotaxi successfully making space for cyclists and pedestrians. MOIA's production autonomous vehicle (AV) was unveiled in Hamburg, Germany, on 18 June, and VW claims it will soon be the first AV to receive regulatory certification in the EU. The ID Buzz AD, upgraded with 27 sensors, has ample room for four passengers (the non-AV version carries seven). Senger was sitting up front next to safety driver Axel Hein in a seat that will become luggage space when Uber soon takes delivery of its fleet. 'Here we see a car blocking the lane,' says Senger as we pull to a stop behind a double-parked motorist. 'Our vehicle now decides if this is part of a traffic queue and to stay put or if it's a badly parked car that should be passed. There, it has already decided to overtake, and off we go again.' VW safety driver Axel Hein at the wheel of a MOIA robotaxi in Hamburg. Hein's hands hovered over the steering wheel, but there had been no cause for him to take control: the black and bronze minivan pulled out by itself, its sensor suite deciding in short order that it was good to go. Thirteen cameras, nine LiDARs, and five radars pump five gigabytes of data per second to MOIA's onboard autonomous driving (AD) software. At a crosswalk, the MOIA-logoed vehicle slowed and stopped for pedestrians and didn't slam to a halt when a cyclist darted through on the inside. Instead, the minivan nudged over to make room. A human driver might have been surprised by the cyclist's seemingly sudden manoeuver, but the minivan's Mobileye sensor and software package anticipated the move, no robotic bird-flipping required. 'She is violating [German] traffic law,' Springer says of the darting cyclist. 'It's not allowed to ride with a bicycle over a zebra crossing—but we allow for the mistakes of others.' A console displayed the status of nearby static and moving vehicles, with stick figures representing pedestrians and cyclists oscillating between red and green depending on their proximity to us. What if a child ran out from the sidewalk between parked cars a meter or two distant, the test that a cameras-only Tesla operating Full Self-Driving (FSD) mode appeared to flunk recently? 'The child would be safe,' asserts Senger. 'Our sensors see things earlier than a human. A minivan's roof is high, and we also have sensors down very low so we can see underneath and above vehicles in front and to all sides. We have trained the system to understand what is and isn't relevant in the environment. If a cat sprang out from beneath a car, we would stop for that in good time, too.' Simulation of VW Moia robotaxis operating in Los Angeles. Uber's version of MOIA's driverless minivan will have NFC keyless entry through a dedicated smartphone app, start-stop buttons for passenger emergency use, and plain plastic flooring for any taxi-style liquid spills or worse. And forget about leaving wallets, phones, or bags on the cream leather seats—cabin cameras linked to speakers will alert alighting passengers that their belongings ought not to be left behind. The internal cameras also police behavior. AI spots any shenanigans—Senger jokes that fights would be prevented between passengers supporting rival soccer teams thanks to MOIA's pre-crime algorithms. Volkswagen's autonomous mobility division has been working on robotaxis for ten years. The name is based on 'Maya,' the Sanskrit word for magic, and was inspired by the Arthur C Clarke quote, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.' There's no crossbar on the 'A' at the end of the MOIA logo, and upside down, the 'M' and the 'A'—if you ignore the 'I' and the 'O'—spells VW. After discontinuing its troubled Cariad auto software system and pulling funding from its previous partner, Argo AI, VW signed with Intel-owned Mobileye four years ago. This partnership led to the rollout of a skunkworks version of a driverless ID Buzz for a small trial in Austin, Texas, in 2023. 'Leadership in robotaxis is about achieving the highest levels of safety with a technology package that can scale in volume, geography, and cost,' said a statement from Mobileye CEO Amnon Shashua. Christian Senger, CEO of MOIA, VW's autonomous driving subsidiary. MOIA's Level 4 self-driving system—capable of speeds up to 130 kph—is enabled by four Mobileye EyeQ6H chips working with the company's REM AV mapping technology, which allows vehicles to adapt to any roads. 'We can even go on gravel roads,' says Senger. 'We are not using GPS,' he adds. 'GPS can be disturbed, as has been shown in recent geopolitics; we are more robust without it. Nor are we dependent on Google Maps or similar—it's our own map format.' In addition to MOIA, Uber also has North American AV partnerships with Waymo and Hyundai-linked robotaxi company Motional, and in the UAE, with WeRide. In a statement from earlier this year, Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said the Los Angeles trial with MOIA was a 'significant milestone in the advancement of autonomous mobility and highlights both Volkswagen's and Uber's shared dedication to building the future of transportation.' Unlike Uber's new Route Share service, which travels on fixed, bus-style routes with set pick-up and drop-off times, the ride-hailing operation with driverless ID Buzzes in Los Angeles will be a go-anywhere shared taxi service. The MOIA/Uber app would allow a woman traveling alone late at night to book a solo journey rather than ridepool. 'If you are a 17-year-old woman on the way home from clubbing at 1 o'clock in the morning, there will be an option [in the app] to book an exclusive ride,' soothes Senger. 'But at 7.30 in the morning, there's less risk, so a woman could choose to ridepool, knowing that there are cabin cameras monitoring for safety. If needs be, a remote operator can talk to passengers to check everything is OK. It's also easy to stop the ride in an emergency; if somebody is about to be sick, say.' Senger won't divulge how many miles MOIA's driverless vehicles go without human intervention. 'We measure with time, not distance,' he says before pointing at a cyclist ahead. 'He is cycling in the middle of the lane. We won't get any closer. Anyway, we're pulling in here because we've arrived at our first destination. We wouldn't have followed the cyclist closely. We will not do any crazy maneuvers; unlike many human drivers, we follow all traffic laws. If 50 kilometers an hour is allowed, but the cyclist is only doing 15, then the vehicle will pass only if there's enough distance not to bring any danger.' Back moving, we paused at a stop light ahead of a crosswalk and a right turn, frustrating the human motorist behind. 'We have green, but there's not enough room for us before the queue of cars ahead; a human driver might encroach on the crosswalk, but we won't.' The queue soon moved; we pulled ahead; the frustrated motorist behind hadn't been unduly delayed. 'We use the data of all this good behavior to convince authorities that we're smart and always stick to traffic regulations,' says Senger. 'We're good citizens.' MOIA's sensor suite recognizes the sirens and flashing lights of first responder vehicles but, for now, disengages to let the safety driver squeeze over to let them pass. 'We could add what to do in that sort of situation with a software update,' promises Senger, adding that the scenario has been robotically role-played on a private test track in Munich. 'There,' says Senger as we arrive back at the expo halls, 'we have driven through Hamburg fully autonomously.' Hein had little to do on our uneventful 36-minute journey. We had driven smoothly, successfully, and safely to and from the UITP Summit, a transit expo staged in Hamburg's exhibition halls and where MOIA had a booth. Many members of the transit industry believe they will have fully certified autonomous vehicles on the road, without safety drivers, before automakers. Way to go If recent incidents are anything to go by, there's still much room for improvement in robotaxi tech. A San Francisco-based cyclist is suing Waymo after she was seriously injured when one of the company's robotaxis stopped in a bike lane and a passenger opened a back door, hitting the cyclist and causing her to deflect into another Waymo car that was also illegally blocking the bike path. According to the lawsuit, the Safe Exit system employed by Waymo, which aims to alert passengers of surrounding dangers and hazards, failed. The injured cyclist claims that Waymo knows its cars are 'dooring' cyclists. Earlier this month the cyclist sued Waymo and Google's parent company Alphabet in San Francisco County Superior Court alleging battery, emotional distress, and negligence, while seeking unspecified damages. Wayme claims that its robotaxis recognize cyclists as 'unique users of the road,' drive conservatively around them, and recognise common hand signals. 'As technology moves forward, we believe it is crucial for all autonomous car companies to not move forward too quickly,' said a statement from Michael Stephenson, the cyclist's attorney. 'In the interest of public safety, they must make sure they are adequately testing and refining their technology before subjecting the public to these cars,' Stephenson added. In February 2024, a cyclist was injured in San Francisco after a Waymo robotaxi failed to detect his presence and struck him. 'The cyclist was occluded by the truck and quickly followed behind it, crossing into the Waymo vehicle's path," said a company statement. 'When they became fully visible, our vehicle applied heavy braking but was not able to avoid the collision.' Elon Musk's Tesla launched a rival robotaxi service this month in Austin, Texas, but the handful of vehicles are restricted to only certain areas of the city with geofencing, and the first journeys were with invited passengers only, including Tesla fans. The trial has not been without its problems, with many examples of poor autonomous decision made by the Tesla robotaxis highlighted by the well-funded Dawn Project. This organization is bankrolled by one of Musk's fiercest—and richest—critics who is doing his dollar-propelled darnedest to prick the belief bubble protecting Musk. Software billionaire Sam O'Dowd spends huge sums on TV ads and a PR campaign to highlight what he claims are the 'flaws' in Tesla's driverless FSD car tech. O'Dowd believes Musk's claims for FSD are fraudulent, with one of his personally-fronted TV ads asking whether Musk was guilty of running a 'trillion dollar Ponzi scheme.' If this anti-FSD campaign—which pre-dates the anti-Musk Tesla Takedown movement—works even a little it could lead to Musk's financial downfall, believes O'Dowd. Musk has previously admitted he's vulnerable on this front. '[My] overwhelming focus is on solving full self-driving,' Musk said during a June 2022 interview with three Tesla fanboys. 'It's really the difference between Tesla being worth a lot of money or worth basically zero.' O'Dowd, who made his fortune selling secure software for fighter jets and nuclear bombers, isn't a Tesla hater. He owns five Roadsters and four other Tesla cars, three of which are used as test vehicles by his anti-FSD campaign hosted on the Dawn Project website. 'The Roadster's fantastic,' he tells me from his Santa Barbara, California office. 'It's what I drive every day [and have done] for 15 years.' Nor is O'Dowd down on driverless cars in general. 'It's not that [autonomous driving] is impossible. Waymo made it work. Amazon has them; BYD in China has them—true self-driving cars [exist]. Tesla's [FSD] is nowhere close to [those technologies]. Elon Musk said recently [Tesla is] the leader in autonomy by far, [yet] the thing that its product is supposed to do—which is drive without anybody sitting in the driver's seat—[FSD] can't do.'
