Tesla’s Robotaxi Launch, Thinking Machine’s $10 B Leap, Mistral AI’s Deskilling Warning, Apple–Perplexity Talks, and the OpenAI–io Trademark Tangle

Tesla’s invite-only robotaxi service hit the streets of Austin on June 22 2025, but with safety monitors still riding shotgun—showing how far full autonomy has yet to go. We then cover how Thinking Machine, founded by former OpenAI tech chief Mira Murati, secured a landmark $2 billion round that values the new venture at $10 billion. Next, Mistral AI CEO Arthur Mensch explains why AI may erode critical thinking more than it eliminates jobs, urging designs that keep humans in the loop. On the Big Tech front, Apple is in early talks to buy Perplexity AI to bolster a search offering as its long-standing Google deal wobbles. Finally, we unpack OpenAI’s quiet removal of marketing for its partnership with Jony Ive’s hardware startup io after a trademark complaint—showing how legal friction can flare even among AI’s biggest players.About:  Stan Berteloot is a French journalist, marketing strategist, and AI expert based in Princeton, New Jersey. A University of Maryland journalism graduate, he navigates the intersection of storytelling, technology, and culture.  As Head of Strategy and CTO at Nytro Marketing, he pioneered AI-driven content creation, launching the AI in Marketing podcast. He also hosts Back in America, a podcast exploring American identity through in-depth conversations on race, misinformation, and AI ethics. Sources:https://www.nytromarketing.com/https://www.theverge.com/news/690846/tesla-robotaxi-first-reaction-austinhttps://www.pymnts.com/news/security-and-risk/2025/financial-crimefighters-netguardians-and-intix-merge-into-vyntra/https://www.theverge.com/news/690858/jony-ive-openai-sam-altman-ai-hardwarehttps://www.pymnts.com/artificial-intelligence-2/2025/apple-reportedly-mulling-perplexity-purchase-to-bolster-ai-offerings/