tech
May 17, 2026
TechCrunch Mobility: The AI skills arms race is coming for automotive
Welcome back to TechCrunch Mobility — your central hub for news and insights on the future of transportation.
TL;DR
- General Motors is laying off IT staff to hire employees with AI-focused backgrounds, emphasizing AI-native development, data engineering, and model training.
- Ford, GM, and Stellantis have collectively cut over 20,000 U.S. salaried jobs, partly due to technological changes including AI.
- Samsara has developed a revenue-generating AI product that detects potholes using data from truck-mounted cameras.
- Rivian's spinoff, Mind Robotics, has raised significant funding, highlighting founder RJ Scaringe's ability to attract investors.
- Several other mobility and robotics startups, including Arkeus, Aseon Labs, Rapido, and Quantum Systems, have secured substantial investments.
- Redwood Materials' new CFO, Deepak Ahuja (formerly of Tesla), raises questions about a potential IPO.
- Tesla Robotaxis have experienced crashes while under remote operator control, according to NHTSA data.
- Uber is expanding its presence in India with new engineering campuses and a data center.
- Waymo issued a software update for its fleet to help avoid flooded roads, though the issue is not fully resolved.
- TechCrunch's annual Disrupt conference will feature an 'AI in the Real World Stage' focusing on robotics and autonomous systems.