US opens probe into Tesla 'Full Self-Driving' system after crash reports in low visibility and a pedestrian death

TechCrunch Cruise gets $1.5 million penalty for keeping pedestrian crash details from safety regulator General Motors' self-driving subsidiary Cruise must pay a $1.5 million penalty to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, after its initial reports to the safety regulator about last year's pedestrian crash omitted that the company's robotaxi dragged the woman 20 feet. The penalty is part of a consent order announced by the regulator on Monday. The order, which the company and NHTSA mutually agreed to, will also require Cruise to submit a "corrective action plan" outlining the changes it has made to better comply with the regulator.

The surprising way OpenAI could get out of its pact with Microsoft The New York Times on Thursday published a look at the "fraying" relationship between OpenAI and its investor, partner, and, increasingly, rival, Microsoft, reporting their five-year romance has cooled owing to financial pressure on OpenAI, the limited computing power Microsoft is providing OpenAI, and disagreements between the two about ground rules. Most fascinating perhaps is a reported clause in OpenAI's contract with Microsoft that cuts off Microsoft's access to OpenAI's tech if the latter develops so-called artificial general intelligence (AGI), meaning an AI system capable of rivaling human thinking. TC has asked OpenAI for comment, but the Times - which talked with 19 people familiar with the companies' relationship - says the clause aims to ensure Microsoft can never misuse the technology.

Beyond the hype: Why Tesla's robotaxi future faces regulatory roadblocks Kirsten is still out doing Kirsten things, so I (Rebecca Bellan) will continue to pass along all the tech mobility news that's fit to print. It's been a week since Tesla's flashy robotaxi reveal, and everyone seems to have differing opinions on what Elon Musk showcased and, crucially, what he left out. Obviously the big deal was the robotaxi or Cybercab (not sure what Tesla is calling it these days).

Automattic offered employees another chance to quit — this time with nine months' severance Days after 159 people accepted Automattic CEO Matt Mullenweg's offer of a six-month severance package to employees who wanted to leave, the company floated a new offer late on October 16 of a nine-month severance package to anybody who quit immediately. In a Slack message seen by TechCrunch, Mullenweg posted that people who accepted the offer would lose access not only to Automattic but also to WordPress.org. Apart from being Automattic CEO, Mullenweg also owns and controls WordPress.org's open source site.

Yahoo Sports Tony Bennett, longtime Virginia men's basketball head coach, unexpectedly retires before start of the season Bennett, who has been the Cavaliers' coach since 2009, led the team to an NCAA Championship in 2019 a year after Virginia lost in the first round as a No. 1 seed.

Last-minute Expo+ 2-for-1 passes available for TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 To ensure no one misses this highly anticipated event, we're offering Expo+ 2-for-1 passes for the final days leading up to Disrupt 2024. Bring a friend, colleague, or family member to Moscone West in San Francisco from October 28-30. Full access to the bustling Expo Hall: Connect with 10,000 attendees, explore startups' innovations, and watch pitches on the Pitch Showcase Stage.

Hackers are extorting Globe Life with stolen customer data Insurance giant Globe Life, which provides life and health insurance policies to millions of Americans, says it is being extorted by a hacker that has stolen customers' sensitive data. In a regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Thursday, the Texas-based conglomerate said it has "recently received communications" from an unknown threat actor who is seeking to extort money from the company in exchange for not disclosing data stolen from its systems. The compromised data, which Globe Life has traced back to its American Income Life Insurance Company subsidiary (AIL), includes personally identifiable information, such as customer names, postal addresses, and phone numbers.

Eclipse opens an NYC office with plans to bolster its presence on the East Coast After nearly a decade, industrials-focused VC Eclipse expanded out of Silicon Valley. The firm opened its second office in New York's Soho neighborhood, with plans to invest more on the East Coast. Since the firm's founding in 2015, it has been exclusively located in Silicon Valley — until now.