Bill Gates wants to tax robots that replace human jobs.

The co-founder of Foundation Future Industries would build armed robots ‘tomorrow’ if the U.S. military asked, he tells Josh Marcus - and that has human rights experts extremely worried

"There are few limits to the service. The teen account must be connected to a parent or guardian, but once activated, teens can hail autonomous rides anywhere in Waymo’s service area in Nashville — and bring their friends along. Waymo told TechCrunch that teen account holders can bring up to three guests ages 13 to 17…….. it may also be part of the appeal for parents who would rather their kids pile into a Waymo than in a vehicle driven by a teenager. "

Waymo's charges are variable, so it's hard to directly compare the costs of exclusively using it versus car ownership. However, for most young drivers, car ownership costs are probably north of $10k per year, perhaps nearer $15k. That means for the lighter/less frequent drivers, Waymo is probably cheaper. Plus, robotaxis are only going to get cheaper. The day will come when it will be the more economical option for almost all urban drivers.

Another plus point, especially for parents, is how much safer they are. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for people aged 15 to 24. What premium is there for avoiding the life-changing nightmare of your child dying in a traffic accident?

Once widespread robotaxis were a sci-fi hypothetical, but now it's becoming real. If robotaxis are finally becoming widespread, why learn to drive at all? It will be interesting to see if there's a falloff in the rate of driving tests among the young in Nashville.

Waymo’s latest expansion strategy: teenagers

US DoT Fatality Stats - PDF 6 pages

JPMorgan says humanoids are approaching a cost that undercuts warehouse labor. That is when a science project becomes an industrial market.

Fifty robots are now on the line at Factory Zero, months after over a thousand workers were shown the door.

The humanoid machines could handle noncombat duties like patrolling bases and moving supplies

"The Wall Street bank upgraded its forecast for China’s humanoid robot shipments for a second time this year on Tuesday, expecting 50,000 units to ship this year, nearly double its previous projection of 28,000. The bank had already doubled its initial January forecast of 14,000 units. "

Because Western media is so bad at covering Chinese science & tech, developments there seem to take many by surprise. Many Western people, ensconced in their information bubble of choice, still haven't fully grasped how China has already become the global sci-tech leader. What China has done for AI, renewables & the global-auto industry via EVs, it is about to do for robotics.

All the indications are there. China has the most robot start-ups, the vast industrial base to sustain them, and they already have the leading global robot models.

50,000 may seem like small numbers, but at this rate China will cross the 100K new humanoid robots number in 2027. By 2030 the annual new Chinese humanoids will likely be measured in millions.

Morgan Stanley doubles China humanoid robot shipment forecast as commercialization accelerates