As a company with a global presence to the tune of at least a billion people, Google is taking both its immense tech capabilities and social responsibility role very seriously. Namely, it has pledged to provide tangible support to organizations wanting to help address societal challenges using artificial intelligence through its just announced “AI Impact Challenge”. Whether an idea needs coaching, grant funding from a pool of $25 million available, or credit and consulting from cloud services, Google will be there to help.
Towards this effort, the company has already provided an educational guide to machine learning, the primary tool it wants organizations to utilize in its problem-solving. It might seem counterintuitive for a proposer to need training on the very thing it’s proposing, but this is part of the point of Google’s support. To quote Google’s project page directly, “We want people from as many backgrounds as possible to surface problems that AI can help solve, and to be empowered to create solutions themselves…We don’t expect applicants to be AI experts.” Submissions are open until January 22, 2019, and winners will be announced in spring 2019.
Need inspiration for an idea? Or, perhaps, some examples of the kinds of problems that artificial intelligence can help solve? Google’s page dedicated to its “AI for social good” mission has featured projects that are already working towards societally beneficial goals. Here’s a breakdown of some of them:
- The “Smart Wildfire Sensor” is a device that identifies and predicts areas in a forest that are susceptible to wildfires. To do this, it uses data from tools measuring wind speed, wind direction, humidity, and temperature combined with Google’s open source machine learning tool TensorFlow for photographic analysis of biomass (accumulated fallen branches and trees).
- Protecting whales from preventable accidents such as entanglement in fishing gear and collisions with vessels is a challenge being addressed using whale songs and machine learning to locate where they’re singing from. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) uses underwater audio recordings to identify and mitigate the presence of dangers in the estimated areas where whales are present. The thousands of hours of recordings accumulated presented a data challenge well suited to Google’s existing sound classification AI to help meet NOAA’s needs with conservation efforts.
- As a top cause of infant mortality in the world, birth asphyxia is a serious threat needing all the tools available to new parents. Using machine learning trained to recognize the cries of a newborn with this condition, the company Ubenwa has developed a mobile app enabling a recording of a baby’s cry to be uploaded and diagnosed.
“With great power comes great responsibility” is a familiar motto that applies to the state of modern tech just as much as superheroes. For example, the fast-paced field of artificial intelligence brings frequent developments that challenge our security as a society, thus needing caution. However, the massive companies driving the primary innovations being used among the public on a grand scale are one of the larger demonstrations of this where this motto really applies in today’s world.
Google sharply felt the weight of its responsibility recently when its role in assisting the US Department of Defense to analyze drone footage (Project Maven) was revealed. The “Don’t be evil” part of the company’s Code of Conduct at the time appeared to be violated through the military assistance, and renewal of the contract has since been canceled. Google’s further work on its Chinese search engine with censorship in accordance with the communist government’s requirements has also drawn protest from both inside and outside the company. Given this background, a new project focused on doing “good” things for the benefit of society might be seen as possible damage control. The timing might be suspect, but it’s worth noting that, as seen in the projects described above, Google has been working to help with societal needs for quite some time already.
Overall, headlines in recent years have demonstrated just how flexible AI can be when it comes to solving challenges that face our world. While the fears brought on by future “intelligent” computers may have a foundation in reality, it may do us a great amount of good to turn our focus on the hope such technology can also bring. Whatever Google’s motivation is for launching its “AI for social good project”, if good is achieved, it may just be a win for us all.
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Tesla preps to build its most massive Supercharger yet: 400+ V4 stalls
The project will be an expansion of the current Eddie World Supercharger in Yermo, California, and will take place in several stages.
Tesla is preparing to build its most massive Supercharger yet, as it recently submitted plans for an over 400-stall Supercharging station in California, which would dwarf its massive 168-stall location in Lost Hills, California.
The project will be an expansion of the current Eddie World Supercharger in Yermo, California, and will take place in several stages.
The expansion, adjacent to the existing Eddie World Supercharger, which is currently comprised of 22 older V2 and V3 stalls limited to 150 kW, unfolds across six phases.
Construction on Phase 1 begins later this year with 72 V4 stalls. Subsequent stages will progressively add hundreds more, culminating in over 400 next-generation chargers. Site plans label expansive parking arrays across Phases 1–5 along Calico Boulevard, with Phase 6 design still to be determined.
Tesla is planning an absolutely massive Supercharger expansion in Yermo, California!!
Over the course of 6 phases, Tesla is set to add over 400 V4 stalls in a commercial development known as Eddie World 2.
The first phase, which should begin construction sometime this year,… pic.twitter.com/ks5Y5dE8lR
— MarcoRP (@MarcoRPi1) March 6, 2026
The project was first flagged by MarcoRP, a notable Tesla Supercharger watcher.
Strategically located midway on I-15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas, the station targets heavy EV traffic on this high-demand corridor.
The surrounding 20-mile stretch already hosts over 200 high-power stalls (including 40 at 250 kW, 120 at 325 kW, and more), plus 96 in nearby Baker—yet bottlenecks persist during peak travel.
In scale, it eclipses all existing Tesla Superchargers. The current record holder, the solar- and Megapack-powered “Project Oasis” in Lost Hills, California, offers 164 stalls. Barstow’s former leader had 120. Eddie World 2 will be more than double that size, cementing Tesla’s dominance in ultra-high-capacity charging.
Tesla finishes its biggest Supercharger ever with 168 stalls
Development blends charging with convenience. Architectural drawings show integrated retail: a 10,100 square foot Cracker Barrel, a 4,300 square foot McDonald’s, a 3,800 square foot convenience store, additional restaurants, drive-thrus, outdoor dining, and lease space.
EV-centric features include pull-through bays for Cybertrucks and trailers, ensuring accessibility for larger vehicles and future Semi trucks.
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Tesla makes latest move to remove Model S and Model X from its lineup
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
Tesla has made its latest move that indicates the Model S and Model X are being removed from the company’s lineup, an action that was confirmed by the company earlier this quarter, that the two flagship vehicles would no longer be produced.
Tesla has ultimately started phasing out the Model S and Model X in several ways, as it recently indicated it had sold out of a paint color for the two vehicles.
Now, the company is making even more moves that show its plans for the two vehicles are being eliminated slowly but surely.
Tesla’s latest decisive step toward phasing out its flagship sedan and SUV was quietly removing the Model S and Model X from its U.S. referral program earlier this week.
The change eliminates the $1,000 referral discount previously available to new buyers of these vehicles. Existing Tesla owners purchasing a new Model S or Model X will now only receive a halved loyalty discount of $500, down from $1,000.
The updates extend beyond the two flagship vehicles. New Cybertruck buyers using a referral code on Premium AWD or Cyberbeast configurations will no longer get $1,000 off. Instead, both referrer and buyer receive three months of Full Self-Driving (Supervised).
The loyalty discount for Cybertruck purchases, excluding the new Dual Motor AWD trim level, has also been cut to $500.
NEWS: Tesla has removed the Model S and Model X from the referral program.
New owners also no longer get a $1,000 referral discount on a new Cybertruck Premium AWD or Cyberbeast. Instead, you now get 3 months of FSD (Supervised).
Additionally, Tesla has reduced the loyalty… pic.twitter.com/IgIY8Hi2WJ
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) March 6, 2026
These adjustments apply only in the United States, and reflect Tesla’s broader strategy to optimize margins while boosting adoption of its autonomous driving software.
The timing is no coincidence. Tesla confirmed earlier this year that Model S and Model X production will end in the second quarter of 2026, roughly June, as the company reallocates factory capacity toward its Optimus humanoid robot and next-generation vehicles.
With annual sales of the low-volume flagships already declining (just 53,900 units in 2025), incentives are no longer needed to drive demand. Production is winding down, and Tesla expects strong remaining interest without subsidies.
Industry observers see this as the clearest sign yet of an “end-of-life” phase for the vehicles that once defined Tesla’s luxury segment. Community reactions on X range from nostalgia, “Rest in power S and X”, to frustration among long-time owners who feel perks are eroding just as the models approach discontinuation.
Some buyers are rushing orders to lock in final discounts before they vanish entirely.
Doug DeMuro names Tesla Model S the Most Important Car of the last 30 years
For Tesla, the move prioritizes efficiency: fewer discounts on outgoing models, a stronger push for FSD subscriptions, and a focus on high-margin Cybertruck trims amid surging orders.
Loyalists still have a narrow window to purchase a refreshed Plaid or Long Range model with remaining incentives, but the message is clear: Tesla’s lineup is evolving, and the era of the original flagships is drawing to a close.
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Tesla Australia confirms six-seat Model Y L launch in 2026
Compared with the standard five-seat Model Y, the Model Y L features a longer body and extended wheelbase to accommodate an additional row of seating.
Tesla has confirmed that the larger six-seat Model Y L will launch in Australia and New Zealand in 2026.
The confirmation was shared by techAU through a media release from Tesla Australia and New Zealand.
The Model Y L expands the Model Y lineup by offering additional seating capacity for customers seeking a larger electric SUV. Compared with the standard five-seat Model Y, the Model Y L features a longer body and extended wheelbase to accommodate an additional row of seating.
The Model Y L is already being produced at Tesla’s Gigafactory Shanghai for the Chinese market, though the vehicle will be manufactured in right-hand-drive configuration for markets such as Australia and New Zealand.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand confirmed the vehicle will feature seating for six passengers.
“As shown in pictures from its launch in China, Model Y L will have a new seating configuration providing room for 6 occupants,” Tesla Australia and New Zealand said in comments shared with techAU.
Instead of a traditional seven-seat arrangement, the Model Y L uses a 2-2-2 layout. The middle row features two individual seats, allowing easier access to the third row while providing additional space for passengers.
Tesla Australia and New Zealand also confirmed that the Model Y L will be covered by the company’s updated warranty structure beginning in 2026.
“As with all new Tesla Vehicles from the start of 2026, the Model Y L will come with a 5-year unlimited km vehicle warranty and 8 years for the battery,” the company said.
The updated policy increases Tesla’s vehicle warranty from the previous four-year or 80,000-kilometer coverage.
Battery and drive unit warranties remain unchanged depending on the variant. Rear-wheel-drive models carry an eight-year or 160,000-kilometer warranty, while Long Range and Performance variants are covered for eight years or 192,000 kilometers.
Tesla has not yet announced official pricing or range figures for the Model Y L in Australia.
Tesla preps to build its most massive Supercharger yet: 400+ V4 stalls
Tesla makes latest move to remove Model S and Model X from its lineup
