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The Boring Company paves the way for Tesla robotaxi future

The Boring Company breakthrough boosts Tesla’s robotaxi dream. Autonomous Cybercabs may soon zip through tunnels, solving gridlock for good.

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(Credit: The Boring Company

Earlier this week, The Boring Company (TBC) announced that it has continuously mined in a Zero-People-in-Tunnel (ZPIT) configuration. A Tesla executive responded to TBC’s latest milestone and explained how Elon Musk’s tunneling company will create Tesla’s robotaxi future.

The Boring Company shared videos of its ZPIT configuration and explained why this is a huge milestone.

“In the same way that full rapit reusability is the holy grail for rockets, ZPIT continuous mining is the holy grail for Boring Machines. This is the safest, fastest, and least expensive architecture to build tunnels,” TBC clarified.

Tesla vehicles with human drivers are currently used in The Boring Company’s Las Vegas tunnels to transport people. The Tesla Cybercab would significantly impact the functionality of TBC’s tunnels. Tesla’s VP of AI Software, Ashok Elluswamy, explained how The Boring Company would help create Tesla’s vision for robotaxis.

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“Will need this big time in the future,” Elluswamy said, referring to The Boring Company’s announcement about reaching ZPIT configuration.

“With autonomous vehicles, we’ll have affordable premium transport for everyone. This will likely increase traffic due to the increased usage, even though each vehicle is much more efficiently utilized,” he elaborated.

The Boring Company’s main missions are to solve traffic and provide rapid point-to-point transport. Elon Musk believes the solution to traffic is 3D road designs, which include tunnels that act like a wormhole or warp tunnel.

TBC’s Las Vegas Convention Center tunnel network showcases Musk’s idea of 3D road designs and how fast it can transport people. The Vegas Loop in Las Vegas is also expanding and will support The Boring Company’s mission.

The Boring Company is close to beating Gary the Snail’s tunneling speed with its Prufrock boring machine–another big milestone. According to TBC, the latest iteration of Prufrock can start tunneling within 48 hours of arriving at a site and dig over 1 mile per week. Prufrock’s next goal is to beat 1/10th of a human walking speed or 7 miles per day.

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Tesla is preparing to launch robotaxi services in Texas this summer. As Elon Musk’s electric vehicle company ramps up robotaxi services, his tunneling company will ensure the roads are clear of mind-numbing traffic.

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Elon Musk

Neuralink is planning to launch US trials translating thoughts into text

The trial could help pave the way for people with speech impairments to communicate more quickly and efficiently.

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Credit: Neuralink

Neuralink, Elon Musk’s brain-computer interface company, is reportedly planning to start a US clinical trial in October to use its technology to translate thoughts directly into text. 

The trial was approved by the FDA under an investigational device exemption, and it could help pave the way for people with speech impairments to communicate more quickly and efficiently.

Thought-to-text technology

The upcoming trial aims to read speech directly from the brain, enabling participants to transmit words without moving their mouths or using a keyboard, as noted in a report from Bloomberg News.

DJ Seo, Neuralink’s president, told an audience at the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies in Seoul that the company hopes to demonstrate communication with large language model AI platforms “at the speed of thought,” potentially faster than spoken speech.

“We think that it’s actually possible to demonstrate abilities to speak to the latest AI model, or LLM models, at the speed of thought, even faster than how you’re speaking, and being able to potentially get that information back through your AirPods, effectively closing the loop,” Seo stated.

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Production ambitions

Ultimately, Seo described the trial as a stepping stone toward broader human enhancement and consumer-facing applications, beyond the company’s initial focus on medical conditions like ALS, stroke, blindness, and Parkinson’s disease.

While initial implants will focus on patients with severe speech impairments, Neuralink plans to eventually expand to healthy individuals by 2030. The company aims to scale to 20,000 implants per year by 2031.

“We’re currently envisioning a world where, in about 3 to 4 years, there will be someone who’s otherwise healthy who’s going to get a Neuralink. If you’re imagining saying something, we would be able to pick that up,” the executive noted.

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Elon Musk and Donald Trump reconcile publicly at Charlie Kirk memorial

The reconciliation fulfilled Kirk’s longtime wish for the two men to mend relations.

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Credit: Elon Musk/X

Elon Musk and U.S. President Donald Trump interacted with each other publicly for the first time since their feud, sharing a handshake and conversation during a memorial service for slain conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

The reconciliation fulfilled Kirk’s longtime wish for the two men to mend relations, something he had openly discussed prior to his passing.

Kirk’s wishes for Musk and Trump

As noted in a CNN report, Kirk had long positioned himself as an intermediary between Musk and Trump, maintaining close ties with both figures even at the height of their falling out. He highlighted this in a conversation with commentator Megyn Kelly in June. “I know both these guys … I am hopeful, optimistic, and will do everything I possibly can to try and bring this back together,” Kirk said. 

Kirk had also spoken highly of both men. On his podcast, he described Musk’s acquisition of Twitter as “the most important purchase since the Louisiana purchase.” He also praised Trump’s MAGA movement. 

Kirk reportedly texted Musk frequently, urging him to avoid rhetoric that could harm Trump’s agenda. Musk reportedly was receptive to Kirk’s feedback, despite his announcement that he would be launching a third political party in the United States. His prediction proved accurate when Musk and Trump were sighted side-by-side during his memorial service, where they spoke briefly and shook hands.

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Signs of reconciliation

Kirk’s memorial became a symbolic turning point. Andrew Kolvet, executive producer of Kirk’s podcast, posted a photo of Musk and Trump together, noting Kirk’s hope that the two would reconcile “for Charlie.” Musk himself echoed the sentiment, sharing a similar photo with the words “For Charlie,” followed by the White House X account posting the same line later.

Musk has since engaged more positively with Trump on social media, while his America Party PAC shared images of Musk embracing Kirk’s widow, Erika. After her speech calling for forgiveness, Musk posted a passage from the Lord’s Prayer: “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.” 

Kirk had shared his wish for such an outcome in the past. “Knowing both of these men and knowing President Trump much better than Elon, but knowing both of these men, I can tell you I think that there’s going to be a peace treaty moment, a calming down, a moment where both sides come together and we know that we are stronger against the left than we are divided,” Kirk had stated over the summer.

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Tesla says it is working on rides for the handicapped and disabled with Robotaxi

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV. 

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Credit: Teslarati

Tesla says on its Robotaxi app that it is working on enabling “accessibility rides” that would give the handicapped and disabled the ability to hail a Robotaxi to get to an appointment.

While Robotaxi will obviously revolutionize the way we travel for our work commutes, daily activities, and other things, but there is true potential to enable serious change for those who cannot drive.

Autonomous transportation would make life easier for those who are unable to obtain a driver’s license. Of course, with today’s ride-sharing platforms, things are much easier than they once were.

However, rides from Uber and Lyft, while plentiful, always have an opportunity to be unavailable in some regions, especially rural ones, due to a lack of drivers.

Robotaxi aims to solve this problem through autonomous transportation, a technology that Tesla has been developing for years.

However, new language in the Robotaxi app shows that Tesla is working on a solution for people who need rides for medical reasons, and it uses a picture of the Robovan to hammer this point home:

Tesla CEO Elon Musk confirmed that this was a focus by responding, “Absolutely,” to the embedded post on X above. Tesla said it is developing its own “wheelchair-accessible vehicle,” also known as a WAV.

This is likely the Robovan, which was unveiled on October 10 at the Robotaxi event last year:

Tesla unveils the Robovan at ‘We, Robot’ event

It is pretty interesting to see two Musk ventures working on solutions for those who are physically impaired or have other disabilities. With Tesla, Robotaxi will unlock immense potential for those who are unable to drive themselves, addressing a genuine need in today’s world.

Additionally, Neuralink is continuing its development of technology to fight against various physical and mental disabilities. A great question to ask is, “Which will be more beneficial for humans?”

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