You’ll never be lost again if Google has anything to say about it

Seek and you shall find. In today’s top story, Aisha writes about Google unleashing a slew of new features for Google Maps. Of course they are AI-powered. And it appears the search giant doesn’t want you to be bored, or be without a charge for your car, or not know where you’re going for too long. Get the scoop.

Meanwhile, Rita reports on XPeng, often called the Chinese challenger to Tesla, becoming even closer to a competitor after removing high-definition mapping from its XNGP-assisted driving feature. Find out the driver of that decision.

And in the pursuit of being an influencer, Lauren reports that 1337, pronounced “Leet,” is tapping into generative AI to create a community of AI-driven influencers. Here’s how.

More top reads

All hail the driverless car: Cruise may be having a tough time, but Waymo has its foot firmly on the gas as its driverless vehicles are now available through Uber, starting first in Phoenix. Here’s how to get one.

No unraveling here: Threads has a “good chance” of reaching 1 billion users in a few years, according to Mark Zuckerberg. How does he know? He took a poll. Oh, and now Meta says users and businesses have 600 million chats on its platforms every day.

Extending the runway: AgentSync raises $50 million more in a massive Series B extension. Find out how this insurtech shook up its business. (TC+)

This will get a charge out of you: Inlyte Energy reels in $8 million in a seed round to revive a 50-year-old battery technology. Read more. (TC+)

The glue holding social media together: Despite usage declines, X remains “stickier” than first thought. Here’s where X is succeeding.

Contracts need love too: GGV Capital U.S. backs Arteria AI’s digital makeover for financial document creation. Finally, all that unstructured data will have a home.

There’s always a catch: African VCs and startups are eyeing the Middle East for new capital. However, there might be some requirements.

How to make that next decision: Now with $3.8 million in new funding, Outset is using GPT-4 to make user surveys better. Research that.

Scooting into the future: Temasek and SBI pour $384 million into India’s Ola Electric. Read more.

Amazon is your new doctor: The delivery giant’s virtual health clinic can now treat patients for a cough, cold or flu. Here’s how.

Even more for your Thursday:

Memory chip maker SK Hynix, a shareholder of Kioxia, opposes a merger with Western Digital

There could be a simple reason why seed deals are so expensive today (TC+)

Spam is about to get even more terrible (TC+)

EU lawmakers agree on key detection limits in controversial CSAM-scanning file

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