Tech

Planes without a pilot?: new tech redefines the future of flying

Published

5 years ago

May 31, 2021

Natasha Schapova

autonomous flight technology with Merlin labs

New autonomous flight startup says the sky will soon be filled with pilotless planes

Merlin Labs, the Tesla of planes

Aviation technology startup Merlin labs recently announced they’ve secured $25 million in funding for the development of their pilotless planes.

The company recently struck a deal with aviation services contractor Dynamic Aviation, with potential to expand their tech to commercial flights.

“What we’re working on is creating a truly autonomous digital pilot”
Merlin Labs CEO Matt George

As part of this deal, Merlin Labs will supply its autonomous flight technology to 55 of the contractor’s King Air aircraft. The company says it’s already conducting test flights with the first King Air plane.

Merlin Labs CEO Matt George said the company’s goal is to be able to fly planes totally unmanned. The new technology will use enable existing aircraft to “fly autonomously,” he said.

How does the technology work?

The autonomous flight technology that allows Merlin’s aircraft to fly without a pilot is pretty simple, George says.

“The reason that that autonomy up in the air is so much easier is that you have complete vision, at least in the United States, of everything that’s up in the sky, with ground based radar,” he said.

Merlin says it envisions the role of remote pilots as supervisory, monitoring dozens of aircraft in the sky at once. George says the “vast majority of tasks” will be left to autonomous software, including communication with air traffic control and navigation.

https://twitter.com/ShrugCap/status/1397608842100449283?s=20

Safety of autonomous flying

Merlin Labs “doesn’t believe in remote piloting”. If the aircraft loses signal with the remote operator, then you would have “a huge chunk of metal hurtling through the sky,” he told The Verge.

It may come as a surprise that this autonomous flight technology is not quite as new as it seems. It’s actually quite common for planes to have some level of autopilot capability.

In 2016, the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General released a damning report. It called out the FAA for failing to ensure pilots receive enough training in manual flying.

George believes that pilotless planes will increase the overall safety of flying. This comes amid ongoing safety investigations into Tesla’s autopilot feature.

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Natasha Schapova

Natasha is an Associate Producer at ticker NEWS with a Bachelor of arts from Monash University. She has previously worked at Sky News Australia and Monash University as an Online Content Producer.

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Tech

TSMC posts record profits on AI chip boom

TSMC posts record Q4 profit, driven by strong chip demand, exceeding predictions and signaling market dominance.

Published

4 days ago

January 16, 2026

Harvey Vargas

TSMC posts record Q4 profit, driven by strong chip demand, exceeding predictions and signaling market dominance.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) has posted a record net profit for the fourth quarter, driven by strong demand for advanced chips.

Net profit surged 35% year-on-year, exceeding analyst expectations and signalling a dominant position in the semiconductor market.

Quarterly revenue also rose 20.5% compared to last year, supported by robust sales in AI and high-performance computing segments. The company’s success reflects the growing global appetite for cutting-edge semiconductor technology.

Looking ahead, TSMC plans to ramp up capital expenditure, projecting investments of up to $56 billion in 2026. The positive results have sparked an upbeat reaction across global markets, highlighting TSMC’s influence in the tech sector.

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#TSMC #Semiconductors #AIChips #TechNews #HighPerformanceComputing #StockMarket #QuarterlyEarnings #TechInvesting

Tech

X restricts Grok AI as global backlash grows

X restricts Grok AI from creating sexualized images amid global backlash and regulatory concerns, aligning with UK guidelines.

Published

5 days ago

January 15, 2026

Harvey Vargas

X restricts Grok AI from creating sexualized images amid global backlash and regulatory concerns, aligning with UK guidelines.

X has announced new restrictions on its Grok AI chatbot, preventing it from generating sexualized images of women amid mounting criticism and regulatory scrutiny worldwide.

The move comes after concerns over non-consensual image manipulation sparked widespread backlash from users, advocacy groups, and authorities.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that the platform’s latest changes align with British law, as Ofcom launches a formal investigation to determine whether X has violated the Online Safety Act.

Regulators are closely monitoring the situation, highlighting growing global concerns about the ethical use of AI in image generation. Critics have argued that X’s initial measures were insufficient and did not adequately address the risks associated with sexualized AI content.

The controversy has also prompted action in Southeast Asia. Malaysia and Indonesia have blocked access to Grok entirely, citing the platform’s potential to generate inappropriate content.

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#GrokAI #XPlatform #AIRegulation #OnlineSafety #KeirStarmer #AIControversy #TechNews #DigitalEthics

Tech

AI drives memory prices higher as SK hynix and TSMC expand

Explore the rising global memory market driven by AI demand and hear insights from Brad Gastwirth on industry trends.

Published

6 days ago

January 14, 2026

Harvey Vargas

Explore the rising global memory market driven by AI demand and hear insights from Brad Gastwirth on industry trends.

The global memory market is on the rise, with prices climbing steadily thanks to booming AI infrastructure demand.

Companies like SK hynix and TSMC are investing heavily in advanced packaging and new facilities to meet this unprecedented growth.

We speak with Brad Gastwirth from Circular Technologies about the forces behind this upward momentum. From the difference between AI-driven and consumer-driven demand to the increasing memory requirements per AI system, Brad breaks down the trends shaping the industry.

We also explore the implications of lean DRAM and NAND inventories, disciplined supply growth, and the challenges of expanding packaging capacity versus wafer fabrication. Tune in to understand why incremental demand surprises can have a huge impact on memory pricing.

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#AIMemory #SKHynix #TSMC #TechInvesting #MemoryMarket #AIInfrastructure #Semiconductors #TickerNews