Volkswagen and Uber have announced a strategic partnership to deploy a fleet of all-electric, fully autonomous ID. Buzz AD vehicles across multiple U.S. markets over the next decade, commencing in Los Angeles. Testing of the ID. Buzz AD is slated to begin in late 2025, with the aim of offering rides on the Uber platform by 2026. During the initial testing and launch phases, the ID. Buzz AD vehicles will be equipped with human operators to ensure safety and refine the technology. Regulatory approvals will be secured before each phase proceeds.

MOIA, an autonomous mobility brand of Volkswagen AG, will contribute its integrated autonomous driving solution, including the ID. Buzz AD and a software-based system, for deployment on the Uber platform. Christian Senger, CEO of Volkswagen Autonomous Mobility, emphasized that the collaboration with Uber accelerates Volkswagen's vision of shaping the future of mobility, combining high-volume manufacturing expertise with cutting-edge technology and a deep understanding of urban mobility needs.

Kjell Gruner, President and CEO of Volkswagen Group of America, highlighted the partnership with Uber as the next step in realizing Volkswagen's vision of transformational mobility, introducing the all-electric ID. Buzz to a growing number of riders. Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, noted the collaboration as a significant milestone in advancing autonomous mobility, underscoring the shared dedication of Volkswagen and Uber to building the future of transportation, with the launch in Los Angeles anticipated late next year.

Uber's mission is to create opportunity through movement. Starting in 2010, Uber aimed to solve the problem of accessing rides at the touch of a button. Now, with over 52 billion trips completed, Uber is developing products to bring people closer to their desired destinations, transforming the movement of people, food, and things through cities and opening up the world to new possibilities.

MOIA unlocks the potential of autonomous driving with a scalable solution for driverless mobility, empowering mobility platforms and operators worldwide to seamlessly deploy autonomous mobility services. MOIA’s integrated solution brings together an OEM-grade, autonomous-ready vehicle, a comprehensive self-driving system with driver-as-a-service functionality, and a proprietary Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) ecosystem tailored for autonomous operations, including intelligent fleet control, operational software, and end-to-end service management.

In related news, Adobe is integrating AI image-generation models from OpenAI and Google into its Firefly app, extending its availability to mobile devices. This allows users to experiment with diverse AI models, including Google Imagen 3 and OpenAI's ChatGPT, alongside Adobe's own Firefly. While Firefly ensures commercial safety, these integrations cater to users seeking broader creative options. Adobe's users will be able to generate content with third-party models in Firefly and pull it over into the company's other apps such as Photoshop with a few taps or clicks.