Waymo Robotaxis In NYC, IRS EV Credit Deadline, Melania’s AI Push, Datacenter Water Wars, Google’s Gemini Energy Use

Tech Gumbo

News and Updates:

• Waymo begins robotaxi testing in New York City, deploying up to eight vehicles in Manhattan and Brooklyn with safety drivers until Sept. 2025. While Alphabet hails it as a milestone, critics like former mayor Bill de Blasio and union leaders slam the move as unsafe and job-killing. DOT insists safety rules will keep pedestrians protected. Waymo is eyeing Dallas, DC, and Miami for 2026 after logging 10M+ rides nationwide.
• IRS offers EV buyers last-minute relief ahead of the Sept. 30 sunset of the $7,500 federal tax credit under Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill. Buyers only need a signed contract and payment in place by the deadline—delivery can come later. Newly eligible models for 2025 include Tesla Cybertruck, Kia EV6/EV9, Hyundai Ioniq 5/9, and Cadillac Vistiq. Losers include Rivian, Nissan Leaf, VW ID.4, and Chevy Bolt.
• Melania Trump is rebranded the “First Lady of Technology” by the NY Post, launching the Presidential AI Challenge for K-12 students. Inspired by her own use of a deepfake to narrate her audiobook, she says AI can “ignite innovation” in schools. The contest offers up to $10,000 prizes and national recognition in June 2026. Critics point to risks of kids bonding with AI chatbots—72% of teens already use them, some with disturbing outcomes.
• Data centers face growing backlash over water use. A Lawrence Berkeley Lab report warns U.S. facilities consumed 17B gallons of cooling water in 2023, projected to double or quadruple by 2028. Google and Meta disclosed that ~95% of their water use comes from data centers. Communities in the Great Lakes, Texas, and abroad are raising alarms as companies eye water-stressed regions to build AI server farms.
• Google shares first-ever environmental footprint of Gemini AI prompts. A single text query uses the energy of watching TV for 9 seconds, five drops of water, and emits 0.03g of CO₂—33x more efficient than last year thanks to software and renewable energy. However, the report excludes image/video generation and AI training. DOE projects U.S. data centers could eat up to 12% of electricity by 2028.
• Bloomberg warns AI is draining water in drought zones. Roughly two-thirds of new U.S. data centers since 2022 are in high water-stress areas, including Texas and Arizona. A 100MW facility consumes 2M liters daily—equal to 6,500 households. Microsoft and OpenAI are experimenting with closed-loop and immersion cooling, but most of the industry still relies on water-intensive evaporative cooling. Protests have erupted in Chile, the Netherlands, and Uruguay over water use.