Seeking Alpha’s roundup of statements, announcements, and remarks that could impact the technology sector.
- California is threatening to suspend sales of Tesla (TSLA) vehicles for 30 days, asserting that Tesla’s use of the word “autopilot” for its driver-assisted technology is misleading to consumers.
The state’s department of motor vehicles said it will delay the suspension for 60 days to allow Tesla to “take action regarding its use of the term ‘autopilot.'”
“Tesla can take simple steps to pause this decision and permanently resolve this issue—steps autonomous vehicle companies and other automakers have been able to achieve in California’s nation-leading and supportive innovation marketplace,” California DMV Director Steve Gordon said in a statement.
In a post on X, Tesla criticized the DMV’s move.
“This was a ‘consumer protection’ order about the use of the term ‘Autopilot’ in a case where not one single customer came forward to say there’s a problem. Sales in California will continue uninterrupted,” the company posted on X.
- The Academy Awards will be broadcast on Alphabet’s (GOOG) (GOOGL) YouTube starting in 2029, with Google also helping to digitalize the Academy’s film archive.
“The Academy is an international organization, and this partnership will allow us to expand access to the work of the Academy to the largest worldwide audience possible—which will be beneficial for our Academy members and the film community,” said Academy CEO Bill Kramer and Academy President Lynette Howell Taylor in a joint statement.
“This collaboration will leverage YouTube’s vast reach and infuse the Oscars and other Academy programming with innovative opportunities for engagement while honoring our legacy,” they added.
YouTube’s contract with the Academy will run from 2029 to 2033. The awards show has been broadcast by Disney’s (DIS) ABC for nearly 50 years. ABC’s contract for the show ends in 2028.
- Coursera (COUR) said it has agreed to merge with fellow edtech Udemy (UDMY) through an all-stock deal that values the combined company at around $2.5 billion.
“We’re at a pivotal moment in which AI is rapidly redefining the skills required for every job across every industry,” said Coursera CEO Greg Hart in a statement.
“By combining the highly complementary strengths of Coursera and Udemy, we will be in an even stronger position to address the global talent transformation opportunity, unlock a faster pace of innovation, and deliver valuable experiences and outcomes for our learners and customers,” Hart added.
The deal is expected to close in the latter half of 2026, pending shareholder and regulatory approval. After the closing, Coursera stockholders are expected to own around 59% of the combined company, with Udemy stockholders owning 41%, the companies said.