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    "headline": "Tesla Cybercab Launch Marks Fork in Road for Autonomy Future",
    "dek": "Tesla launches the Cybercab robotaxi in Austin, betting on AI-driven autonomy over traditional manufacturing.",
    "prose": "Tesla is launching the Cybercab, a small gold two-seater sedan with no steering wheel or pedals, in Austin, Texas. [^1]\n\nTesla held a quiet debut event for its driverless Cybercab in Austin, Texas, without CEO Elon Musk present or a livestream. [^2]\n\nTesla previously admitted that millions of its existing cars will need hardware retrofits to become fully autonomous. [^3]\n\nThe Cybercab emerged from an effort to develop a next-generation EV platform that costs half as much as previous models. [^4]\n\nThe Cybercab uses cameras and AI to navigate the world, representing a shift from driver-assistance to full autonomy. [^5]\n\nA spokesperson for the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration told WIRED that Tesla has not filed an exemption request for the Cybercab. [^6]\n\nFederal safety rules require that vehicles come with steering wheels, brake pedals, and the systems that power those human driver-centric systems. [^7]\n\nInvitees, many of them online Tesla influencers, were reportedly barred from posting about the event until hours after it started. [^8]",
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