'This is an established practice': BMW tries to justify why its Middle East social media page doesn't use a rainbow logo



German automaker BMW attempted to explain why its social media page for the Middle East did not switch its logo to the Pride Month, rainbow-themed logo that it sports on its main page.

BMW's low-effort virtue signal of using a multicolored version of its logo is present on the official BMW X page, BMW South Africa, BMW Motorrad USA, and others.

An anonymous X user asked the car company on a post about a new vehicle why it doesn't use the same rainbow logo for its Middle East page.

"How come you don't proudly display your logos pride colors on your middle east posts ???" the user asked.

To its credit, BMW responded:

"This is an established practice at the BMW Group, which also takes into consideration market-specific legal regulations and country-specific cultural aspects."

— (@)

'It is at the discretion of our sales companies and independent distributors to decide if they wish to join centrally initiated communication.'

Surprisingly, the "established practice" didn't make its way to the BMW UK page but managed to be used on the company's museum pages and even on the Japanese page.

Still, by changing its main page's logo, BMW said that this was the company making a "clear stance" about its viewpoint.

"In recognition of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we have decided to take a clear stance and change the logo of our international communication and marketing channels (on behalf of all BMW Group markets and brands) until the end of June."

In recognition of LGBTQ+ Pride Month, we have decided to take a clear stance and change the logo of our international communication and marketing channels (on behalf of all BMW Group markets and brands) until the end of June. (1/4)
— BMW (@BMW) June 1, 2024

The move was further justified by BMW claiming that the international pages could be accessed worldwide and as such send an obvious message. Of course, all the other regional pages can be viewed across the world, as well.

"The international channels can be accessed worldwide and thus show the logo change in all markets worldwide," BMW wrote.

For the pages that did not have the logo, BMW also said that independent distributors and their marketing teams are able to opt out of certain campaigns and communications initiatives.

"As is customary with such communication and marketing activities, it is at the discretion of our sales companies and independent distributors to decide if they wish to join centrally initiated communication and marketing campaigns or not."

However, as is customary with such communication and marketing activities, it is at the discretion of our sales companies and independent distributors to decide if they wish to join centrally initiated communication and marketing campaigns or not. (3/4)
— BMW (@BMW) June 1, 2024

The German company's response saw a lot of pushback from both sides of the aisle with some readers replying that they were insulted that BMW chooses to support gay pride only in some regions, while others called out the carmaker for being dishonest.

"As a lesbian, I would prefer you don't pretend to take a moral stance on my human rights that is dependent on market conditions. Just drop the flag and go sell some cars," Ani O'Brien wrote, a woman with 27,000 followers.

"So you're only a supporter of LGBTQ+ human rights if it doesn’t upset the customers in a country that hates [gay] people?" another sizable account responded.

A woman named Lucy Stone described BMW's stance as "opportunistic virtue signaling," while a man named Adam Carter wrote that he would "probably have more respect for BMW if they were just honest and said 'We see the potential to make more money with a rainbow.'"

I’d probably have more respect for BMW if they were just honest and said

“We see the potential to make more money with a rainbow”.
— Adam Carter (@adammcarter) June 2, 2024

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Androids are marching onto the production line at BMW



Restless chrome androids are set to march onto the production line at BMW.

The German automotive company recently signed a commercial agreement with the California-based robot manufacturer Figure to use its humanoid automatons in "automotive manufacturing environments."

The Figure 01 is a 5'6" android that weighs 132.2 pounds and can supposedly work for five hours before requiring a recharge. According to the company, the humanistic simulacrum can move at a speed of nearly 2.7 mph and can lift up to 44 pounds. In addition to stumbling about where humans once worked and lifting boxes, the android can apparently also open doors, use tools, and climb stairs.

— (@)

Robert Engelhorn, president and CEO of BMW Manufacturing, said in a statement, "The automotive industry, and with it the production of vehicles, is evolving rapidly. BMW Manufacturing is committed to integrating innovative technologies in our production systems to drive our future forward as an industry leader and innovator."

"The use of general purpose robot solutions has the potential to make productivity more efficient, to support the growing demands of our consumers, and to enable our team to focus on the transformation ahead of us," added Engelhorn.

Brett Adcock, CEO and founder of Figure, said, "Single-purpose robotics have saturated the commercial market for decades, but the potential of general purpose robotics is completely untapped. Figure's robots will enable companies to increase productivity, reduce costs, and create a safer and more consistent environment."

Figure's agreement with BMW reportedly allows for a staged deployment. First, the robotics company will look for "initial use cases" where its androids can be deployed. Once opportunities for automation are identified — likely areas presently occupied by inspirited human workers — Figure's androids will be trotted out, beginning with the car company's facility in Spartanburg, South Carolina.

Adcock told Axios, "I think the next 24 months you'll start seeing humanoid robots in the real world."

The relative cost of this replacement workforce will likely be driven down by fierce competition. After all, Figure's deal with BMW may be the first of its kind, but it's not the only android game in town.

Sanctuary AI, a Vancouver-based company, has created a general-purpose robot called Phoenix. Powered by the Carbon AI control system, Phoenix has a competitive payload of 55 pounds and a max speed of 3 mph.

Norway's OpenAI-backed 1X has already made its EVE android available for purchase. EVE is 6'2", 192 pounds and has a top speed of 9 mph. It tops the Figure 01 on battery life with a six-hour run time and can lift 33 pounds. While autonomous, human operators can also reportedly control a fleet of EVEs, tapping into their cameras.

Ix admits on its website that its androids can automate jobs traditionally performed by humans, suggesting that those put out of work "can also be trained for more complex roles."

Boston Dynamics' Atlas is another competitor in the field, albeit a headless one. Atlas can travel at 2.5 m/s, weighs 196 pounds, and is nearly five feet tall. Unlike other androids, Atlas is relatively nimble and capable of performing various acrobatic feats.

Tesla's Optimus bot appears to be lagging behind the pack of job-killers. Nevertheless, South African billionaire Elon Musk recently indicated Optimus can now fold a shirt.

— (@)

Markets and Markets reported last year that the size of the global android market last year was $1.8 billion. It is, however, projected to grow to $13.8 billion by 2028. This growth is expected to be driven largely by demands in the medical and hospitality sectors. There will reportedly also be opportunities for android deployment in different fields of rescue operations.

The announcement of the Figure-BMW android deal came just days ahead of the release of a MIT study that suggested that the threat of AI automation soon taking over various human jobs — hyped by previous reports — may be overblown

After conducting a cost breakdown of what it would take to replace various workers on vision-based tasks with AI-powered systems, the researchers concluded, "We find that at today's costs US businesses would choose not to automate most vision tasks that have 'AI Exposure,' and that only 23 [percent] of worker wages being paid for vision tasks would be attractive to automate."

Neil Thompson, co-author of the study and an investigator at MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, noted that the study indicated "a more gradual integration of AI into various sectors, contrasting with the often hypothesized rapid AI-driven job displacement."

Adcock suggested to Axios that Figure 01 "can do basically everything a human can."

The Figure CEO is not the only one who appears bullish on the prospect of a tin man workforce.

The Wall Street Journal indicated earlier this month that expensive union contracts have prompted greater interest among carmakers in automation.

Laurie Harbour, president of Michigan manufacturing consulting firm Harbour Results, told the Journal, "Automation is the future. More so than we've ever seen."

"There's robots in every factory," United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain recently told Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders (Vt.). "The companies have used technology as a way to cut jobs instead of interjecting robots and technology to make our jobs easier."

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Starter Cars Are Still Out There If You Put Your Luxury Expectations In Park

Years of a generally growing economy and cheap credit might have made us set our sights too high for our first cars.

Major automakers plan to 'leverage public and private funds' to install electric vehicle charging network around North America



Seven car manufacturing giants are planning a joint effort to bolster electric vehicle charging infrastructure by installing a network of charging locations around North America.

BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group, and Stellantis NV are the companies involved in the plan. A press release notes that the effort will "leverage public and private funds."

"The joint venture will include the development of a new, high-powered charging network with at least 30,000 chargers to make zero-emission driving even more attractive for millions of customers," the press release states. "With the generational investments in public charging being implemented on the Federal and State level, the joint venture will leverage public and private funds to accelerate the installation of high-powered charging for customers."

The plan is for the charging network to run off of renewable energy. It is anticipated that the first charging locations will open next summer.

"The first stations are expected to open in the United States in the summer of 2024 and in Canada at a later stage," the press release notes. "In line with the sustainability strategies of all seven automakers, the joint venture intends to power the charging network solely by renewable energy."

While traditional cars can quickly fill up at gas stations, electric vehicle charging is a much slower process. For instance, while filling up a typical sedan's gas tank may take just a couple of minutes, Tesla, a popular electric vehicle manufacturer, says that Superchargers can provide up to 200 miles of range in 15 minutes.

"The fight against climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. What we need now is speed – across political, social and corporate boundaries," Mercedes-Benz Group CEO Ola Källenius, said, according to the press release. "To accelerate the shift to electric vehicles, we're in favor of anything that makes life easier for our customers. Charging is an inseparable part of the EV-experience, and this network will be another step to make it as convenient as possible."

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