Tencent Shares Slide After WeChat Restricts YuanBao AI Promotional Links 
Dollar Steadies Ahead of ECB and BoE Decisions as Markets Turn Risk-Off 
FDA Targets Hims & Hers Over $49 Weight-Loss Pill, Raising Legal and Safety Concerns 
Nasdaq Proposes Fast-Track Rule to Accelerate Index Inclusion for Major New Listings 
OpenAI Expands Enterprise AI Strategy With Major Hiring Push Ahead of New Business Offering 
Silver Prices Plunge in Asian Trade as Dollar Strength Triggers Fresh Precious Metals Sell-Off 
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Says AI Investment Boom Is Just Beginning as NVDA Shares Surge 
Thailand Inflation Remains Negative for 10th Straight Month in January 
Gold and Silver Prices Rebound After Volatile Week Triggered by Fed Nomination 
Sony Q3 Profit Jumps on Gaming and Image Sensors, Full-Year Outlook Raised 
TrumpRx Website Launches to Offer Discounted Prescription Drugs for Cash-Paying Americans 
SpaceX Pushes for Early Stock Index Inclusion Ahead of Potential Record-Breaking IPO 
SoftBank Shares Slide After Arm Earnings Miss Fuels Tech Stock Sell-Off 
Instagram Outage Disrupts Thousands of U.S. Users 
Ford and Geely Explore Strategic Manufacturing Partnership in Europe 
U.S. Stock Futures Slide as Tech Rout Deepens on Amazon Capex Shock 
Once Upon a Farm Raises Nearly $198 Million in IPO, Valued at Over $724 Million 
SK Telecom and Joby Aviation, a Californian venture-backed aerospace company, have revealed their partnership deal this week, and they are joining forces to develop flying cars. The latter is an air taxi startup firm, and along with SKT, they are aiming to expand their footing in urban air mobility services or UAM.
According to Yonhap News Agency, SK Telecom, the leading wireless service provider in South Korea, said it has signed an agreement with Joby Aviation so they can form a regular consultative team that will help them bolster cooperation in bringing air taxis to the country.
Another one of the goals for this new partnership is to create "Mobility as a Service" (MaaS) in S. Korea. This type of service will offer various things to customers, including connecting cars, connecting car platforms, and other business-to-customer services. It was added that the deal is also expected to scale up S. Korea's long-term plan to commercialize UAM services by 2025 and help reduce urban traffic congestion.
"By joining forces with Joby, a global leader in this field, we expect to accelerate our journey towards the era of Urban Air Mobility and lead the way on introducing this exciting new technology," SK Telecom's chief executive officer, Ryu Young Sang, said in a press release. "Collaborating with leading global companies is essential to securing leadership in future industries, which we are confident will be driven by the growth of UAM, autonomous driving, and robots."
Pulse News reported that SK Telecom is planning to make use of Joby Aviation's knowledge and know-how in air flight testing since it will be able to experience this with NASA at the Korean UAM Grand Challenge that will take place next year. The event is set to be hosted by the country's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport or MOLIT.
JoeBen Bevirt, the founder and CEO of Joby, also commented on its partnership with SK Telecom. He said, "We are thrilled to be partnering with the team at SKT who brings a wealth of relevant experience and technology to the table. With more than 42 million people living in urban areas, South Korea offers a remarkable opportunity for Joby to make air travel a part of daily life, helping people to save time while reducing their carbon footprint."
