“Most people come because they have lost someone.”
That’s Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana. At the All-In Summit, she explains how her company created its incredible autonomous driving system and where they’re headed next.
The Most Exciting Tech in the World Today
Don’t get me wrong, I love Elon’s rockets. But I’m not going to ride in a rocket any time soon.
So for me, self-driving cars are the coolest tech around today. I can’t wait to ride in a Waymo!
One of Mawakana’s goals is to open up mobility for people who can’t drive. This is something my mom and I have dreamed of since I was a kid.
My mom was born blind in one eye, which makes driving impossible. For a long time, we relied on buses and the one rotten cab company in the small town where I grew up.
The arrival of Uber and Instacart changed my mom’s life. But a self-driving car would be even better!
In time, she’ll be able to buy a car equipped with Waymo’s self-driving tech. The company eventually plans to offer its technology in any car you like.
This means coming and going as she pleases, like anyone else. And I can finally get the self-driving, matte black Cybertruck of my dreams!
But Is It Safe?
The big barrier to autonomous driving is safety. Can we trust a computer with our lives?
So far, Waymo has driven about 2 million miles without a single fatality. But that’s not enough to prove it’s safer than a human driver.
There are around 1.33 traffic fatalities for every 100 million miles driven overall. So, Waymo will need to do several orders of magnitude more rides before we know for sure it’s safe.
However, people who have ridden in Waymo’s say the autonomous driver is incredible. It’s unfailingly safe and defensive.
This is a lot more than I can say for some of the Ubers I’ve taken!
Why Waymo Can Win
Waymo offers a chance to end traffic deaths. For many Waymo employees, it’s a way to prevent what happened to their family from happening to someone else.
These are highly talented engineers. They could be at Facebook, Apple, wherever.
But those companies don’t share Waymo’s mission.
With employees that motivated, Waymo can win the self-driving race. Indeed, they’re the only company doing 100% autonomous rides on public roads, 24/7.
If Waymo does as well as I think it will, it could be a trillion dollar, standalone company.
Wrap-Up
Growing up with a mom who can’t drive, I’ve been a pedestrian all my life. I’ve been hit by an SUV and had countless close calls, including one just this Sunday.
Human drivers are horrible. They’re distracted, aggressive and drunk.
I hope that in the future, no human drives a car. I’ll take my chances with the robots any day.
What do you think of Waymo’s robot cars?
More on tech:
Watch Elon Drive Tesla’s Amazing New Autopilot
Autonomous Driving in Central London
Three Technologies That Would Change Everything
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