The a16z Show
The Road to Autonomous Vehicles: Are We There Yet?
The a16z Show discusses tech and culture trends, news, and the future – especially as ‘software eats the world’. It features industry experts, business leaders, and other interesting thinkers and voices from around the world. This show is produced by Andreessen Horowitz (aka “a16z”), a Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm. Multiple episodes are released every week; visit a16z.com for more details and to sign up for our newsletters and other content as well!
Show Notes
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Self-driving cars have been on the horizon for quite some time. But, they might actually be here.
We got to ride around in one all over San Francisco with Waymo’s Chief Product Officer, Saswat Panigrahi.
We discussed so much, including the five levels of autonomy, the infamous LIDAR vs video debate, regulation, UX, and the role of AI in fine-tuning these models. But most importantly, if autonomy is here… now what?!
Topics Covered:
Introduction
A first look at Waymo
5 levels of autonomy
Technology challenges
LiDAR vs video debate
How Waymo differentiates
Technological unlocks on the horizon
The role of AI in autonomous vehicles
How Waymo views safety
Collaborating with regulators
Learnings from the first 2m miles
Driving user retention
Waymo’s expansion strategy
Changing regulation
Societal unlocks enabled by autonomy
Will self-driving cars replace humans?
Closing thoughts
Resources:
Check out Waymo: https://waymo.com/
Check out Waymo's Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@Waymo
Find Saswat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/saswat101
Check out a16z's 8-part series on the autonomous vehicle ecosystem: https://a16z.com/2018/02/03/autonomy-ecosystem-frank-chen-summit/
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.
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