Autonomous driving is a distinct qualitative leap
The guest argued that level-four autonomous driving systems cannot be achieved incrementally by simply upgrading driver-assist systems.
The argument
The speaker asserted that the hardest parts of building a fully autonomous, rider-only system are fundamentally different from driver-assist technologies. He argued that while driver-assist work can help, transitioning to full autonomy requires a qualitative jump in system architecture rather than a series of minor upgrades.
The thesis, stress-tested
✓ What validates it
- ✓Successful expansion of fully autonomous rider services to new cities without safety incidents
- ✓Integration of Waymo's autonomous driving technology into personally owned consumer vehicles
▸ Risks discussed
- ▸High capital intensity of long-term R&D
- ▸Deceptive early progress that masks the difficulty of solving edge cases
Hear it yourself
"But you think one cannot work one's way up from driver assist systems to full self driving? You think you have to start building a full self driving system? I think you have to tackle if I think about the hardest parts Yep. Of building a fully autonomous, you know, rider only system, they are very different Mhmm."
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