Waymo’s Journey to Full Autonomy: AI Breakthroughs, Safety, and Scaling

In this episode of No Priors , Dmitri Dolgov, Co-CEO of Waymo, joins Sarah and Elad to explore the evolution and advancements of Waymo's self-driving technology from its inception at Google to its current real-world deployment. Dmitri also shares insights into the technological breakthroughs and complexities of achieving full autonomy, the design innovations of Waymo’s sixth generation driverless cars, and the broader applications of Waymo’s advanced technology. They also discuss Waymo's strategic approach to scaling amidst regulation, deployment in cities like Phoenix and San Francisco, and the transformative potential of autonomous driving on car ownership and urban infrastructure. Sign up for new podcasts every week. Email feedback to show@no-priors.com Follow us on Twitter: @NoPriorsPod | @Saranormous | @EladGil | @Dmitri_Dolgov Shownotes: 00:00 Introduction 00:15 History of Self-Driving at Google 00:29 DARPA Challenges and Early Involvement 01:39 Formation of Waymo 01:53 Industry Lineage and Early Skepticism 03:05 Initial Goals and Milestones 4:33 Pivot to Full Autonomy 04:50 Scaling and Deployment 05:29 Generational Breakthroughs 06:59 Choosing Deployment Cities 09:26 Technological Advancements 11:01 Evaluating Safety 14:41 Regulatory Stance and Trust 16:52 Future of Autonomous Driving 23:19 Business Strategy and Partnerships 26:06 Changing Urban Mobility Trends 26:40 Challenges and Misconceptions in Self-Driving Timelines 28:43 The Role of Traditional OEMs in an Autonomous Future 30:54 Designing Cars for Autonomous Ride-Hailing 33:42 Scaling Responsibly 35:18 Generalizability and Future Applications of AI 37:10 The Complexity of Achieving Full Autonomy 42:58 The Importance of Data and Iteration in AI Development 46:13 Reflecting on the Journey and Future of Waymo