Podcasts about autonomous vehicles

Peachtree Corners, GA City Manager Brian Johnson discusses some major topics shaping the future of Peachtree Corners. Brian explains why Technology Parkway is being reconfigured after years of autonomous vehicle testing and how advances in vehicle technology have made dedicated testing lanes unnecessary. The conversation also explores a recent City Council meeting that addressed a proposed modification to the 2 Sun Court mixed-use development and the city's decision to purchase the former CineBistro site at Town Center. Brian shares how the Opportunity Fund made the acquisition possible, why local control matters for such a prominent property, and how residents will have an opportunity to help shape its future use through community engagement and market research.Takeaways:Why Technology Parkway is being redesigned after years of autonomous vehicle testingHow Curiosity Lab helped attract companies like May Mobility to the regionWhat changes are being proposed for the Tucson Court mixed-use developmentHow the city balances density, retail requirements, and development conditionsWhy Peachtree Corners created its Opportunity FundThe reasoning behind the city's purchase of the former CineBistro propertyWhat adaptive reuse versus redevelopment could mean for Town CenterHow residents will help shape the future vision for one of the city's most important propertiesWhy local control gives the city more flexibility in guiding future developmentTimestamp:00:00:24 – Introduction and overview of recent City Council actions 00:01:41 – Reconfiguring Technology Parkway and the future of Curiosity Lab 00:06:11 – Autonomous vehicle testing, May Mobility, and evolving technology00:07:14 – 2 Sun Court development modification request and additional residential units 00:09:07 – Background on the original rezoning and changing market conditions00:13:17 – Trail connections, pedestrian improvements, and developer contributions00:16:07 – Mixed-use development requirements and retail space challenges 00:20:37 – How the city updated mixed-use regulations after previous development00:23:07 – Development standards, substantial conformance, and project oversight00:26:39 – The closure of CineBistro and its impact on Town Center00:29:14 – How changes in the theater industry affected CineBistro's viability00:31:01 – Why the city considered purchasing the property00:34:00 – Opportunity Fund, due diligence, and acquisition details00:35:47 – Future possibilities: adaptive reuse versus redevelopment00:38:41 – Community engagement and gathering public input on the site's future00:39:49 – Potential public-private partnerships and redevelopment opportunities00:43:41 – Local business opportunities and final thoughts on Town Center's future

We continue our episodes of the Auto Remarketing Podcast originating from the Live Stage, which was sponsored by SYCN Auto Logistics, during the Used Car Industry Summit in Miami this spring. To get a better understanding of how autonomous technology has the potential to be highly disruptive in the used-car market, Draiver senior vice president of sales Peter Janczewski shared a conversation with Cherokee Media Group's Joe Overby, discussing how autonomous delivery and repositioning can reduce logistics friction, enabling faster remarketing, broader buyer reach, and more dynamic pricing.

In an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) crash, should AI save the young instead of the elderly? Germany banned this, but a pragmatist asks: why not let algorithms choose based on age?Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.Traffic accidents in Singapore have hit a 10-year high. Every day, motorists are caught speeding, running red lights, and looking at their phones. The proposed solution is radical: take the steering wheel away from humans and hand it entirely to Artificial Intelligence. But as Singapore drafts the legal framework to roll out autonomous vehicles (AVs), where are the dangerous lines we are crossing? From programming algorithms to decide who lives and dies in a split-second crash, to the terrifying threat of a hacked network, are we actually ready to surrender our safety to a machine we don't fully understand?In this episode, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with the man building the robot's brain: Professor Marcelo Ang from the Advanced Robotics Centre at the NUS Mechanical Engineering Department, a researcher who first tested an AV in 2013. They debate the ethics of the trolley problem about picking who to collide with in an unavoidable crash, the liabilities in the event of a driverless car crash, and the brutal reality awaiting thousands of middle-aged drivers whose jobs are about to be automated. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:47 Tesla vs. true driverless - the different levels of self-driving 9:04 The "Guardian Angel" - an underlying physics algorithm that overrides bad AI decisions 11:48 Why level 3 autonomous driving can be dangerous 14:20 Should the algorithm hit the 80-year-old or the 10-year-old in an unavoidable crash 23:55 The hardest engineering challenge: Predicting irrational human behaviour Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In an Autonomous Vehicle (AV) crash, should AI save the young instead of the elderly? Germany banned this, but a pragmatist asks: why not let algorithms choose based on age?Synopsis: On Wednesdays, The Straits Times takes a hard look at Singapore's social issues of the day with guests.Traffic accidents in Singapore have hit a 10-year high. Every day, motorists are caught speeding, running red lights, and looking at their phones. The proposed solution is radical: take the steering wheel away from humans and hand it entirely to Artificial Intelligence. But as Singapore drafts the legal framework to roll out autonomous vehicles (AVs), where are the dangerous lines we are crossing? From programming algorithms to decide who lives and dies in a split-second crash, to the terrifying threat of a hacked network, are we actually ready to surrender our safety to a machine we don't fully understand?In this episode, ST assistant podcast editor Lynda Hong sits down with the man building the robot's brain: Professor Marcelo Ang from the Advanced Robotics Centre at the NUS Mechanical Engineering Department, a researcher who first tested an AV in 2013. They debate the ethics of the trolley problem about picking who to collide with in an unavoidable crash, the liabilities in the event of a driverless car crash, and the brutal reality awaiting thousands of middle-aged drivers whose jobs are about to be automated. Highlights (click/tap above): 2:47 Tesla vs. true driverless - the different levels of self-driving 9:04 The "Guardian Angel" - an underlying physics algorithm that overrides bad AI decisions 11:48 Why level 3 autonomous driving can be dangerous 14:20 Should the algorithm hit the 80-year-old or the 10-year-old in an unavoidable crash 23:55 The hardest engineering challenge: Predicting irrational human behaviour Read ST’s Opinion section: https://str.sg/w7sH Follow Lynda Hong on LinkedIn: https://str.sg/Gm2v Host: Lynda Hong (lyndahong@sph.com.sg) Produced and edited by: Teo Tong Kai Executive producers: Danson Cheong and Lynda Hong Follow In Your Opinion Podcast here and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: https://str.sg/w7Qt Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wukb Spotify: https://str.sg/w7sV Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg --- Follow more ST podcast channels: All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7 Get more updates: http://str.sg/stpodcasts The Usual Place Podcast YouTube: https://str.sg/theusualplacepodcast --- Get The Straits Times app, which has a dedicated podcast player section: The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX --- #inyouropinionSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, I'm speaking with Omar Zoubi, VP of Autonomous Mobility & Rideshare Network Strategy at TaskUs. Omar breaks down how TaskUs supports autonomous vehicle operators behind the scenes, from remote assistance to handling edge cases that today's AI systems still struggle to navigate. We get into TaskUs' role across the AV ecosystem, including who they partner with and how their human-in-the-loop model helps fleets operate safely and scale more efficiently. Omar explains the types of real-world scenarios where AVs need intervention, how those interventions feed back into improving AI systems, and what it takes to support different types of fleets with varying operational needs. The conversation also covers the current stage of the AV industry, including how companies like Waymo are approaching remote assistance and safety, and what challenges emerge as fleets grow. We discuss operational complexity, cost structures, and how companies think about cost per mile as they move toward commercialization. Finally, Omar shares his perspective on where TaskUs adds the most value today, how the human-in-the-loop model will evolve over time, and what the future of the AV industry looks like as autonomy matures. Chapters (00:00) Introduction to Omar Zoubi and TaskUs (03:19) TaskUs' domain of operation (03:30) TaskUs' AV business model, and their partners (04:43) What services does TaskUs provide to its AV clients? (06:10) How does TaskUs' assistance in edge cases help AV clients improve their AI? (07:53) Common scenarios where AV companies might need remote assistance, and how TaskUs helps. (09:30) Differences between supporting different AV fleets (10:41) How Omar thinks about Waymo's remote assistance and safety (12:40) What stage of the AV industry are we in? (14:19) Biggest operational challenges as AV fleets start to scale (15:46) Common traits across operators and companies in the AV industry (17:00) How the human-in-the-loop model will evolve as AVs mature (19:05) How do you plan for unpredictable scenarios, like the recent SF blackout? (21:38) How AV operational costs are distributed and cost per mile (23:10) Where does TaskUs offer the biggest value or opportunity for AV companies? (24:00) What does the future of the AV industry look like? (25:43) Conclusions and final thoughts Notes/Links: You can find Omar Zoubi on Linkedin. TaskUs website (link). Learn how TaskUs supports AV operations in their case study (link).

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's newly announced expansion ahead of the World Cup, the suddenly accelerating deterioration of the Uber/Waymo relationship, and the partnerships that actually matter for Uber's autonomous future.As Waymo expanded their U.S. service area by 1,400 square miles across 11 cities, Uber continued to amplify both their direct and indirect attacks against Waymo in the media and in a self-published report about deploying autonomous vehicles.Even as the deterioration of the relationship spreads into the news, Walt notes that the divorce narrative is already largely priced into Uber's stock, but the more interesting question is what happens next with Uber's remaining partners.Nuro recently opened an engineering and partnerships office in Munich, home to BMW, with Lucid notably absent from the press release and personally-owned autonomous vehicles mentioned directly. On the WeRide earnings call, the company outlined European expansion plans including Slovakia and made the case for a unified Level 2 to Level 4 platform.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discussed Volvo Autonomous Solutions' new Dallas-to-Houston lane and what the true definition of autonomous and what defines supervised.Episode Chapters00:00 Waymo's World Cup Expansion03:59 Waymo's Unforced Error05:08 The Waymo/Uber Divorce Narrative Goes Mainstream14:51 Nuro Opens Munich Office20:26 WeRide Eyes a Unified L2-to-L4 Platform22:47 Volvo Autonomous Solutions Dallas-to-Houston Lane23:49 What Defines Driverless31:39 Foreign Autonomy Desk32:04 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Signals presented by KPMG, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Uber's policy play to slow the deployment of robotaxis, BYD's costly market share gain, and Unitree going sci-fi with a production-ready Mecha robot.Uber recently released a policy paper titled Unlocking the Promise of Autonomy that emphasized that the transition to autonomy should move slowly through a phased hybrid model where mixed fleets of human drivers and autonomous vehicles share the platform for years.The report appears to be a regulatory framework designed to penalize the autonomy-only business model currently being deployed by both Waymo and Tesla, positioning Uber's hybrid approach as the only socially responsible path. In what appears to be a deliberate effort to slow down robotaxi deployments until Uber and their partners catch up.Over in China, BYD updated their Seagull EV with an optional God's Eye system, a roof-mounted LiDAR with Level 2+ capabilities running on NVIDIA Drive Orin for a starting retail price of $13,000. This is the first subcompact vehicle in the world equipped with premium autonomous hardware at this price point, putting pressure on Western automakers to compete. But the price point comes at a cost, as BYD's Q1 2026 net profit dropped 55% and operating cash flow collapsed 67%.Then there is Unitree, which launched the GD01 Man Transformable Mecha, a 1,100-pound, nine-foot pilotable robot that switches between bipedal and quadruped modes. Priced at approximately $650,000, the GD01 is a calculated engineering showcase flex ahead of Unitree's anticipated Shanghai Star Market IPO targeting a $7 billion valuation.The launch of the GD01 Man Transformable Mecha signals China's ability to rapidly prototype, commercialize, and scale embodied AI hardware at a pace Western competitors are struggling to match.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI01:33 Signal 1: Uber's Policy Play to Slowdown Robotaxis36:57 Signal 2: BYD's Costly Market Share Grab55:41 Signal 3: Unitree's GD01 Man Transformable Mecha--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Erin Price-Wright speaks with Turner Caldwell and Drew Baglino about what it will take to close America's critical minerals gap and modernize the power infrastructure that underpins the AI economy. With the US more than 50 years behind China in critical mineral supply and grid infrastructure built on systems designed a century ago, they examine where the real bottlenecks are and how to move faster. The conversation covers how automation, reinforcement learning, and vertically integrated operations can compress the timelines for mining and refining, and why co-locating supply chains matters more than labor costs in the race to reshore manufacturing. Baglino explains how solid state transformers can replace aging mechanical grid equipment with silicon and software, while Caldwell outlines how Mariana Minerals is applying autonomous systems to remove the know-how bottleneck from critical mineral processing. They also discuss the lessons both founders carried from Tesla — techno-optimism, appetite for risk, and mission-driven talent — and what durable industrial policy, smarter permitting, and a federal grid investment framework would unlock for American competitiveness.   Resources: Follow Michael on X: https://x.com/tbc415 Follow Drew on X: https://x.com/baglino Follow Erin on X: https://x.com/espricewright Stay Updated:Find a16z on YouTube: YouTubeFind a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Angus Pacala, Co-Founder and CEO, Ouster joined Grayson Brulte to discuss the launch of the native color REV8 LiDAR and how Ouster is positioning itself as the foundational sensing and perception layer for the physical AI economy.The LiDAR industry is currently undergoing a continual thinning out as the market shakes out and separates companies with strong marketing from those with high-quality, safety-critical products. Ouster has distinguished themselves by developing their own in-house custom silicon that delivers performance improvements historically seen in the broader semiconductor industry.The introduction of native color, developed through partnerships with Fujifilm and DxOMark, provides roboticists with synchronized color and depth, allowing for better perception in fields such as agriculture and urban navigation, where sensing the state of a stoplight or the color of a plant is essential for autonomous decision-making.With Ouster's recent acquisition of StereoLabs, the company has further expanded its reach into the humanoid and short-range robotics markets, offering a unified sensing platform that covers everything from long-range LiDAR to high-detail stereo vision.As Physical AI continues to accelerate, Ouster aims to be the sensing company for the autonomy economy.Episode Chapters0:00 AUTNMY AI0:36 Changing LiDAR Industry03:56 Introducing REV813:42 Building Trust with Safety-Critical LiDAR17:53 Why Custom Silicon is Ouster's Moat25:33 Color Science Behind REV833:28 Can Color LiDAR Replace Cameras?36:36 StereoLabs Acquisition40:07 Ouster as a Sensing Company49:46 Defense Applications52:14 Future of Ouster--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In the past we have done programs on autonomous vehicles. Recently several folks have had the chance to ride in vehicles with no drivers and we thought it would be fun to ask them about their experience and their impressions. We also want to explore where we are in the process of regularizing their ability to function on a permanent basis. How good are accessibility features? Are there likely to be issues for people who are blind when insurance is needed? When are states likely to approve autonomous vehicles permanently? Who are the basic players in the field? What should ACB be doing? We hear about autonomous vehicles fairly often. We do not often enough get a chance to hear a full account of the experience. We will welcome three folks who have taken rides in autonomous vehicles and will share their impressions. We will also explore where we are in terms of making these vehicles permanently a part of our lives! Find out more at https://acb-tuesday-topics.pinecast.co

What happens when the La Nova Mobilitat team travels to Zurich, the European hub of robotics and artificial intelligence? In this special live episode (recorded in English), Martí and Miquel dive deep into the world of physical AI, from autonomous vehicles and quadrupeds to microscopic medical devices. We sit down with industry leaders and top researchers—Enric Galceran (Google), Kateryna (ANYbotics), Thomas (ERNI), and Salvador Pané (ETH Zurich)—to separate the humanoid hype from the real-world applications transforming our industries today.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Grayson's Las Vegas field work riding in Zoox and Motional robotaxis, Uber's earnings and the path to driver-out, and autonomous trucking earnings.The first thing Grayson did when he landed in Vegas was try to order a Zoox, but the service was not available until 11 AM and when it finally came online shortly after 11 AM, the wait time for the vehicle to arrive was 67 minutes.So he opened the Uber app and tried to order a Motional robotaxi, where he was paired with a Motional in under five minutes. During the one hour and seven minute Zoox wait time, he was able to ride down and back in two different Motional vehicles between Resorts World and the Luxor, arriving back with 21 minutes to spare.While he was in town, Grayson conducted field work at the Zoox depot where he counted more Toyota Highlander test vehicles than purpose-built Zoox robotaxis coming out of the depot. He also visited with the Nuro team at their test track at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.While Grayson was busy conducting field work, Tesla crossed 10 billion FSD Supervised miles, while Uber's autonomy overhang continues as the benchmark for deploying robotaxis is driver-out, not with safety attendants.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discussed the latest earnings from Aurora and Kodiak and what Grayson learned at the ACT Expo in Las Vegas.Episode Chapters00:00 Field Work: Motional, Zoox and Las Vegas20:57 Uber's Autonomy Overhang23:50 Discounting Uber's Partnership with Waymo26:44 Nuro and Lucid Prepare to Scale32:52 Autonomous Trucking's Presence at the ACT Expo34:41 Aurora, Kodiak Updates from Earnings37:13 Politics and Autonomous Trucking in California39:01 The No Safety Attendant Bar for Autonomous Trucking44:10 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Tesla's Unsupervised Robotaxi expansion to Dallas and Houston, Wisk Aero doubling its Gen 6 flight test fleet, and Meta's acquisition of Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI).Tesla recently launched Unsupervised Robotaxi in Houston and Dallas without chase vehicles, a structural shift from their January Austin debut where chase vehicles initially trailed the vehicles. The company's Unsupervised Robotaxi fleet has grown to north of 36 vehicles across the Austin, Dallas, and Houston markets.As Tesla continues to scale, Wisk Aero doubled their Gen 6 test fleet and successfully completed the first uncrewed flight of its second production prototype in Hollister, California. While the technical milestone is impressive, it does not shorten the regulatory distance to FAA type certification for autonomous passenger operations, a path categorically more complex than the one Joby and Archer are navigating with piloted aircraft.Then there is Meta, which acquired Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI) and folded the team into their Superintelligence Labs. This acquisition is the clearest signal yet that Meta is positioning its robotics AI models to become the Android of humanoid robotics, potentially enabling ecosystem partners to accelerate hardware deployments with an open-source operating system.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI01:31 Signal 1: Tesla Scales Unsupervised Robotaxis30:41 Signal 2: Wisk Aero Doubles Gen 6 Test Fleet50:32 Signal 3: Meta Acquires Assured Robot Intelligence (ARI)--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Self-driving technology is quietly entering everyday life, as more drivers experience hands-free features and AI-assisted vehicle systems. John McElroy, Automotive Industry Analyst and Host of Autoline.tv in Detroit joins Rob Hart on the WBBM Noon Business Hour with the details...

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Bot Auto's fully autonomous commercial run from Houston to Dallas, Aurora's expanded partnership with Hirschbach, and Uber's CTO publicly criticizing Waymo on X over safety.With Bot Auto completing a 231 mile commercial paid run with no human in the cab, no safety driver, and no observer, the conversation evolves into a deeper discussion around the imminent Waymo robotaxi moment for autonomous trucking, with Kodiak operating fully autonomous in the Permian Basin and Aurora announcing a non-binding 500 truck MOU with Hirschbach representing roughly 15 percent of the carrier's fleet.While in Houston, Grayson conducted field work riding in a Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi in the Cypress neighborhood, where he counted 24 robotaxis staged for launch at the Tesla service center, while observing that both the Tesla and Waymo vehicles drove aggressively in a similar manner to Houstonians.More signs emerged this week of the deteriorating relationship between Waymo and Uber as the CTO of Uber made a post on X accusing a Waymo of an aggressive maneuver against a Muni bus in San Francisco, a rare public criticism from a partner in a public forum, reinforcing the deteriorating relationship that appears to be on the verge of a divorce.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss China suspending new autonomous vehicle permits following the Baidu Apollo Go incident in Wuhan where 200 robotaxis simultaneously froze on March 31st, and WeRide's partnership with Lenovo to deploy 200,000 robotaxis over the next five years against a current fleet of 1,125 vehicles.Episode Chapters00:00 Field Work: Bot Auto Launches Fully Autonomous Commercial Service05:42 Aurora's Expanded Partnership with Hirschbach08:53 Congressman Ro Khanna's Anti-Autonomy Stance11:18 Uber and Hertz Partner for Robotaxi Fleet Servicing18:40 Avomo, Moove, and Uber's Fragmented Autonomy Strategy20:07 Uber CTO Publicly Criticizes Waymo on X24:13 Waymo's Next City: Cincinnati or Kansas City?27:30 Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi in Houston34:37 China Suspends New Autonomous Vehicle Permits39:14 WeRide and Lenovo to Deploy 200,000 Robotaxis40:54 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss the WeRide and Lenovo autonomous vehicle partnership, Pronto's first deal under Atoms with Mariana Minerals, and Bot Auto's 231 mile driver out commercial run from Houston to Dallas.WeRide and Lenovo recently announced a five year non-binding partnership at Auto China 2026 to deploy 200,000 autonomous vehicles, a 200x scale from WeRide's current global fleet of 1,023 vehicles, with Lenovo's HPC 3.0 compute platform accelerating the growth. The HPC 3.0 platform performs under extreme temperatures with a focus on reducing emissions, signaling that the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and the European Union could be potential deployment markets.AUTNMY AI‘s proprietary OMEGA algorithm estimates fleet ownership costs between $10 and $20 billion. No funding partner or fleet owner partner has been announced to date.While WeRide and Lenovo made headlines this week, Pronto announced its first post-Atoms acquisition deal with Mariana Minerals. The mining company will deploy Pronto's autonomous haulage trucks at the Copper One mine in southeastern Utah, beginning with three trucks and scaling to fifteen by year end.Then there is Bot Auto, which made history this week as the first company to deploy an autonomous truck for paid commercial over-the-road freight on the Houston to Dallas lane. The Road to Autonomy team was on the ground to witness Bot Auto successfully complete a 231 mile fully autonomous driver-out commercial run, no human in the cab, no observer, no individual with a CDL.A field report will be released next Tuesday.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI02:00 Signal 1: WeRide and Lenovo Partner to Accelerate Autonomous Vehicle Deployments26:21 Signal 2: Pronto Deploys Autonomous Haulage Trucks with Mariana Minerals44:30 Signal 3: Bot Auto Goes Driver-Out Over-the-Road--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The past year has been challenging for electric vehicles. In the first quarter of 2026, US EV sales were about 27 per cent below their level in the first quarter of last year. But the ride-hailing industry still sees a future that is electric, autonomous, and shared, and is placing a multi-billion dollar bet on it. Ride-hailing services such as Uber could be one of the key sectors supporting the electrification of road transport in the years to come.In this episode, host Ed Crooks is joined by Amy Myers Jaffe, director of NYU's Energy, Climate Justice and Sustainability Lab, and two guests from Uber. Andrew Cornelia is the company's global head of electrification and sustainability, and Samarth Kedrawal is its global head of fleet and autonomous vehicles. Andrew and Samarth make the case for why the shift away from the internal combustion engine as the dominant technology for road transport is a question of when, not if. And the fuel price shock resulting from the conflict in the Middle East may be shortening the timeline.Uber's EV strategy is about more than just going green, Andrew says. In markets where the economics work, including London, Paris, and São Paulo, EV drivers are earning more and spending less, and riders are consistently rating the electric experience among the best of Uber's services. Charging remains the biggest barrier, partly because the infrastructure has been chronically underbuilt. Finding a free public charger can be a problem, especially for the drivers who need them most because they live in urban centres without access to home charging. It can also be expensive: public charging can account for up to 40% of the total cost of ownership of an EV.Uber is now signing agreements with charging network operators to underwrite new infrastructure in exchange for preferential pricing for its drivers. The company is also helping drivers spread the upfront cost of home charger installation, and reports that the switch is saving some drivers close to $8,000 a year.Autonomous vehicles (Avs) are even more capital-intensive. Samarth describes an AV operation that in power demand terms looks like a series of small data centres: sites drawing three to eight megawatts, using tightly sequenced charging algorithms to maximise utilisation.Like hyperscalers waiting on grid connections for their data centres, Uber is in some markets using gas to provide a temporary power supply, bridging the gap while it waits for the utility to wire it up. The utilities have been willing partners, Samarth says, but the demand for charging infrastructure is significant. The conversations are becoming more complex, as EV charging lines up alongside data centres to queue for connections to the same distribution networks.The conversation also opens up a longer-term question: could a large enough fleet of parked autonomous vehicles one day act as a virtual power plant, selling stored energy back to the grid during peak demand? The answer is yes, eventually. But the immediate priority is more basic: making sure there are enough chargers available so the cars can actually turn a profit today.The episode closes with a discussion of Chinese EVs and what trade barriers are really costing consumers. Andrew says that EV adoption among Uber drivers is moving fastest in markets where low-cost Chinese vehicles are available. Latin America, Brazil in particular, is the next major frontier. In the US, the lack of those low-cost EVs is a barrier to making the economics work for Uber drivers.Both guests believe the industry will be bigger, the cost per mile lower, and the share of electric miles far higher. The direction is not in doubt, they say. The question is how fast the infrastructure, the policy environment, and the economics can move to meet it.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Taylor Brownstein, Director, Technology Investment Banking, TD Cowen joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how Wall Street is funding the autonomy economy.The autonomous vehicle and truck markets are currently experiencing a healthy rebound from the 2021 to 2023 hype cycle, driven by real commercialization, the Physical AI tailwind, and a more disciplined investor base that is now focusing on companies that are growing businesses focused on commercialization, not just technology.Capital is king. Over the next 18 months or so, the autonomy markets are expected to consolidate as companies that are unable to raise capital, retain and hire talent will fall further behind, as their competitors continue to raise capital that accelerates their growth.In this market, dual use is one of the most compelling opportunities as the Department of War actively embraces automation and autonomy. But at the end of the day, no matter what it all comes down to the economics of the business.Then there are the public markets. The SPAC window is currently open for companies with paying customers and the potential for long-term growth.While the traditional IPO path remains largely closed to pre-revenue/early-stage autonomy companies as SpaceX, OpenAI, and Anthropic absorb all the air in the room, making SPACs paired with PIPE capital the most realistic route to the public markets for the next wave of autonomous vehicle and truck companies at this time.Episode Chapters0:00 AUTNMY AI0:37 Autonomy is Back in Vogue4:11 Unit Economics9:51 Dual-Use Applications22:24 Consolidation29:22 The Robotaxi Competitors: Waymo and Tesla42:38 SPACs with PIPE Capital45:05 Traditional IPOs50:55 Market Signals --------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla's dedicated Supercharger build-out for Robotaxi in Arizona, Kodiak's autonomous trucking operations in the Permian Basin, and Mobileye's defensive posture on their Q1 earnings call.With Tesla launching unsupervised robotaxis in Dallas and Houston this week, the conversation evolves into a deeper discussion around newly filed permits for 56 dedicated, non-public V4 Superchargers in Chandler, Arizona, and a second private charging depot in Mesa, signaling Tesla is building dedicated Robotaxi infrastructure as the original 12-market scale plan slips into Q3.Out in the Permian Basin, Grayson conducted field work with Kodiak and Atlas Energy Solutions, inspected the depot, and watched fully autonomous trucks operate off-road in the middle of the oil fields, picking up sand at the end of the 40-mile Dune Express sand conveyor.During Mobileye's Q1 2026 earnings call, when asked about their autonomous driving partnerships, the tone turned defensive on Volkswagen's longer-term commitment and the emerging competitive threat of NVIDIA's growing ambitions.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss Huawei's $11.7 billion continued commitment to autonomous driving on the mainland and Pony.ai's plan to operate more than 3,000 robotaxis across 20 cities globally by the end of 2026, with over half deployed outside mainland China.Episode Chapters00:00 Permian Basin Field Work: Kodiak & Atlas Energy Solutions08:51 Tesla Launches Unsupervised Robotaxi in Dallas and Houston13:16 Tesla's Dedicated Robotaxi Superchargers in Arizona15:38 AUTNMY AI16:45 Avride's 200 Vehicles19:19 A Tale of Two SPACs, PlusAI & Einride20:45 Zoox Expands Testing to Miami and Las Vegas Airport23:55 Mobileye Goes on Autonomy Defense32:22 Foreign Autonomy Desk34:24 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss autonomous military cargo helicopters, Caterpillar's acquisition of Monarch Tractor's intellectual property, and the termination of the PlusAI and Churchill Capital IX SPAC merger.Airbus recently conducted its fourth flight test of the MQ-72C autonomous cargo helicopter for the United States Marine Corps, in partnership with L3Harris, Perry Labs, and Shield AI. While the test was a success, AUTNMY AI‘s proprietary OMEGA algorithm assesses that the MQ-72C will not achieve commercial deployment before 2028.The market is potentially conflating the 2028 military initial operating capability target with commercial market entry, a category error that overstates the near-term commercial opportunity by two to three years and ignores the ITAR, FAA certification, and program authorization constraints that structurally preclude civilian deployment.Then there is Caterpillar's acquisition of the intellectual property and core assets of Monarch Tractor. This is not an agriculture story, this is a data story. Caterpillar is acquiring eight years of real-world field data, two to four million labeled frames across 40,000 acres of specialty crop terrain, and a patent portfolio covering obstacle avoidance, vehicle follow systems, and battery swap technology.The Monarch acquisition represents a $15 to $40 million purchase of a $350 to $500 million replacement cost software and perception stack, compressing the model training timeline for edge case optical detection by an estimated 18 to 30 months.While Caterpillar is ingesting data to accelerate its construction and mining autonomy programs, the autonomous trucking capital markets delivered a different signal this week. PlusAI and Churchill Capital IX mutually agreed to terminate their proposed business combination.Even with the PlusAI SPAC being terminated, the autonomous trucking market as a whole remains healthy.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI01:16 Signal 1: Airbus Completes 4th Flight Test of the MQ-72C Autonomous Cargo Helicopter23:29 Signal 2: Caterpillar Acquires Monarch Tractor IP47:17 Signal 3: PlusAI and Churchill Capital IX SPAC Termination--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Kelly Smith, Lead Systems Engineer for Autonomy, Kodiak Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss deploying autonomous trucks at NASA speed.Drawing on 13 years of experience engineering autonomy systems at NASA, including guidance software for the Orion spacecraft that flew to the moon and back on Artemis II, Kelly is applying aerospace-grade safety discipline to the deployment of autonomous trucks at Kodiak.NASA's approach to safety-critical software, including Class A flight software standards, probabilistic risk assessment, redundant flight computers, and dissimilar backup systems, is the same discipline Kodiak is applying to its autonomous operations in the Permian Basin and to its over-the-road deployment on the Dallas Fort-Worth to Atlanta lane.Using a tool called Breakpoint to surface rare, high-consequence failure modes, Kodiak is continuously updating its risk model to responsibly burn down risk and safely scale autonomous trucking.Episode Chapters0:00 AUTNMY AI0:37 13 Years of Autonomy at NASA2:50 Space Latency04:12 Returning to the Moon06:09 Orion's Autonomy Stack10:25 NASA's Mission-Critical Software15:16 Reentry19:35 Fully Autonomous Space Operations24:43 Bringing NASA Rigor to Kodiak28:49 Deploying Autonomous Trucks in the Permian37:06 The Future of Mission-Critical Engineering--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo's expansion in Florida, Uber's continued investments in physical assets, and the potential for agentic AI to disrupt traditional rideshare apps.With Waymo opening service to the general public in Miami and Orlando this week, the conversation evolves into a deeper discussion around Disney's strategic alliances and which company, Waymo or Glydways, will eventually secure a contract to operate at Walt Disney World.Across the pond, Waymo began autonomous driving in London as Uber continues to pour capital into physical assets while doubling down on their Lucid investment with another $200 million. Uber's physical asset strategy sparked a debate of whether or not Uber can truly remain asset-light and what impact agentic AI bots will have on their business.On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss Japan's autonomous vehicle investment goals, Tesla's Netherlands FSD approval, and WeRide's expansion into L2 ADAS.Episode Chapters00:00 Waymo Opens Miami & Orlando Markets, but No Disney World Yet01:36 The Mickey Mouse Tax: Who Gets the Disney Contract?07:54 Waymo Begins Autonomous Driving in London08:53 Wayve Raises $60M from Chipmakers12:32 Uber Doubles Down on Lucid22:27 Lyft's Flexdrive Nashville Depot for Waymo27:18 Will Agentic AI Make Rideshare Apps Obsolete?28:00 Maryland Lawmakers Fail to Vote, State Does Not Get Autonomous Vehicles30:36 Foreign Autonomy Desk32:58 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Waymo is now delivering hundreds of thousands of fully autonomous rides each week — but getting there required more than better models. It meant building a complete system for training, evaluating, and deploying a driver in the real world. In this episode — originally aired on the Cheeky Pint podcast — Waymo Co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov joins John Collison to break down how self-driving actually works today: from sensor fusion across LiDAR, radar, and cameras, to simulation, “critic” models, and the role of AI in decision-making. They also explore why full autonomy is fundamentally different from driver-assist, what it takes to scale globally, and how recent advances in AI are reshaping the path forward.   Resources: Follow Dmitri Dolgov on X - https://x.com/dmitri_dolgov Follow John Collison on X - https://x.com/collision Stay Updated:Find a16z on YouTube: YouTubeFind a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Show on SpotifyListen to the a16z Show on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg 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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Ukraine's emerging role in the autonomy economy, the macroeconomic environment for Physical AI, train automation, and accelerating warehouse automation.Ukraine has achieved the largest real-world stress testing of autonomous systems in recorded history, deploying ground and aerial systems for over 22,000 missions in the first three months of the year. AUTNMY AI‘s proprietary OMEGA algorithm assesses that Ukraine's combat data-sharing initiative, which offers allied governments and tech startups access to real battlefield data, is the most underpriced event in the global autonomy economy.Then there is the macroeconomic environment for Physical AI, that is fundamentally more supportive and durable than the hype of the 2017/2018 Industry 4.0 cycle. Today it's all about economics and the return on investment. Unlike previously, companies can now deploy a $250,000 autonomous construction system to replace $180,000-a-year skilled labor cost and achieve an 18-month payback period that is practically immune to interest rate cycles.While that is the Physical AI macroeconomic environment, the rail environment for autonomy is still in flux, despite a recently struck deal between Union Pacific and the American Train Dispatchers Association (ATDA). The deal between Union Pacific and ATDA will see the railroad guarantee lifetime employment for 1,300 current active dispatchers in exchange for supporting a proposed merger with Norfolk Southern and not opposing automation.While the ATDA will not oppose automation as long as the merger closes, the 125,000-member SMART-TD union explicitly excluded automation concessions from their national agreement. With a new agreement coming in 2030, this is the one to watch.While we wait for negotiations in that deal to open in 2029, warehouse automation is currently leading to a 10% increase in rents for automation-ready facilities. Premium, power-dense industrial properties are emerging as a foundational layer in the global autonomy economy.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI01:18 Signal 1: Ukraine's Emerging Role in the Autonomy Economy30:57 Signal 2: The Macro Environment for Physical AI55:25 Signal 3: Train Automation Gains Steam in the U.S. (Or So it Appears)1:18:41 Signal 4: Warehouse Automation Accelerates--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

David Millard, Co-Founder & CEO of Azalea Robotics joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss building and deploying autonomous robotics baggage handling robots in airports.The company's flagship robot, the ARC One, is a mobile, cage-free autonomous system that utilizes suction gripper technology and computer vision to pick, scan, and place bags onto carts inside airport bag rooms.With over 2 million bags lost annually in the U.S., Azalea is looking to solve the lost baggage problem. Requiring zero infrastructure modifications, Azalea is designed to scale with a flexible business model that enables airports and airlines to scale up and scale down as required by operations.Episode Chapters0:00 AUTNMY AI0:24 Building Autonomous Baggage Handling Robots5:44 ARC 1 Robot9:34 Deploying ARC 1 Robots at Airports27:57 Robots as a Service38:50 Scaling Beyond Airports --------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading market intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Uber and VW validating the ID. Buzz in Los Angeles as they prepare for commercial service, Europe's first commercial robotaxi service, and Waymo's New York City dilemma.With Uber and VW's MOIA conducting on-road validation testing for the ID. Buzz in Los Angeles, the conversation evolves into a deeper discussion around what a launch means. Is it considered a launch if there are safety drivers?As Uber launches new robotaxi markets with safety drivers, Waymo continues to open new markets without them. This week Waymo brought Nashville online with fully autonomous commercial service across a 60-square-mile area.Waymo's launch partner in Nashville is Lyft, but a post on X from Lyft CEO David Risher hinted that Lyft's Flexdrive depot is not yet fully operational, leading Grayson and Walt to debate whether this deal came together faster than either side anticipated.Then there is New York, a city that appears to not want autonomous vehicles. The New York City Department of Transportation did not renew Waymo's testing permit, which expired on March 31st. Which means Waymo can no longer test in autonomous mode, but they can drive the city and gather data, acting as a mobile billboard to build local buzz and political pressure.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discuss Tesla FSD 14.3.Episode Chapters00:00 Sidewalk Robots in Philadelphia Go Overboard 01:33 Uber and MOIA Begin On-Road Validation Testing08:35 Uber/Verne/Pony AI Launch First Europe Robotaxi Service 14:46 Waymo Open Nashville Market with Lyft22:20 New York Says, No Autonomy For You!30:47 Walt's Take on Tesla FSD 14.338:34 PlusAI's Revenue Projections40:29 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading market intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss the Artemis II mission, Amazon's coordinated embodied AI acquisitions, HD Hyundai's Avikus DNV maritime autonomy certification from Norway, and declining AI bubble odds on Polymarket.NASA's Artemis II crew traveled 252,756 miles from Earth, surpassing Apollo 13 by over 4,000 miles. An achievement that is extraordinary in itself. AUTNMY AI‘s proprietary OMEGA algorithm identified the mission as a human supervised automation event, not a fully autonomous one, creating a semantic conflation risk as the market is mispricing how autonomous the program truly is today.With Artemis III scheduled for 2028 and self-driving lunar terrain vehicles part of the mission, autonomous vehicles will most likely be operating on the moon before New York City due to New York State and City policy. The constraint is policy, not technology.Amazon's simultaneous acquisition of Fauna Robotics and RIVR is a coordinated platform play to acquire real world interaction data at a moment of physical AI data scarcity. While Amazon made acquisitions, BMW deployed a Hexagon wheeled humanoid on its German production line, and Figure AI said they can assemble a humanoid in 90 minutes, with consolidation emerging as the defining structural trend in embodied AI.From embodied AI to maritime autonomy, the autonomy economy is beginning to take shape. HD Hyundai's HiNAS navigation system recently received DNV type approval from Norway, enabling fully autonomous commercial vessel operations as the risk of NVIDIA moving into maritime autonomy and vertically integrating lingers.Polymarket AI bubble odds declined to 19%. With OMEGA assesses that the bubble framing is wrong. The operative risk is which layer of the stack survives the transition from speculative deployment to industrial accountability.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI01:10 Signal 1: Artemis || Launch and the Autonomy Gap25:21 Signal 2: Early Signs of Embodied AI Consolidation57:12 Signal 3: Maritime Autonomy01:16:46 Signal 4: Polymarket AI Bubble Odds Decline to 19%01:23:39 Closing--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Discover the real-world experience of driverless cars as Steven Scott and Shaun Preece explore Tesla Robotaxis, Waymo, and Amazon's futuristic ZooX with Kevin Chao. Learn how these autonomous vehicles work, their accessibility for blind passengers, and which service leads in safety and usability. [Sponsor] This episode is supported by Pneuma Solutions. Creators of accessible tools like Remote Incident Manager and Scribe. Get $20 off with code dt20 at https://pneumasolutions.com/ and enter to win a free subscription at doubletaponair.com/subscribe! In this episode, the Double Tap team dives into the future of autonomous transport. Kevin Chao joins Steven and Shaun to share his first-hand experiences riding in Waymo, Tesla Robotaxi, and Amazon ZooX vehicles across the United States. They discuss the accessibility of each service for blind users, including app usability, audio guidance, and in-car controls. Key points include: How Waymo leads in accessibility with voiceover support, haptic feedback, and detailed audio orientation. Tesla Robotaxi's strengths in affordability and safety, with some accessibility gaps for music and navigation. Amazon ZooX's sci-fi design and free rides—but major accessibility shortcomings with app and in-car controls. Honest reflections on safety, independence, and why driverless cars could transform mobility for blind travelers. Relevant Links Waymo: https://waymo.com Tesla Robotaxi: https://www.tesla.com/robotaxi Amazon ZooX: https://zoox.com ----Follow on:YouTube: https://www.doubletaponair.com/youtubeX (formerly Twitter): https://www.doubletaponair.com/xInstagram: https://www.doubletaponair.com/instagramTikTok: https://www.doubletaponair.com/tiktokThreads: https://www.doubletaponair.com/threadsFacebook: https://www.doubletaponair.com/facebookLinkedIn: https://www.doubletaponair.com/linkedin Subscribe to the Podcast:Apple: https://www.doubletaponair.com/appleSpotify: https://www.doubletaponair.com/spotifyRSS: https://www.doubletaponair.com/podcastiHeadRadio: https://www.doubletaponair.com/iheart About Double TapHosted by the insightful duo, Steven Scott and Shaun Preece, Double Tap is a treasure trove of information for anyone who's blind or partially sighted and has a passion for tech. Steven and Shaun not only demystify tech, but they also regularly feature interviews and welcome guests from the community, fostering an interactive and engaging environment. Tune in every day of the week, and you'll discover how technology can seamlessly integrate into your life, enhancing daily tasks and experiences, even if your sight is limited."Double Tap" is a registered trademark of Double Tap Productions Inc. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Greg Okopal, Co-Founder & COO, Overland AI joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the founding of Overland AI at University of Washington.Early on, Overland AI participated in the DARPA RACER program, growing from a company operating out of shipping containers at a rally driving school in Snoqualmie, Washington, to recently raising a $100 million round led by 8VC with continued participation from Point72 Ventures.Today, Overland AI has autonomous vehicles embedded with the 82nd Airborne, where troops are actively using their flagship uncrewed vehicle, the Ultra, for last-mile resupply, establishing communications bubbles, and route-proofing ahead of manned convoys. The Ultra is designed to allow troops to easily swap payloads and perform maintenance directly in the field, increasing its modularity.Episode Chapters0:00 AUTNMY AI0:24 DARPA RACER Program7:43 Field First Development16:30 Designing the Ultra21:38 How Troops Are Using the Ultra30:25 When Do Weapons Enter the Picture?39:57 The Future of Overland AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading market intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™.Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Lucas McKenna, Director of Europe at Point One Navigation, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of robotics and autonomous systems. They cover topics including the SLAM algorithm and how robots map and position themselves in the world, the role of GPS and sensor fusion in precise localization, swarm robotics and the debate between centralized and decentralized robot intelligence, the differences between urban and rural robotics applications, specialized versus general-purpose robots, the business models around robot ownership and rental, and how autonomous mobility is taking shape differently in Europe versus the United States. They also touch on the cultural implications of robots becoming a fixture in everyday life and what it might mean for human community and connection.Show Notes- Lucas McKenna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-mckenna-79269053/- Point One Navigation: https://pointonenav.comTimestamps00:00 - Stewart introduces Luca McKenna from Point One Navigation, diving into robotics and the SLAM algorithm for simultaneous localization and mapping.05:00 - Luca explains swarm robotics, where multiple robots share environmental data, building collective maps that improve positioning accuracy over time.10:00 - Discussion shifts to urban versus rural robot deployment, covering drone delivery limitations, obstacle avoidance challenges, and skyscraper navigation complexity.15:00 - Luca distinguishes specialized versus general-purpose robots, predicting purpose-built machines like seed planters and window washers will dominate near-term deployment.20:00 - Stewart raises unstructured visual data challenges, drawing parallels to AI text processing, while Luca details GPS infrastructure layers enabling precise robot positioning.25:00 - Consumer robot visibility discussed, including Waymo expansion, autonomous delivery robots, and geographic limitations of current self-driving services.30:00 - Robot ownership versus rental models explored, touching on rare earth mineral costs, Chinese supply chains, and economic barriers to personal robot ownership.35:00 - Luca explains state estimation systems using GPS satellites, accelerometers, and gyroscopes working together, contrasting fundamental mathematics against machine learning approaches.40:00 - Sensor fusion parallels between smartphones and autonomous vehicles revealed, explaining how phones mirror car navigation systems at reduced accuracy and cost.45:00 - Conversation concludes examining robots impact on community culture, with Luca advocating autonomous public transit over individualist robotaxis to strengthen human connection.Key Insights1. SLAM is foundational to robot navigation. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) allows robots to map their environment and position themselves within it using computer vision and LiDAR sensors. Unlike humans, who instinctively understand their surroundings, robots require precise algorithmic systems to avoid obstacles and navigate safely.2. GPS and sensor fusion solve the positioning problem. Robots combine absolute sensors like GPS with relative sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes to maintain accurate positioning. In challenging environments like tunnels or dense cities, these sensors compensate for each other, ensuring continuous and reliable location data.3. Swarm robotics enables collective environmental intelligence. When one robot maps a new area, that data becomes available to all connected robots. This decentralized-yet-centralized model means the entire fleet benefits from each individual robot's experience, continuously improving map quality and navigation precision.4. Specialized robots will dominate before general-purpose ones. Rather than multipurpose humanoid robots, the near-term future favors robots designed for single tasks—delivering food, planting seeds, or drawing lane lines—because the economics and technical bar are far more achievable than building versatile machines.5. Urban, suburban, and rural environments demand different robotic solutions. Open skies in rural areas make GPS-based drones effective, while dense cities require complex sensor stacks. European approaches favor autonomous public transit, while American models lean toward individual robotaxi services.6. Robots will largely be rented as services, not owned. The high cost of hardware, rare earth minerals, and the extensive data required for safe operation makes personal robot ownership impractical for most consumers. Business models will resemble subscription or usage-based services.7. Fundamental mathematics still outperforms machine learning for positioning. Despite AI advances, state estimation systems rely on proven mathematical formulas rather than transformer-based models, which currently underperform classical methods in 3D reconstruction and precise localization tasks.

In this episode of the Crazy Wisdom Podcast, host Stewart Alsop sits down with Lucas McKenna, Director of Europe at Point One Navigation, for a wide-ranging conversation about the future of robotics and autonomous systems. They cover topics including the SLAM algorithm and how robots map and position themselves in the world, the role of GPS and sensor fusion in precise localization, swarm robotics and the debate between centralized and decentralized robot intelligence, the differences between urban and rural robotics applications, specialized versus general-purpose robots, the business models around robot ownership and rental, and how autonomous mobility is taking shape differently in Europe versus the United States. They also touch on the cultural implications of robots becoming a fixture in everyday life and what it might mean for human community and connection.Show Notes- Lucas McKenna on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lucas-mckenna-79269053/- Point One Navigation: https://pointonenav.comTimestamps00:00 - Stewart introduces Luca McKenna from Point One Navigation, diving into robotics and the SLAM algorithm for simultaneous localization and mapping.05:00 - Luca explains swarm robotics, where multiple robots share environmental data, building collective maps that improve positioning accuracy over time.10:00 - Discussion shifts to urban versus rural robot deployment, covering drone delivery limitations, obstacle avoidance challenges, and skyscraper navigation complexity.15:00 - Luca distinguishes specialized versus general-purpose robots, predicting purpose-built machines like seed planters and window washers will dominate near-term deployment.20:00 - Stewart raises unstructured visual data challenges, drawing parallels to AI text processing, while Luca details GPS infrastructure layers enabling precise robot positioning.25:00 - Consumer robot visibility discussed, including Waymo expansion, autonomous delivery robots, and geographic limitations of current self-driving services.30:00 - Robot ownership versus rental models explored, touching on rare earth mineral costs, Chinese supply chains, and economic barriers to personal robot ownership.35:00 - Luca explains state estimation systems using GPS satellites, accelerometers, and gyroscopes working together, contrasting fundamental mathematics against machine learning approaches.40:00 - Sensor fusion parallels between smartphones and autonomous vehicles revealed, explaining how phones mirror car navigation systems at reduced accuracy and cost.45:00 - Conversation concludes examining robots impact on community culture, with Luca advocating autonomous public transit over individualist robotaxis to strengthen human connection.Key Insights1. SLAM is foundational to robot navigation. Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) allows robots to map their environment and position themselves within it using computer vision and LiDAR sensors. Unlike humans, who instinctively understand their surroundings, robots require precise algorithmic systems to avoid obstacles and navigate safely.2. GPS and sensor fusion solve the positioning problem. Robots combine absolute sensors like GPS with relative sensors like accelerometers and gyroscopes to maintain accurate positioning. In challenging environments like tunnels or dense cities, these sensors compensate for each other, ensuring continuous and reliable location data.3. Swarm robotics enables collective environmental intelligence. When one robot maps a new area, that data becomes available to all connected robots. This decentralized-yet-centralized model means the entire fleet benefits from each individual robot's experience, continuously improving map quality and navigation precision.4. Specialized robots will dominate before general-purpose ones. Rather than multipurpose humanoid robots, the near-term future favors robots designed for single tasks—delivering food, planting seeds, or drawing lane lines—because the economics and technical bar are far more achievable than building versatile machines.5. Urban, suburban, and rural environments demand different robotic solutions. Open skies in rural areas make GPS-based drones effective, while dense cities require complex sensor stacks. European approaches favor autonomous public transit, while American models lean toward individual robotaxi services.6. Robots will largely be rented as services, not owned. The high cost of hardware, rare earth minerals, and the extensive data required for safe operation makes personal robot ownership impractical for most consumers. Business models will resemble subscription or usage-based services.7. Fundamental mathematics still outperforms machine learning for positioning. Despite AI advances, state estimation systems rely on proven mathematical formulas rather than transformer-based models, which currently underperform classical methods in 3D reconstruction and precise localization tasks.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Waymo expanding service to the San Antonio Airport, the company's need for another OEM partner and Baidu's mishap in China.With Waymo opening service at the San Antonio Airport complete with curbside drop offs and a short walk to the designated rideshare pickup area, the conversation evolves into a deeper discussion about airport politics and robotaxis.Which brings us to Waymo and their current vehicle fleet. Does Waymo have enough vehicles to continue to scale at the pace they are scaling? Or do they need an additional OEM partner? Or will an 800 volt charging architecture solve their vehicle supply issue? Walt says Waymo needs more vehicles, while Grayson predicts that Waymo will announce an additional OEM partner by the end of the year and give the market more details on their relationship with Toyota.Over in China, Baidu's Apollo Go suffered a major mishap with vehicles stopping, causing crashes and trapping passengers for up to two hours in their robotaxis, raising questions about the current state of Chinese autonomous driving technology.Wrapping up the conversation, Grayson and Walt discuss WeRide going driverless in Dubai with Uber and launching 11 vehicles in Singapore with Grab as part of the foreign autonomy desk.Episode Chapters00:00 Waymo Expands to the San Antonio Airport06:07 Does Waymo Need Another OEM Partner?13:24 800 Volt Charging Architecture and Fleet Scaling19:05 Baidu's Apollo Go Robotaxis Fail in Wuhan23:47 China's Autonomous Belt and Road Strategy26:33 Waabi30:02 Tesla Austin Robotaxi Expansion33:14 FSD 14.338:00 Senator Markey Remote Operators Investigation41:34 Foreign Autonomy Desk45:50 Next Week--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Artificial Intelligence is no longer on the horizon—it is here, accelerating faster than most people realize.In Episode 470 of The Andrew Parker Show, Andrew sits down with Silicon Valley technologist and AI investor Dan Garon for a candid, wide-ranging conversation on what may be the most significant technological shift in modern history.From the rise of AI “agents” to autonomous vehicles, legal disruption, healthcare transformation, and national security implications, this episode explores both the promise and the risk of a rapidly evolving AI-driven world. Is AI creating unprecedented abundance—or concentrating power in the hands of a few? What happens to jobs, education, and the global balance of power? And perhaps most importantly, how should individuals and businesses prepare for what comes next?This is not a theoretical discussion. The AI economy is already here—and those who understand it will shape the future.Support the showThe Andrew Parker Show - Politics, Israel & The Law.  Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube and X. Subscribe to our email list at www.theandrewparkershow.comCopyright © 2026 The Andrew Parker Show - All Rights Reserved. 

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss China's $400 billion robotics investment, surging Chinese auto exports with advanced autonomous driving systems (ADAS), and rising compute costs that could reshape the autonomy economy.China is preparing to invest $400 billion in robotics this year as the country looks to further strengthen its current physical AI dominance. As China prepares to further invest in robotics, Chinese technology companies such as Xpeng that manufacture electric vehicles are beginning to share manufacturing lines and supply chains between electric vehicles and humanoid robots, reducing labor costs by 35%.With Xpeng aims to produce a thousand humanoids a month by year end. AUTNMY AI's proprietary AI algorithm, OMEGA, assesses that this convergence ensures Chinese humanoid platforms could achieve commercial viability 24 to 36 months ahead of US counterparts, and that standalone US robotics startups lacking automotive manufacturing synergies could face a mass extinction event by 2028.As China invests in robotics at home, Chinese automakers exported a record 7.1 million cars in 2025 with nearly 50% featuring advanced ADAS, and that pattern is only accelerating in 2026 partly due to margin compression on the mainland.While China is accelerating its export of electric vehicles with ADAS, Chinese autonomous vehicle companies, WeRide, Baidu and Pony AI are rapidly expanding into the Middle East, Europe, and Southeast Asia through partnerships with Uber and Lyft, allowing these companies to bypass customer acquisition costs and avoid potential regulatory friction.This is setting up to be a potential Autonomous Belt and Road Initiative, where China embeds its autonomous driving technology into global transit systems, both public and private sector, the same way Belt and Road embedded Chinese influence through infrastructure investment.Closing out the show, the third signal points to a potential compute cost inflation cycle with AMD and Intel likely looking to raise chip prices 15% amid a global shortage. Tying all of the signals together, OMEGA assesses that the primary constraints on the autonomy economy are no longer software or LLM capabilities but NdFeB magnets, high torque actuators, and advanced semiconductor packaging.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI00:40 Signal 1: China's Planned $400 Billion Investment in Robotics21:11 Signal 2: Surging Chinese Automotive Exports & Growing Global Robotaxi Expansions 40:06 Signal 3: Increasing Compute Costs44:01 Closing--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the leading market intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Martyn Briggs, Director, Thematic Investing Strategy, Bank of America joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss why Physical AI is no longer a concept on the horizon but an era that continues to emerge across humanoids, autonomous vehicles, drones, and industrial robotics.AI has left the chat, and is moving from digital text-based intelligence to the physical world. Last year, 20,000 humanoids were manufactured, 80 percent of which were in China. The market for humanoids is projected to grow exponentially to 1.2 million by 2030 and 10 million by 2035, driven by falling component costs, simulation-to-real transfer breakthroughs, and the convergence of generative AI with robotics.Across the autonomous vehicle landscape, L2+ advanced driver assistance is emerging as the trust gateway to full L4 autonomy. As consumers grow comfortable with supervised automation on highways, the path to trusting robotaxis becomes shorter and shorter. The physical AI opportunity extends well beyond the United States, with Europe and the UK positioned to deploy robotaxis as an economic driver across dense urban corridors.Episode Chapters0:00 AUTNMY AI00:24 Physical AI Primer07:51 Open Source Physical AI Models12:46 The ChatGPT Moment for Robotics15:56 Scaling Humanoids27:17 Capital Flowing to Embodied AI29:28 Fleet Infrastructure, Real Estate & Charging31:43 OEM Struggles, Consumer Demand for L442:08 Waymo in London & Europe's Robotaxi Opportunity49:16 UAE as a Global Autonomy Market52:14 Autonomous Trucking57:30 Drones and Scaling Physical AI59:53 The Future of Physical AI--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What do Big Tobacco, social media algorithms, and the Strait of Hormuz have in common? They're all reshaping insurance right now. In this episode of RiskCellar, Brandon and Nick crack open a bottle and break down the insurance angles behind the biggest stories of 2026, Meta's landmark social media liability ruling, nuclear verdicts hitting record highs, and a first-of-its-kind federal ruling on AI and attorney-client privilege.Brandon and Nick call Meta's social media addiction verdict a "Big Tobacco moment" for tech, and break down why courts ruled insurance coverage doesn't apply. They unpack the latest nuclear verdict data showing a 300%+ rise since 2015, cover Chubb and the USDFC building a government-backed Strait of Hormuz insurance facility, and discuss Uber's emerging role as the "Apple App Store of autonomy" in the autonomous vehicle space.The standout legal story is U.S. v. Heppner, the first federal ruling confirming AI chatbot conversations are not protected by attorney-client privilege. They close with a sharp conversation on truth as the future's most valuable commodity and Three Truths and a Lie: UK Edition.Key TakeawaysMeta's social media verdict is a "Big Tobacco moment", but damages may not be big enough to change behaviorCourts ruled Meta's conduct was intentional, so insurers don't have to cover the verdictNuclear verdicts are up 300%+ since 2015, tort reform is gaining steam but remains gridlockedChubb + USDFC are building a TRIA-style facility for ships navigating the Strait of HormuzU.S. v. Heppner confirmed AI chatbot conversations are NOT protected by attorney-client privilegeUber controls ~70% of U.S. ride-share access, likely the gatekeeper of autonomous vehicle adoptionAI tools are cutting insurance submission time from hours to minutes, use enterprise versions for data privacyTimestamps00:00 Cold Open & Weekend Catch-Up06:18 Wine of the Night: Liquid Farm Pinot & Callejon Malbec09:41 Pricing Corrections & Commercial Loss Development12:41 Autonomous Vehicles & Uber's Role as Gatekeeper19:50 Meta's Big Tobacco Moment: Social Media Liability27:17 Data Privacy, App Permissions & the GM Controversy29:35 Iran, Strait of Hormuz & Insurance Implications41:19 Nuclear Verdicts: 300% Rise & Tort Reform48:35 U.S. v. Heppner: AI Chats Are Not Privileged51:10 AI Rent Pricing Antitrust Case54:18 Truth as the Commodity of the Future56:37 Three Truths and a Lie: UK EditionFact Checks (Corrections only)Meta verdict total: The $14–20B figure discussed refers to MDL settlement estimates for 42,000+ plaintiffs. The first individual bellwether trial (March 25, 2026, L.A.) awarded $6M to one plaintiff, $3M compensatory + $3M punitive, against Meta and YouTubeNuclear verdicts baseline: The 300% rise most accurately tracks 2020–2023. In 2024: 135 nuclear verdicts totaling $31.3B, up 116% year-over-yearTexas renewables: Hosts self-corrected live. Accurate figure is ~37–40% wind + solar (not 78%) as of 2025U.S. v. Heppner: Confirmed, Feb 10, 2026, Judge Rakoff (S.D.N.Y.) ruled AI chatbot conversations with public tools are NOT attorney-client privilegedConnect with RiskCellar:Website: https://www.riskcellar.com/Brandon Schuh:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552710523314LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-stephen-schuh/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/schuhpapa/Nick Hartmann:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickjhartmann/

This Monday edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, hosted by Malcolm and The Dude, explores the landscape of risk, fleet safety, and the future of autonomous multimodal transportation.The episode features Bob O'Connell, a Strategic Account Executive from JJ Keller & Associates, who identifies major "risk blind spots" for fleet owners. O'Connell urges leaders to adopt a "merger and acquisition" mindset, suggesting that operating as if you are under constant financial and operational scrutiny forces a level of discipline that mitigates risk. He further emphasizes the necessity of strengthening regulatory expertise and maintaining "litigation-ready" record-keeping, noting that in the eyes of a plaintiff attorney, if an action wasn't written down, it effectively never happened.Closing out the show, Kevin Damoa, CEO of Glid, shares how his company is reindustrializing the first mile through "physical AI". He explains how Glid's autonomous vehicles, like Radon and Glidrim, are designed to transition seamlessly between road and rail, allowing cargo to bypass derailments or traffic congestion by simply driving around obstructions and getting back on the track. Damoa introduces Ezra 16, a new orchestration tool aimed at balancing ground-based corridors and solving labor shortages by making underutilized rail networks more accessible for short-mile logistics. Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor - JJ KELLER Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This Monday edition of WHAT THE TRUCK?!?, hosted by Malcolm and The Dude, explores the landscape of risk, fleet safety, and the future of autonomous multimodal transportation.The episode features Bob O'Connell, a Strategic Account Executive from JJ Keller & Associates, who identifies major "risk blind spots" for fleet owners. O'Connell urges leaders to adopt a "merger and acquisition" mindset, suggesting that operating as if you are under constant financial and operational scrutiny forces a level of discipline that mitigates risk. He further emphasizes the necessity of strengthening regulatory expertise and maintaining "litigation-ready" record-keeping, noting that in the eyes of a plaintiff attorney, if an action wasn't written down, it effectively never happened.Closing out the show, Kevin Damoa, CEO of Glid, shares how his company is reindustrializing the first mile through "physical AI". He explains how Glid's autonomous vehicles, like Radon and Glidrim, are designed to transition seamlessly between road and rail, allowing cargo to bypass derailments or traffic congestion by simply driving around obstructions and getting back on the track. Damoa introduces Ezra 16, a new orchestration tool aimed at balancing ground-based corridors and solving labor shortages by making underutilized rail networks more accessible for short-mile logistics. Watch on YouTube Visit our sponsor - JJ KELLER Subscribe to the WTT newsletter Apple Podcasts Spotify More FreightWaves Podcasts #WHATTHETRUCK #FreightNews #supplychain Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk headed to Dallas to attend Forward Fort Worth. While in town, they rode in several Waymos and in Uber's autonomous vehicle partners Avride and May Mobility, and discovered two Waymo depots in Dallas.The Waymo driver in Dallas was noticeably more cautious than in the Bay Area or Miami, but overall a great experience. While riding around in Waymos, Grayson discovered two depots on opposite ends of downtown Dallas. One appeared to be a temporary depot with portable charging, while the other was not yet operational but had charging infrastructure built out with a design matching Waymo's Santa Monica and Miami depots.While Grayson rode around in Waymos, Walt headed to Arlington for an update on May Mobility's progress. He noticed a smoother ride than his prior experience last year, though he still encountered heavy braking. Last but not least, both Grayson and Walt successfully ordered Avride robotaxis on the Uber X tier after a Dallas police officer pointed Grayson to the best spot to get matched with an AV on the Uber platform.Closing out the show, Grayson and Walt discuss Nissan's autonomous vehicle strategy through its Wayve partnership and Zoox's upcoming Miami and Atlanta launches, while reigniting the LiDAR versus vision debate.Episode Chapters00:00 Forward Fort Worth02:47 Waymo in Dallas: Ride Experience and Depot Discoveries12:25 May Mobility in Arlington: Ride Experience & Uber Launch Timeline16:45 Avride in Dallas: Ride Experience21:49 Uber's Multi-Partner Strategy30:27 Nissan's Autonomous Vehicle Strategy33:18 Zoox's Pending Miami & Atlanta Launches36:11 LiDAR vs. Vision Debate41:50 Tesla Robotaxis in Dallas43:28 Foreign Autonomy Desk48:36 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, March 27, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Investing Power Hour is live-streamed every Thursday on the Chit Chat Stocks Podcast YouTube channel at 5:00 PM EST. This week we discussed:(00:00) Introduction(03:06) Luxury Stocks: Analyzing the Drawdown(12:31) Fundrise Innovation Fund: A New Venture in Private Tech(30:16) Grab's Expansion into Taiwan: Strategic Acquisition(42:28) Autonomous Vehicles and Delivery Efficiency(50:07) Small Cap Spotlight: Loar Holdings(55:16) Meta's New Legal Challenges*****************************************************Subscribe to Emerging Moats Research: emergingmoats.com *********************************************************************Chit Chat Stocks is presented by Interactive Brokers. Get professional pricing, global access, and premier technology with the best brokerage for investors today: https://www.interactivebrokers.com/ Interactive Brokers is a member of SIPC. *********************************************************************Fiscal.ai is building the future of financial data.With custom charts, AI-generated research reports, and endless analytical tools, you can get up to speed on any stock around the globe. All for a reasonable price. Use our LINK and get 15% off any premium plan: ⁠https://fiscal.ai/chitchat *********************************************************************Disclosure: Chit Chat Stocks hosts and guests are not financial advisors, and nothing they say on this show is formal advice or a recommendation.

Taylor talks with Brent Muth at Ojai's MOB bike shop and then at a farmer's market with Annette, a member of the international nonprofit Cycling Without Age, which takes the elderly out for free bike rides (1:33). The League of American Bicyclists' National Bike Summit https://bikeleague.org/events/summit/ (9:33). Charlie's News: Cambridge, Massachusetts has seen a 250% ridership increase over two decades, with a crash rate decrease https://momentummag.com/city-shows-the-huge-payoff-for-investing-in-safe-cycling-infrastructure-with-250-increase/. There will be a National Town Hall on April 15th for the Stop Underrides Act of 2026 https://annaleahmary.com/2026/02/stop-underrides-national-town-hall-save-the-date/. Bike lanes next to the National Mall are set to be removed despite lower crash rates and faster car travel times https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2026/03/20/15th-street-dc-bike-lane-removal/. The NYPD will stop giving cyclists criminal summonses for minor offenses https://nyc.streetsblog.org/2026/03/18/mamdani-ends-nypd-ebike-cyclist-criminal-summons (10:18). Listener Email: Terry Fitzgerald questions our “cyclists can do no wrong” approach, but gets Bike Talk stickers for a positive review on Apple (13:09). A meta study on how Autonomous Vehicles can be safer yet may increase Vehicle Miles Traveled and displace transit. With Farah Naz, University of Texas-Arlington, co-author of the study https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2214367X26000372?via%3Dihub (16:05). Bob Middlestaedt and Asha Weinstein Agrawal discuss the Mineta Transportation Institute report on ebikes and an e-moto “rogues gallery” of illegal ebikes https://www.ebikeaccess.org/rogue-gallery-e-motos-to-avoid https://transweb.sjsu.edu/research/2423-Electric-Bicycle-Safety-Data-Policy (31:28). The irrational fear of ebikes in Massachusetts and a Micromobility report by MassBike, with Galen Mook, a.k.a. “Mookmaster Bikes,” the Executive Director of MassBike, and friend-of-the-show bike shop owner/mechanic Jim Cadenhead https://www.mass.gov/doc/special-commission-on-micromobility-report-january-2026/download (49:34). A study shows biking may reduce dementia https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2835115 (54:59).

This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Tesla Optimus delays driven by China's rare earth export controls, the EU's push to slow AI regulation and what it means for autonomous vehicles, and Waymo's potential expansion into Canada.China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) has classified humanoid robot actuator components as dual-use technology, requiring foreign manufacturers to share technical specifications to obtain export licenses. Tesla relies on Chinese suppliers for the specialized rare earth magnets that give Optimus its 22-degree hand dexterity, and with China controlling 90% of that supply, delays could persist.AUTNMY AI's proprietary AI algorithm, OMEGA, analyzed the impact of a potential export ban, which could increase the price from $46,000 to produce Optimus parts in China to $133,000 if all production moves to America. If this were to happen, it would lead to a delay in Optimus, and this is further compounded by an FTC investigation into whether over 60% Chinese component content disqualifies Tesla's made-in-America branding.Then there is the MIIT's March 2nd humanoid robot standardization directive, which requires Chinese suppliers to prioritize domestic manufacturers such as Unitree and Xiaomi over foreign customers including Tesla, which creates an additional supplier prioritization risk on top of the export control risk.Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss Waymo's potential Canadian expansion, examining lobbying records that show Waymo Co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana met with Toronto council staff to discuss ride-hail, goods delivery, and commercial operating authorizations. OMEGA also discovered lobbying records showing Waymo has been lobbying British Columbia to change the laws to allow L4 autonomous vehicles, pointing to a potential Vancouver expansion.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI00:24 Signal 1: Potenial Tesla Optimus Gen 3 Delay23:35 Signal 2: Europe Delays Classifying L4 Autonomous Vehicles as High Risk48:45 Signal 3: Waymo Eyes Canadian Expansion51:29 Closing--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Tete Xiao, VP of Engineering and AI, Bot Auto joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy to discuss the fundamental shift from virtual AI to the physical AI required for commercial autonomous trucking.Tete co-authored Segment Anything, the landmark paper that ushered in the era of specific models to an era of foundation models that generalize across large segments of data. This approach which he is implementing at Bot Auto, enables the company to move beyond the limitations of previous technology, treating autonomous trucking as a compute-driven challenge where the system learns to navigate the complex physics of driving a truck.To ensure safety, Bot Auto is utilizing a top-down redundancy architecture that mirrors aviation's triple autopilot systems. Including dual onboard computers and independent software stacks running parallel algorithms with deliberately different logic to prevent a single failure from propagating through the system.This spring, Bot Auto is planning to launch fully autonomous commercial operations with Ryan Transportation on the Houston to Dallas corridor. No safety driver. No safety observer. No human in the cab.Episode Chapters00:00 AUTNMY AI00:25 Segment Anything05:04 Virtual AI to Physical AI09:08 Redundancy and Aviation-Inspired Architecture13:40 Hardware and Software17:00 Launching Fully Autonomous Operations20:00 Foundation Models and Reinforcement Learning27:52 Compute Infrastructure35:22 Staying Ahead42:30 Building a Virtual Driver47:06 AGI48:36 Transportation Company53:59 Future of Bot Auto--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss NVIDIAs autonomous driving ambitions, Uber's Rivian robotaxi deal, and what all of these deals will eventually mean for the robotaxi market.It appears that NVIDIA is aiming to become the Android of autonomous driving, signing up OEMs and positioning itself as a platform provider while insisting it is not the solutions provider. Uber, which has a deal with NVIDIA, clearly wants to be a robotaxi solutions partner, as yhey are actively preparing to deploy NVIDIA-powered robotaxis in 28 cities by 2028 across North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia.Then there is the surprise Uber/Rivian deal, which will see Uber invest up to $1.25 billion into Rivian with $300 million upfront and four milestone payments based on undisclosed achievements of certain autonomous milestones by specific dates.Closing out the show, Grayson and Walt discuss Waymo's milestone of surpassing 170 million fully autonomous miles with no safety drivers, Nuro's growing robotaxi test fleet, and the Foreign Autonomy Desk.Episode Chapters00:00 NVIDIA GTC04:06 Jensen Huang; NVIDIA is Not a Solutions Provider11:23 Uber/NVIDIA Partnership25:52 Uber/Rivian Robotaxi Deal32:02 Waymo: 170m+ Autonomous Miles and Counting33:01 Foreign Autonomy Desk34:44 Next Week Recorded on Friday, March 20, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Think 5G is about faster phones? That's what telecom companies want consumers to believe. The truth is far more interesting. In this episode, Elena Fersman (VP and Head of AI Innovation at Ericsson) reveals what 5G networks are really built for: industries, not consumers. Through network slicing, edge computing, and cognitive systems, 5G creates the infrastructure that makes AI applications possible at scale—from remote surgery where milliseconds matter, to AR/VR without wearing a backpack of GPUs, to factory floors with autonomous heavy machinery. Elena also shares surprising stories: how establishing a simple communication link led to 20% fuel savings for a shipping company, why autonomous networks are safer than human operators (the elevator operator analogy is perfect), and why Ericsson's trustworthy AI research has been running for 15 years. If you're an IT leader trying to understand where networks and AI intersect, or you're struggling with AI deployment and don't know where to start, this conversation cuts through the hype with practical frameworks and real-world examples from someone who's been in the trenches for two decades.   Chapters: 00:00 - The Risk of Not Deploying AI 03:05 - The AI RAN Alliance: AI and Networks as Symbiotic Partners 10:03 - Why 5G Is Built for Industries, Not Consumers 13:54 - How AI Optimizes Networks (Energy, Predictions, Handoffs) 21:06 - Cognitive Networks and Self-Organization 29:02 - Real-World Impact: 20% Fuel Savings for Shipping 30:52 - What Makes AI Projects Scale vs Fail 41:11 - The Critical First Step: Data Management Over Algorithms 57:25 - Confessions of an AI Brain: The Positive Future 1:01:02 - Why Autonomous Systems Are Safer Than Humans -- This episode of IT Visionaries is brought to you by Meter - the company building better networks. Businesses today are frustrated with outdated providers, rigid pricing, and fragmented tools. Meter changes that with a single integrated solution that covers everything wired, wireless, and even cellular networking. They design the hardware, write the firmware, build the software, and manage it all so your team doesn't have to.That means you get fast, secure, and scalable connectivity without the complexity of juggling multiple providers. Thanks to meter for sponsoring. Go to meter.com/itv to book a demo.---IT Visionaries is made by the team at Mission.org. Learn more about our media studio and network of podcasts at mission.org. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Danny Bernstein, Founder & CEO, Reservoir joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Physical AI and the growing role it is playing in agriculture.Currently, less than 2% of this high-value agricultural sector is automated, creating a significant growth opportunity that Reservoir is positioned to capture through a startup incubator specifically designed for Physical AI and specialty crops.By utilizing a 40-acre farm in Salinas paired with an adjacent 6,000-square-foot prototyping studio, Reservoir offers startups immediate access to a commercial testing ground. This infrastructure eliminates the traditional six-to-nine-month delay between raising venture capital and deploying on a real farm, allowing founders to roll their machines directly into the field.Reservoir's methodology emphasizes deep rural integration to solve complex labor and economic challenges. By encouraging founders to immerse themselves in local farming communities, Reservoir helps startups build trust and fit their solutions into existing agricultural cost structures. This approach has enabled successful innovations ranging from AI-powered drones for bird mitigation to specialized disease detection for vineyards.Reservoir's Physical AI ecosystem functions as the Olympic Village of Ag Tech, hosting dense cohorts of international and domestic startups working side by side. This collaborative environment enables companies to share foundational technologies while gaining direct access to major agricultural incumbents and corporate partners.To further fuel this ecosystem, Reservoir operates a $50 million early-stage venture fund dedicated to ag tech and Physical AI applications.Looking ahead, Danny envisions Reservoir expanding to five or six locations across the American West, with active and planned sites in Sonoma County, the Central Valley, Washington State, and Arizona.By elevating ag tech's position within the global autonomy economy, Reservoir aims to drive double-digit automation adoption within five years, fundamentally transforming rural workforce development and securing the global food supply.Episode Chapters00:00 Less than 2% of Specialty Crop Agriculture is Automated07:32 Physical AI on Farms13:35 The Six to Nine Month Farm Access Problem18:49 Inside Reservoir Farms26:01 The Olympic Village of Ag Tech32:29 Building Trust with Farmers43:19 The Growth of Automation and Autonomy on Farms47:50 The Future of Automation and Autonomy on Farms--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next.Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss their field work in Austin, Texas, where they rode in a Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi and walked the Cybercab production line at Giga Texas.Together they experienced Tesla's unsupervised roboataxi operations in Austin, specifically the moment they hailed and rode in a fully unsupervised Tesla Robotaxi with no safety attendant and no chase car. Grayson and Walt noted the vehicle's smooth performance, its routing differences versus supervised rides, and the absence of Mad Max or Hurry driving modes in unsupervised operation.his led to a broader discussion on Tesla's Cybercab production readiness, with both noting that Tesla appears prepared to scale. The conversation then shifts to the competitive landscape, examining Uber's big week of autonomous vehicle partnership announcements and the company's positioning relative to Tesla, Waymo, and the broader autonomy economy.Closing out the conversation, Grayson and Walt discuss Waymo's expanding footprint, the structural advantages Tesla holds through its charging infrastructure and factory integration, and what the Cybercab ramp means for the autonomy economy.Episode Chapters00:00 Riding in a Tesla Unsupervised Robotaxi5:45 Robotaxi Ride Experiences (Both Supervised and Unsupervised)11:25 Tesla's Austin Depot19:58 Walking the Cybercab Production Line at Giga Texas26:43 Waymo in Austin29:24 Uber Needs an Autonomous Vehicle Tier31:07 Uber's Big Week of Partnership Announcements42:52 Zoox's Sudden Change in Narrative51:53 Wayve Partners with Qualcomm53:34 U.S. DOT is Embracing Autonomy56:44 Autonomous Trucking1:02:00 Foreign Autonomy Desk1:02:43 Next week Recorded on Friday, March 13, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Matthew Carey, Co-Founder & CEO, Teradar, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the company's emergence from stealth with $150 million in funding and the creation of a brand-new category of terahertz (THz) sensors.The operational backbone of Teradar's strategy is a Terahertz Detection and Ranging (Rad-AR) approach that fills the gap between LiDAR and radar on the electromagnetic spectrum. By utilizing a modular architecture of Lego-like transmitter and receiver chips, the system provides the high-resolution point cloud typically associated with lidar while maintaining the all-weather robustness and velocity-sensing Doppler capabilities of radar. This solid-state design allows the sensor to be hidden behind vehicle bumpers or polymers, eliminating the need for bulky roof-mounted hardware.In the field, Teradar is rigorously applying its technology to solve the weather casino problem, proving the system's robustness in the heavy rain, snow, and dense fog of Boston. Unlike traditional vision or LiDAR systems that struggle with atmospheric particulates, Teradar's longer wavelengths can bend around rain and dust, ensuring consistent performance in environments where humans or other sensors might fail.Teradar's Physical AI ecosystem also includes a defense-grade application that provides situational awareness in combat environments without being easily detected. The atmosphere effectively blocks the sensor's signal beyond its intended range, allowing it to operate in dense traffic or military zones without jamming other sensors or revealing a vehicle's position to hostile actors.Looking ahead, Matt envisions a future where high-performance sensing reaches a mass-market inflection point by becoming affordable enough for every vehicle, from a Mercedes S-Class to a Ford Focus. By partnering with Tier 1 suppliers rather than vertically integrating, Teradar aims to scale to millions of units, fundamentally transforming the industry by delivering a sensor stack that costs hundreds, not thousands of dollars.Episode Chapters00:00 Teradar Emerges from Stealth03:01 Limitations of Existing Sensor Technologies05:54 Introducing Terahertz Sensing08:00 Defense and Battlefield Applications11:11 Modular Sensor Architecture17:00 Early Development and Startup Challenges26:54 Why Teradar Chose Boston36:11 Autonomous Vehicles and Weather46:06 Scaling Teradar--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Subscribe today for free: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walt Piecyk discuss Grayson's recent field work in Silicon Valley and Walt's observations in London.Together they examine Waymo's technical milestones, specifically Grayson's first-hand experience on the highway and at SFO. During Grayson's ride from SFO to Mountain View, he noted the vehicle's smooth performance across three lanes, its strict adherence to speed limits, and a rare instance of Waymo using its horn when it was cut off.This leads to a broader discussion on Waymo's rapid Miami expansion and their choice of fleet management partners. The conversation then shifts towards the competitive landscape and Grayson's attempt to use the Tesla's robotaxi app in the Valley, which was hampered by wait times exceeding 25 minutes.Over in London, Walt reported on the skepticism of London's black taxi drivers regarding Waymo's efforts in the UK. Closing out the conversation they discussed Glydways expansion in Atlanta and Newark.Episode Chapters00:00 Silicon Valley and London Field Work18:40 Google Gemini20:59 Waymo in London25:27 Waymo's Miami Beach Expansion29:16 Waymo's Fleet Management Strategy 31:55 Autonomous Vehicles in Virginia, Not This Year34:56 Waabi's Robotaxi Messaging 39:06 Glydways Expansion 42:47 Foreign Autonomy Desk43:26 Next WeekRecorded on Friday, March 6, 2026--------About The Road to AutonomyThe Road to Autonomy is the definitive media brand covering the Autonomy Economy™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary market intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth.Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What happens when AI bots get their own social network, Silicon Valley execs cozy up to power, and Apple takes a cut from creators? This week's panel calls out the bold, bizarre, and often problematic ways tech's biggest players are reshaping everything from AI assistants to your everyday privacy. There's a social network for AI agents, and it's getting weird Moltbook is the most interesting place on the internet right now Exposed Moltbook Database Let Anyone Take Control of Any AI Agent on the Site Pentagon clashes with Anthropic over military AI use, sources say Salesforce signs $5.6B deal to inject agentic AI into the US Army Angry Norfolk residents lose lawsuit to stop Flock license plate scanners SpaceX wants to put 1 million solar-powered data centers into orbit Elon Musk reportedly wants a June SpaceX IPO to align with his birthday, the planets Tesla hits a grim milestone: its second straight year of decline Tesla says production-ready Optimus robot is coming soon Microsoft reports strong cloud earnings in Q2 as gaming declines What We Learned From Meta, Microsoft and Tesla Apple tells Patreon to move creators to in-app purchase for subscriptions by November Apple CEO Tim Cook 'heartbroken' after repeated ICE killings in Minneapolis A rival smart glasses company is suing Meta over its Ray-Ban products TikTok, YouTube, and Meta are headed to court for a landmark trial over social media addiction The 'Social Media Addiction' Narrative May Be More Harmful Than Social Media Itself TikTok users freak out over app's 'immigration status' collection — here's what it means A Waymo hit a child near an elementary school in Santa Monica Autonomous cars, drones cheerfully obey prompt injection by road sign Samsung's TriFold phone will cost $2,899 in the US Groundhogs are bad at predicting weather, but they're valuable animal engineers Satellites encased in wood are in the works Belkin reminds users that its Wemo smart home products are shutting down this week Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Gary Rivlin, Devindra Hardawar, and Victoria Song Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Join Club TWiT for Ad-Free Podcasts! Support what you love and get ad-free audio and video feeds, a members-only Discord, and exclusive content. Join today: https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: monarch.com with code TWIT Melissa.com/twit helixsleep.com/twit canary.tools/twit - use code: TWIT expressvpn.com/twit