Generative AI is making it possible to not only remove the human from the driver seat, but, in the world of trucking and freight, from the vehicle entirely. 

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Aurora Innovation, a company that makes software for autonomous vehicles with a focus on the trucking industry. Chris shares his journey from participating in the self-driving vehicle DARPA Grand Challenge early in his career, to leading the autonomous vehicle program at Google. Michael also talks with Chris about why Aurora focuses on the trucking and freight industry, the challenge of designing AI systems for self-driving technology, and how technological advancements in radar and LiDAR have helped make autonomous vehicles possible . Chris discusses his insights about developing AI systems to mimic human driving, and how he sees the future of autonomous vehicles for both trucking and personal cars.

Chris Urmson is the co-founder and CEO of Aurora Innovation. Before co-founding Aurora, Chris led the development of Google’s autonomous vehicle project (later known as Waymo) from 2009 to 2016. As a graduate student, he also led the Carnegie Mellon University team for the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenge as the Director of Technology, winning second and third place in 2005, and first place in 2007. Chris received his BEng in Computer Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and his Ph.D. in robotics from Carnegie Mellon.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(01:44) Chris Urmson’s Early Work

(04:43) Founding Aurora Innovation

(06:25) Aurora’s Focus on Freight and Trucking

(09:32) The Challenges in Trucking

(17:08) Advancements in Autonomous Vehicle Technology

(25:01) Using AI to Enhance Safety in Autonomous Vehicles

(27:06) Handling Complex Driving Scenarios

(31:40) Addressing Maintenance and Fueling for an Autonomous Vehicle

(36:36) Regulatory Considerations

(45:47) Predictions for the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

(48:57) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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