Tech Disruptors Waymo Sees Inflection in the Rollout of AVs
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Nov 13, 2025 Saswat Panigrahi, Chief Product Officer at Waymo and autonomous driving expert, joins Mandeep Singh for an engaging dive into the future of self-driving cars. They discuss how Waymo is over 10x safer than human drivers and plans for a significant expansion in 2025 across five cities. Saswat shares insights on leveraging AI for fleet management, the importance of city-specific infrastructure, and the challenges of scaling operations. He invites listeners to reconsider misconceptions about AVs and experience the benefits firsthand.
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Safety Record Drives Commercial Inflection
- Waymo shows measurable safety gains, claiming more than 10x improvement on key metrics versus average human drivers.
- Saswat links this safety record to rider loyalty and a commercial inflection across multiple cities.
Simulation Multiplies Real-World Coverage
- Waymo combines tens of millions of on-road miles with billions of simulated miles to expose long-tail scenarios.
- The simulator lets engineers ask realistic "what-if" questions to improve driver behavior in rare events.
Prioritize Community And Local Prep
- Engage local stakeholders early, including law enforcement and first responders, before launching in a city.
- Treat mapping and limited on-road testing as necessary but shrinking inputs as the driver generalizes.