AI in Automotive - #406 - Alex Roy, Founder - Johnson & Roy Advisors, Autonocast, The Drive, Human Driving Association

Dec 21, 2023

Alex Roy, founder of Johnson & Roy Advisors and host of the Autonocast podcast, joins to discuss the recent troubles faced by Cruise, including a fatal accident and key executive departures. They unpack the various aspects of the incident, emphasize the importance of company reactions, and explore challenges in the autonomous vehicle industry. They also discuss the lack of imagination in the tech industry, the future of the automotive industry, and the risks of using metrics as a standard for success.

Ask episode

Chapters

Transcript

Episode notes

Introduction

00:00 • 2min

Autonomous Vehicle Companies in San Francisco

02:09 • 10min

Analyzing Incidents and Cultural Aspects

12:37 • 21min

The Failure of Imagination in Autonomous Vehicles

34:01 • 9min

The Future of the Automotive Industry

42:50 • 9min

The Risks of Metrics and the Importance of Responsible Behavior in an Evolving Industry

52:01 • 5min

Importance of Solving Human and Cultural Challenges in Autonomous Driving

57:18 • 2min

Till a few weeks back, Cruise was considered one of the big three of autonomous general driving. It was licensed to run a robotaxi service in San Francisco, and my LinkedIn feed was full of folks gushing over the magical experience of being driven around in a car without a driver.

Then the proverbial shit hit the fan. One of Cruise’s robotaxis got caught in a classic edge case, with a road user who was hit by another vehicle, falling in its path. So far so bad, but then things got worse.

In the last few weeks, heads have rolled. Cruise has seen the departure of its CEO and other key execs. The company, owned by GM, has decided to get rid of a quarter of its staff, and finds itself in a proper existential crisis.

How did things come to this, and could they have been avoided?

To find out, I invited Alex Roy to the AI in Automotive Podcast. Alex is one of the most recognised voices, and an absolute authority in this space. He wears many hats, amongst which is hosting the very popular Autonocast podcast. Previously, Alex worked as an exec at Argo, and was key to their thoughtful approach to operationalising self-driving cars on public roads.

While my conversation with Alex started talking about Cruise, the theme is not about Cruise alone. Because there is a long tail of edge cases, and things are going to go wrong as this very nascent technology is brought to market. This is also a very new space, and as one might expect, regulation needs to find the right balance between encouraging innovation and guaranteeing safety. The technical scale of the problem can not be underestimated, and it rarely is. But it is the human side of the problem that often does not get the attention it deserves. My chat with Alex underlined for me that getting the human and cultural piece right is going to be as critical to the success of autonomous driving as solving the technical problem.

With this, we season 4 of the AI in Automotive Podcast is a wrap. I am certain you enjoyed listening to my chat with Alex on season four’s final episode. Please do share the episode with your friends or colleagues, or drop a note on your socials - I always appreciate your support.

#ai #automotive #mobility #technology #podcast #selfdriving #autonomousdriving #safety #leadership #cruise

https://www.ai-in-automotive.com/aiia/406/alexroy

AI in Automotive Podcast