Grit The Man Who Builds for the Decade Ahead | Founder of Google X, Waymo, and Udacity
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Sep 29, 2025 Join Sebastian Thrun, the visionary behind self-driving cars and Udacity, as he explores the future of technology and education. He shares how autonomous driving could become a lifesaver and his journey from academia to Silicon Valley. Thrun emphasizes choosing meaningful projects over money and discusses the challenges of making AI work in everyday shopping. As he reflects on family, grit, and curiosity, he reveals his commitment to innovation and the transformative potential of technology in urban environments.
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From DARPA Win To Google Chauffeur
- Sebastian entered the DARPA Grand Challenge with a small team and unexpectedly won, which launched his connection to Silicon Valley.
- That win led Larry Page to recruit him to build Google’s self-driving car effort.
Experts Are Experts Of The Past
- Experts often judge from past experience and can miss impending technological shifts.
- Sebastian realized his expert certainty was wrong and that opened him to start Google's self-driving effort.
Digital Learning Multiplies Safety
- Waymo has since driven vastly more miles and reached safety levels beyond human drivers.
- The self-driving curve improves rapidly because learned mistakes propagate instantly to all vehicles.