Philip Koopman

Philip Koopman, CMU professor and autonomous vehicle safety expert, discusses the hands-off, eyes-off Mercedes Drive Pilot system and the uncertainties surrounding level three automation. The podcast also explores the importance of managing public perception in the autonomous vehicle industry and highlights the need for community engagement. The speakers share their experience at the Up Summit conference and discuss the redefining of autonomous terminology and regulations to improve safety outcomes.

Phil Koopman, an accomplished automotive safety engineer, delves into the perplexing issue of sudden unintended acceleration. He highlights the evolution from mechanical to electronic throttles and the dangers of misinterpreted data blaming drivers instead of faulty systems. Phil recounts the Audi 5000 case and explains legal tendencies that obscure engineering failures. He warns about the risks of complex software systems and the industry’s pushback against safety improvements, all while emphasizing the need for better regulatory standards.

Phil Koopman, a Professor at Carnegie Mellon University and expert in autonomous vehicle safety, dives into the complexities of AI in auto safety. He explores crucial areas like safety engineering and human factors, pondering the roles of language models in this space. The chat also covers the nuanced interactions between human operators and autonomous systems, revealing real-life incidents involving Waymo. Plus, Koopman discusses the challenges of effectively modeling human behavior and the ongoing debate about sensor technologies and training methods for safety.