Uber And Wayve Team Up to Speed Up Self-Driving Taxi Development

Uber announced on Thursday a strategic partnership to integrate Wayve’s AI technology into Uber vehicles. The aim is to accelerate the development of self-driving taxis across multiple markets worldwide.

The move will enhance vehicles with Level 2 advanced driver assistance, and Level 3 automated driving capabilities. Both companies aim to eventually develop scalable Level 4 autonomous vehicles for Uber’s global operations, as competitors have already begun deploying fully automated driverless taxis in some US markets.

As reported by Reuters, level 2 systems assist drivers by performing basic tasks, like keeping the car in its lane or maintaining a safe distance from other vehicles. Level 3 cars can drive themselves under certain conditions, but the driver must remain alert and ready to take control.

Finally, level 4 autonomous vehicles can drive themselves in most situations and can handle emergencies without human intervention.

According to Uber, unlike traditional self-driving systems, which rely heavily on detailed maps and geofencing, Wayve’s mapless end-to-end AI technology is designed to allow vehicles to navigate without geographical constraints.

Through this collaboration, Wayve-powered self-driving vehicles are expected to join Uber’s fleet across various markets, potentially reaching over 150 million users worldwide.

However, as TechCrunch reports, both Wayve and Uber kept the details of their partnership private. They didn’t say when Wayve-powered vehicles would be available on Uber, if they would drive themselves completely, or how much money Uber invested in Wayve.

One of the biggest challenges facing self-driving cars is their inability to predict and respond to unexpected situations as quickly as humans can. This is especially true in “edge cases,” where the vehicle encounters a situation it hasn’t been programmed to handle and becomes stuck.

Another concern is that AI could lead to job losses. In China, where hundreds of robotaxis are being tested in 19 cities, drivers worry about losing their jobs.