How Waymo Is Using GenAI to Build a Better Driver

Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov discusses how genAI is propelling Waymo’s autonomous vehicles to the next level, especially with an additional simulation layer on top of Waymo’s existing AI/ML stack.

Waymo co-CEO Dmitri Dolgov joined a16z general partner David George to discuss how Waymo is using genAI to help them build safer, sustainable, and more accessible transportation. In the conversation, Dmitri talks about the potential of embodied AI, the value of simulations and building training data, and his approach to leading a company focused on solving the challenges of building AI that can navigate the real world.

[00:01:22] The early days of autonomous vehicles

[00:05:27] Layering genAI into traditional AI/ML

[00:09:42] The value of simulation

[00:15:56] The hard part about integrating AI in autonomous systems

[00:22:45] AI in the real world

[00:28:47] Where does Waymo go from here?

[00:37:21] Dmitri's learnings from hard problems

This conversation is part of our AI Revolution series, which features some of the most impactful builders in the field of AI discussing and debating where we are, where we’re going, and the big open questions in AI. Find more content from our AI Revolution series on www.a16z.com/AIRevolution.