Former CEO of Google-owned Waymo says Elon Musk's Tesla Robotaxi is ‘not a robotaxi if…'
's self-driving car project into a commercial ride-hailing business, has raised doubts about Tesla's Robotaxi. Speaking to Business Insider, Krafcik questioned whether Tesla's service qualifies as a true robotaxi.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
"If they were striving to re-create today's Bay Area Uber experience," he told the publication over email, adding "looks like they've absolutely nailed it."
For those unaware, Tesla launched its Robotaxi service in Austin in June this year, followed by San Francisco in July. In Austin, where rules are looser, Tesla places a safety monitor in the passenger seat instead of the driver's seat. Also, a human safety driver sits behind the wheel because Tesla has not yet applied for California permits to test or deploy fully driverless vehicles.
The service is currently invite-only, though CEO Elon Musk said on August 10 that it will be 'open access' next month.
Krafcik said Tesla's reliance on in-car employees shows that the service is not truly autonomous. 'Please let me know when Tesla launches a robotaxi — I'm still waiting,' he said. 'It's (rather obviously) not a robotaxi if there's an employee inside the car.' He further stated that he has no interest in trying Tesla's robotaxi services.
Krafcik added that he has no interest in trying the service himself.
Tesla Robotaxi similar to Waymo's early approach: Report
According to the Business Insider report, Tesla's rollout has similarities to Waymo's early days. In 2017, Waymo launched an 'early rider program' in Arizona, where safety drivers were present and participants signed nondisclosure agreements. By late 2020, Waymo began offering fully driverless paid rides in Phoenix and has since expanded to San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, with more than 1,500 robotaxis operatin
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Economic Times
6 hours ago
- Economic Times
Tesla says Model Y L is 'coming soon'
Synopsis Tesla will soon launch its Model Y L in China. This is a six-seat version of the popular Model Y. It features a longer wheelbase. The company faces increasing competition. Xiaomi recently launched its YU7. Tesla's China sales fell in July. A longer-range Model 3 is also expected. This is according to information from China's industry ministry. Reuters FILE PHOTO: Tesla Model Y cars pictured during the opening ceremonyfor the electric vehicle maker's new gigafactory in Gruenheide, Germany, March 22, 2022. Patrick Pleul/Pool via REUTERS/File Photo Tesla's Model Y L is "coming soon", the electric car company said on Chinese social media platform Weibo on Monday, having previously registered plans to introduce the new model in China. The Model Y L is a six-seat version of its best-selling Model Y with a longer wheelbase. Tesla also shared a video of the new model in its Weibo post. Tesla is refreshing its line-up in the face of growing competition that includes Xiaomi's recently launched YU7. Elon Musk's Tesla registered an 8.4% fall in July sales of its China-made electric vehicles as Chinese competitors continue to offer lower-priced EVs against the backdrop of a price war that has bruised automakers, suppliers and dealerships. A longer-range, rear-wheel drive Model 3 is also coming to the Chinese market, according to filing information published on China's industry ministry website in July.
Time of India
6 hours ago
- Time of India
Google's GenAI pioneer questions the relevance of ‘painful' PhDs in AI. Says. ‘You'll move much faster outside school'
The PhD dilemma in the age of rapid change Beyond coding: the skills AI cannot replace You Might Also Like: US computer science degrees from top universities are leaving graduates jobless: Why is top coding education no longer enough? Broken promises for tech graduates Rethinking the roadmap to success You Might Also Like: AI is reshaping career skills and college curricula, but are schools ready when students let AI do their assignments? So, have you missed the AI bus? For years, students and young professionals believed that advanced degrees were the golden ticket to success in technology. But as artificial intelligence reshapes industries faster than universities can update their curriculums, that belief is being put to the test. The latest voice to stir debate is Jad Tarifi, the man who founded Google 's first generative AI an interview with Business Insider, Tarifi argued that the traditional academic path may already be outdated. 'AI itself is going to be gone by the time you finish a Ph.D.,' he said, cautioning that those investing five or more years into doctoral studies might discover that the field has already moved who earned his own doctorate in AI in 2012 before spending nearly a decade at Google, did not sugarcoat the realities of pursuing a PhD. He described it as a 'painful' process suitable only for the deeply obsessed. For everyone else, he suggested focusing on niches where AI is still in its infancy, such as biology, or skipping advanced studies entirely.'You will move much faster outside school,' Tarifi said, adding that students risk throwing away years of their lives if they chase traditional degrees in a world where knowledge cycles are now measured in months, not Tarifi believes the qualities most valuable in the AI-driven era are not purely technical. He told Business Insider that success may hinge on empathy, social skills, and emotional intelligence—traits that help people use AI tools creatively and effectively. 'The best thing to work on is more internal. Meditate. Socialize with your friends. Get to know yourself emotionally,' he mirrors comments by Y Combinator founder Paul Graham, who recently warned that low-level programming jobs are already disappearing because AI is 'good at scutwork.' His advice: excel in something you love, because genuine passion is what drives mastery at levels AI cannot warning comes at a time when computer science graduates across the United States are facing one of the toughest job markets in years. According to a New York Times report, many who once believed coding was a guaranteed path to six-figure salaries are finding themselves unemployed despite soaring tuition programming roles, once the industry's stepping stone, are being automated by AI tools that can generate and debug code in seconds. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that unemployment among recent computer science graduates now exceeds that of art history majors. Students who applied to hundreds of jobs described the experience as 'soul-crushing' and felt betrayed by the promise that a degree alone would be AI advancing at breakneck speed, both Tarifi and other industry leaders suggest that students need to think differently. Rather than focusing only on coding or degrees, they should look toward deeper problem-solving, specialized niches, and even the fundamentals of physical sciences. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has stressed that the next frontier of AI will require grounding in physics and real-world reasoning, not just software consensus from leaders across the tech world is clear: the bus has not left the station, but the ticket is no longer stamped with 'PhD' or 'computer science degree.' What matters now is adaptability, creativity, and the willingness to learn young aspirants, that could mean carving out a niche in AI-driven biology, focusing on empathy-driven design, or simply mastering a discipline that machines cannot easily replicate. As Tarifi summed it up, you don't need to understand every microprocessor to drive AI forward—you just need to know what to do when the road ahead changes.
Economic Times
6 hours ago
- Economic Times
BofA sounds alarm: Stock valuations now higher than 2000 bubble — here's what you need to take note of
S&P 500 valuation 2025: Bank of America cautions investors about high equity market valuations. The S&P 500's price-to-book ratio exceeds the dot-com bubble peak. Other valuation metrics also signal potential overvaluation. While AI growth justifies some optimism, history suggests caution. Experts differ on the market's future. Some suggest bonds and non-US stocks as safe havens if the market declines. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Market Valuation Surpasses Dot-Com Era Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Are These Valuations Justified or Just Hype? Not All Experts Are Worried Potential Safe Havens If the Market Turns FAQs Investors surfing on the wave of optimism surrounding AI might want to take a step back and be cautious because Bank of America strategist Michael Hartnett pointed out that the equity market is now pricier than it was at the peak of the dot-com bubble, as per a presented a striking chart demonstrating the S&P 500's price-to-book ratio, a metric comparing the aggregate market value of the index's constituents to their net assets has risen to 5.3, an all-time high, as per Busienss Insider. That is higher than the previous high of 5.1 in March 2000, when the tech bubble was about to burst, according to the people who think "this time is different" since AI firms are in fact yielding profits, Hartnett highlighted that, "It better be different this time," as quoted by Business not a single measure flashing red. Hartnett also pointed to the S&P 500's 12-month forward price-to-earnings multiple, which is its highest since the dot-com bubble, apart from August 2020, as per the Business Insider report. The Shiller cyclically-adjusted price-to-earnings ratio, which matches prices to a 10-year moving average of earnings, is near historical highs reached in 1929, 2000, and 2021, according to the READ: Apple just dropped 2 free iPhone apps with iOS 26, and users can't stop talking about them While high valuations tend to mirror high expectations for future growth, particularly with AI companies continuing to surpass earnings estimates, which suggest the optimism could be justified, as reported by Business Insider. However, sometimes those expectations turn out to be too elevated, and prices correct, but they don't necessitate a bubble scenario, according to the valuations are better predictors of average long-term returns compared to near-term performance, and views on Wall Street on where the market goes in the months ahead differ, even though, there are calls for caution, many strategists continue to raise their year-end S&P 500 price targets, as reported by Business READ: In times of AI, Microsoft engineer reveals secret formula for 4 promotions in just 5 years Recently, the chief investment officer of global fixed income at BlackRock, Rick Rieder said that the market is in the "best investing environment ever" due to factors like strong demand for stocks, looming rate cuts, and recent boosts in productivity and earnings growth, as per the READ: Is it AI or Trump's policies? US sees brutal 140% layoff spike in July, worst surge since early COVID chaos Hartnett also pointed out that if the market does start to unwind, he sees bonds and non-US stocks benefiting, according to Business Insider. Examples of funds that offer exposure to these trades include the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) and the Vanguard FTSE All-World ex-US ETF (VEU), reported Business the S&P 500 is now valued higher than it was at the peak of the 2000 dot-com bubble, a level that eventually led to a major crash, as per the Business Insider necessarily. High valuations don't guarantee a crash, but they often lead to lower long-term returns.
