David Gerard

Waymo self-driving cars, powered by AGI — A Guy Instead

Tesla and Waymo find safety rules so inconvenient

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auGa2dP2EBw&list=UU9rJrMVgcXTfa8xuMnbhAEA - video
https://pivottoai.libsyn.com/20260209-waymo-self-driving-cars-powered-by-agi-a-guy-instead - podcast

time: 5 min 30 sec

https://pivot-to-ai.com/2026/02/09/waymo-self-driving-cars-powered-by-agi-a-guy-instead/ - blog post

Feb 9 at 11:15pmWeb
Show threadDavid Fleetwood - RG AdminFeb 9

@davidgerard As one of the pre-launch engineers behind Amazon Go, I was not even close to shocked about this, and had told my friends for years that automated cars were definitely faked. We were never able to pull it off in a contained and fixed location with comprehensive surveillance and near absolute control of every factor including identities when people walked in.

There is no way automated driving in uncontrolled public environments is at all doable in any meaningful way.

Show threadDavid GerardFeb 10
@reflex in fairness, the automation systems are *pretty good* in a lot of ways. It's super duper cruise control. But anyone who's seen a parking lot of Waymos try to negotiate will learn quickly what battling if-then automation looks like. And that robots are *stupid*.
Show threadspinnyspinlockFeb 10
@davidgerard hadn't heard "A Guy Instead"; 10/10 no
notes
Show threadJohn BrewerFeb 10
@davidgerard
I feel like Senator Markey missed an important point. Essentially, Waymo has figured out how to send American driving jobs offshore to low wage countries.
Show threadDavid GerardFeb 10
@jbrewer_jera oh he got onto that later in his speech
Show threadJohn BrewerFeb 10
@davidgerard Glad to hear it. Thanks!
Show threadMatt PalmerFeb 10
@davidgerard if the remote workers are "advising", not driving, then they don't need a driver's licence - but I'm sure they've all got an advisor's licence. Also, I look forward to prosecutions for "furious advising", and advising under the influence.
Show threadjouiFeb 10
@davidgerard Easy fix, just privatise public roads and let the new owners make the rules ... mmmh, but then they would have to pay for the upkeep instead of tax payers ... maybe just let it rot like everything else.