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Why is this considered a big stride when Waymo is doing it for 6 months already?https://blog.waymo.com/2021/08/welcoming-our-first-riders-in...

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gwern|4 years ago

Because it's not Waymo. It suggests that Waymo has a real competitor and Waymo-level tech has been replicated outside Waymo and their long lead over everyone else is evaporating because they have (to outside appearances) dithered so long. (One wonders if Waymo would even have 'been doing it for 6 months already' in SF if Cruise hadn't been ramping up in SF the past few years...)

amacneil|4 years ago

From your Waymo link:

> All rides in the program will have an autonomous specialist on board for now

Cruise is the first to do driverless (zero humans in the front seat) testing in SF. Waymo have been doing this for a couple years in Phoenix, but have not yet tested driverless in SF as far as I'm aware.

TulliusCicero|4 years ago

Yes, though there's the big caveat of only doing it at night (10pm - 6am). Oh and also limited to 25 mph.

stjohnswarts|4 years ago

Because #2 is still close to #1? I personally am glad to read about this stuff and not just the next "point version of {$SOFTWARE_STACK} released today". I mean that's why we get to choose which article to click on. amiright?

ironmagma|4 years ago

6 months is not really a long time in the timeline of self driving cars which have been in development since the 70s.

alfalfasprout|4 years ago

...because no one other than waymo is doing it? This is still a big achievement.