Lauren Goode: Yeah. That’s a whole other podcast, Chris.
Chris Urmson: Yes indeed.
Lauren Goode: One of the tenets of our show is that we talk to people who have big, bold, exciting ideas. We even say this at the beginning of each episode, but sometimes these ideas are also disturbing. And so, how often do you talk to people who are upset about your technology, and what do you share with them to try to calm them down? them?
Chris Urmson: We make trucks that go on the road and weigh 70,000 pounds without anyone on board.
Lauren Goode: RIGHT. [Chuckle]
Chris Urmson: It is completely natural to ask questions. It’s a very natural thing to worry about this. And so the opportunity to talk to people and, firstly, to demonstrate the care that we put into it. How much have we thought, how can we know if it runs well? How do we know that it’s going to fail when things fail, and that it’s going to be done in a way that mitigates the risks that come with it. Talking about these concrete points, I really think it helps.
Lauren Goode: Chris Urmson, thank you very much for joining me, Have a bright future.
Chris Urmson: Thank you very much for inviting me. It was great.
Lauren Goode: I hope you have a bright future, a bright, independent future.
Chris Urmson: You too.
[Music]
Gideon Lichfield: So Lauren, did you make it out of the robotaxi alive?
Lauren Goode: I did it. I am here. I’m back in the podcasting studio with you in my comfy chair, which I don’t think will be rolling autonomously across the room anytime soon.
Gideon Lichfield: Great.
Lauren Goode: So I’m curious. After listening to my conversation with Chris, do you feel more or less confident in the future of autonomous vehicles?
Gideon Lichfield: I want to set the record straight first. You mentioned this California bill, AB 316, which would require human operators on trucks. So, are you telling me that right now in California a truck can drive on the highway with no one behind the wheel?
Lauren Goode: No, we are not that anarchic. If it’s a vehicle that weighs less than 10,000 pounds, which is basically no bigger than a minivan, you can test it and operate it without a human behind the wheel in California. But autonomous vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds are completely banned. So AB 316 would allow autonomous vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds to operate, but only with a human behind the wheel.
