Self-driving trucks are being held back by growing concerns over AI startups
Investors and corporations are being more “careful” than ever as economic conditions worsen and fully autonomous commercial cars are being called into question. Argo AI - Ford and Volkswagen’s joint venture - shut down last week and there has been a litany of lawsuits filed against Tesla regarding “autopilot” claims. Investors are switching up the approach to automation, and instead now focusing on driver-assist functions instead go full autonomy.
Private equity and venture capital dollars are needed for full implementation of automation, and it seems that those companies are believing that while still possible… it’s still several years away from becoming mainstream. The freight trucking sector is continuing to run pilot tests on highway routes before passing the last-mile delivery off to human drivers. However, the pressure to adapt quickly is weakening.
Texas is setting the stage to possibly become the first hotspot for mainstream driverless trucks, thanks to initiatives by companies like Waabi and Aurora Innovation.