System Integration & Validation Intern

The road to autonomous vehicles is long and arduous, and it has already taken one high-profile victim: GM’s Cruise. Elon Musk has been promising autonomy in Teslas for years. It’s still not here. Jesse Levinson, co-founder and CTO at Zoox, Amazon’s robotaxi subsidiary, will be the first to tell you that autonomy is very hard to do. “In the olden days of 20 years ago, AI wasn’t very popular, and most people thought it was a stupid thing to work on,” Levinson said. He thought inventing a car that could drive itself was “cool,” adding that “I was pretty convinced that someday in my lifetime, cars would drive themselves.”

In summer 2024, Zoox launched its fleet in Austin, making the capital city its fourth public testing site in the U.S.

ALEXANDRIA, Va., March 19, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- This week, the American Council of the Blind (ACB) hosted nearly 200 members at its annual D.C. Leadership Conference, where attendees participated in educational sessions, engaged with keynote speakers from the disability community, and met with members of Congress on Capitol Hill.The conference focused on advancing key legislative priorities to promote independence and improve the quality of life for people who are blind or have low vision. ACB and its membership call on Congress to:Support and pass the Medical Device Nonvisual Accessibility Act to ensure that home-use medical devices with digital interfaces are accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision;to ensure that home-use medical devices with digital interfaces are accessible to individuals who are blind or have low vision; Support and pass the Websites and Software Applications Accessibility Act to create enforcement standards that clearly state websites, applications, and online services must be accessible to people with disabilities;to create enforcement standards that clearly state websites, applications, and online services must be accessible to people with disabilities; Update existing requirements for accessible media, video user interfaces, and video conferencing services in the Communications, Video, and Technology Accessibility Act."These legislative priorities are essential to ensuring that people who are blind or have low vision can fully participate in all aspects of life," said ACB Executive Director Scott Thornhill. "ACB and its members are calling on Congress to take action and create a more inclusive society for all."The conference also featured dynamic keynote presentations and panel discussions with leaders from the disability rights community and government. These sessions highlighted the ongoing challenges and opportunities in expanding accessibility and equal access.ACB's 2025 D.C. Leadership Conference was made possible by the generous support of its sponsors and supporters, including:ACB remains committed to working with lawmakers, industry leaders, and the broader disability community to create a more accessible and inclusive future.About the American Council of the BlindThe American Council of the Blind (ACB) is a national member-driven organization representing Americans who are blind and visually impaired