Staff Machine Learning Engineer

👩‍🍳 How we use AI at Tech in Asia, thoughtfully and responsibly.🧔‍♂️ A friendly human may check it before it goes live. More news hereWaymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has announced a recall of 1,212 self-driving vehicles in the US to address software issues linked to collisions with chains, gates, and other roadway barriers.This follows a US auto safety investigation initiated last year.The recall affects vehicles using Waymo’s fifth-generation automated driving system, with 16 reported incidents from 2022 to 2024, and all without injuries.The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) began investigating Waymo’s vehicles in May 2024 due to robotaxis showing driving behaviors potentially violating traffic laws.The company operates over 1,500 vehicles across several cities and provides more than 250,000 fully autonomous rides weekly, with plans to expand to Atlanta, Miami, and Washington, D.C.🔗 Source: Reuters🧠 Food for thought1️⃣ How recalls signal market maturation in autonomous drivingWaymo’s software recall reflects the maturing autonomous vehicle industry’s evolution toward standardized safety practices.The company’s approach demonstrates how autonomous vehicle safety differs from traditional recalls, resolving issues through software updates rather than physical service visits, similar to Tesla’s over-the-air update model 1.This recall comes after nearly 15 years of development since Google’s secretive “Project Chauffeur” began in 2009, showing how the industry has transitioned from experimental technology to regulated commercial service 2.Importantly, the regulatory framework for autonomous vehicles is still evolving, with the NHTSA having received reports of 3,979 autonomous vehicle incidents between 2021-2024, establishing precedents for how safety issues should be handled 1.The fact that Waymo proactively identified and addressed these safety concerns through the established recall process demonstrates a shift toward formal compliance with traditional auto industry regulations, rather than the “move fast and break things” approach once common in tech.2️⃣ Self-driving safety emerges as a data-driven disciplineWaymo’s ability to identify specific collision patterns with roadway barriers stems from its massive data collection infrastructure, which logs every mile driven and simulates millions more.The company’s simulator technology replicates over 3 million miles of driving experiences daily, allowing engineers to test software fixes against historical scenarios before deployment 3.This testing methodology represents a fundamental shift in vehicle safety development: while traditional automakers test prototypes for thousands of physical miles, Waymo leverages Google’s data centers to create a virtual safety testing environment of unprecedented scale 3.California DMV data shows 813 autonomous vehicle collision reports filed as of May 2025, creating a growing body of evidence about common failure modes and safety challenges that companies must address 4.The industry is gradually developing safety benchmarks against which to evaluate autonomous performance, though questions remain about whether these systems will ultimately surpass human drivers in all scenarios. Human error currently accounts for 94% of traffic fatalities according to NHTSA 5.3️⃣ Autonomous vehicle deployment follows the “crawl-walk-run” principleDespite operating 250,000 paid rides weekly and planning expansion to new cities, Waymo’s persistent issues with basic roadway obstacles reveal the incremental nature of autonomous technology deployment.The company began with tightly controlled testing environments, like the decommissioned Air Force base mentioned by Waymo employee Stephanie Villegas, before gradually expanding to public roads with increasingly complex scenarios 2.This pattern mirrors the broader autonomous vehicle industry’s approach, starting with geofenced areas in optimal conditions before tackling more challenging environments, recognizing that even after millions of test miles, edge cases continue to emerge 5.The Jackson family’s experience as early Waymo riders in Chandler, Arizona demonstrates this cautious approach, with the company first establishing service in a controlled suburban environment with favorable weather and road conditions before expanding to more complex urban settings 6.This gradual deployment strategy contrasts with earlier industry optimism, when figures like Lawrence Burns (who joined Google’s self-driving project in 2010) were surprised by major automakers’ belief that autonomous vehicles were decades away from commercialization 7.Recent Waymo developments

Alphabet-owned Waymo has issued a recall for 1,212 self-driving vehicles after discovering a software flaw that made its robotaxis prone to crashing into chains, gates, and similar barriers.