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Wayve's AI Drives London: Driverless Cars Take Over
8 Dec
Summary
- Wayve plans passenger robotaxi trial in London next spring.
- Nvidia's Jensen Huang invested $500 million in Wayve.
- Wayve's unique AI focuses solely on software, not hardware.
Wayve, a British startup, is preparing to introduce a limited trial of autonomous passenger robotaxis on London's streets in the spring of 2025, in collaboration with Uber. Although a safety operator will initially remain in the vehicle, this marks a significant step toward hands-free driving in the capital. Wayve's unique approach, pioneered by CEO Alex Kendall, prioritizes AI software development over hardware modifications.
Kendall founded Wayve in 2017 based on his doctoral research in computer vision, initially facing skepticism from competitors who relied on additional sensors like radar and lidar. Wayve's AV2.0 strategy aims for scalable autonomous driving by focusing solely on software, with a stated goal of investing every dollar into AI. This strategy has attracted significant investment, including a recent $500 million commitment from Nvidia co-founder Jensen Huang.
Despite current operational losses, Wayve has raised $1.3 billion, supported by major tech players like Nvidia, Microsoft, and SoftBank. The company sees London's complex urban environment as a crucial testbed for its technology. While fully autonomous Level 5 driving remains a distant goal, Wayve envisions its embodied AI becoming the operating system for the broader robotic age, with potential applications beyond transportation.
