Waymo gives away a key advantage — its gigantic dataset — to competitors
10M... That's how many test miles of pavement Waymo has pounded without a driver gripping the wheel. And it just opened up its memory for all its competitors to see in. The self-driving car division of Alphabet, Waymo is making its dataset free for researchers in order to make the self-driving revolution happen ASAP. No charge. It's a big leadership move.
Why did the schnauzer cross the road?... To see if the robocar would stop. Waymo's street smarts lie in this intensely labeled dataset that converts real-life scenarios into code that sensors and processors can understand and react to. Here’s how this public good will be used:
- The competition: The key for autonomous driving is machine learning — teach the car what to do when it encounters as many street scenarios as possible. Waymo's divulging its lifetime of self-driven experiences for Uber, GM, or Ford to play with.
- Researchers: PhD candidates are fist-pumping for “the impact of level 4 autonomous driving on hopscotch in semi-gentrified neighborhoods” thesis this dataset just made possible.
Reveal your secret sauce to save yourself... It's a paradox. And it's Waymo's bold new strategy. Waymo's greatest challenge isn't rivals — it's the self-driving dream failing. GM indefinitely postponed its robot-taxi launch date, and Uber's self-driving tests killed someone. Waymo thinks cooperating-over-competing is the fastest way for the industry to start making $$$ while you Netflix-and-drive.
SnackFact: Some investors think Waymo is worth over $100B — that's more than Ford and GM's valuations. Combined.