Exclusive: Waymo engineering exec discusses self-driving AI models that will power the cars into new cities

Waymo is expanding to Atlanta and Austin , adding to its fleets in the Bay Area , Los Angeles and Phoenix .

The company says it's prioritizing safety in its messaging, rather than focusing on AI , has been crucial for building trust with potential riders.

In August it announced that it's serving over 100,000 paid rides per week in the handful of U.S. cities it operates in.

Waymo has developed a large-scale AI model called the Waymo Foundation Model that supports the vehicle's ability to perceive its surroundings, predicts the behavior of others on the road, simulates scenarios and makes driving decisions.

Waymo ’s current technology stack in its cars relies on dozens of on-board sensors that allow the car to visualize its environment and provide comprehensive data.

Wayve, however, does not have hundreds of robotaxis on the road, like Waymo does.

Waymo's approach, on the other hand, “works backwards from the problem we're trying to solve, which is, how do you actually get these cars in the real world?” For Thirumalai , the opportunity to help Waymo use AI to reach its safety goals was too good to pass up.