Opening
Otto: ...and that's why some people still prefer the tactile feeling of a steering wheel.
Lane: Good evening. I'm Lane.
Otto: And I'm Otto. This is Driverless Daily.
Waymo begins fully autonomous driving in Detroit -- what to know
Reported by ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4
Lane: We begin with, Waymo begins fully autonomous driving in Detroit, according to ClickOnDetroit, which is also being covered by the SelfDrivingCars subreddit. That's from ClickOnDetroit | WDIV Local 4.
Otto: The Motor City is getting a major software update.
Lane: It certainly is.
Waymo Boosts Private Debt Deal to $5 Billion in Push for Growth
Reported by Bloomberg.com
Otto: Our next story: Waymo is boosting its private debt deal to 5 billion dollars in a push for growth, Bloomberg reports.
Lane: That is a lot of capital to fuel an expansion.
Musk: FSD v15 Focuses on Nighttime Pet Avoidance Before 24/7 Robotaxi
Reported by teslahubs.com
Otto: Up next — Musk says FSD v15 focuses on nighttime pet avoidance before 24/7 robotaxi, according to teslahubs.
Lane: It is good to see the developers thinking about the small things on the road.
VIDEO: Wayward Waymo runs red light at major intersection near Universal Orlando
Reported by r/SelfDrivingCars
Otto: This just in: A Waymo vehicle failed to stop at a red light at a major intersection near Universal Orlando, as reported by the SelfDrivingCars subreddit.
Lane: That is definitely a moment that will make passengers look twice at the traffic lights.
App drivers rally against Robotaxi expansion in DC
Reported by WTOP News
Lane: According to WTOP News, the drivers are concerned about the impact of the expansion on safety and regulatory compliance. FOX 5 DC is on this story too.
Otto: The regulators certainly will be paying attention to those concerns.
Daimler Truck’s bet on owning the entire autonomous truck system
Reported by Yahoo Finance
Lane: Our next story: Daimler Truck is making a bet on owning the entire autonomous truck system, Yahoo Finance reports.
Otto: That would be a massive vertical integration for the logistics industry.
Researchers Discover ChatGPT Can Drive a Car. Grok, on the Other Hand...
Reported by r/SelfDrivingCars
Lane: Up next — Researchers discovered that ChatGPT can drive a car, but models like Grok, Claude, and GPT are not well-suited for driving tasks, according to the SelfDrivingCars subreddit.
Otto: The DrivingBench test, which uses Comma vision hardware and OpenPilot, showed that eight out of eleven runs failed to complete more than 11% of the course, with many crashing in the first turn.
Lane: The study found that AI agents lack the contextual understanding and real-time processing needed for autonomous driving, though GPT-6 Astra was the only agent to complete the course fully on its second attempt, even if its route was unconventional and risky.
Otto: So, maybe leave the navigation to the specialized engineers for now.
Lane: That sounds like a plan.
Sign-off
Lane: That's all for tonight.
Otto: We'll see you tomorrow.