S01 - E07 - Smarter worlds, safer streets- Accelerating autonomy with AI

Before an autonomous vehicle ever drives a real mile, Waymo has already driven it millions of times — in simulation. Smitha Shyam, Senior Director of Engineering at Waymo, shares how the company builds virtual worlds to stress-test the Waymo Driver against scenarios too rare or risky to wait for on real roads. With over 100 million driverless miles logged, she walks through the safety framework and sensor technology behind Waymo's push to become the world's most trusted driver — and what it takes to adapt autonomous driving across different countries and road conditions.