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In today’s episode, I’m speaking with Junko Yoshida, a veteran technology journalist and one of the industry’s leading voices on autonomous vehicles. We discuss where the AV industry stands today, why Waymo has emerged as the clear commercial leader, and whether autonomous driving is really a solved problem, or if the industry’s biggest challenges are still ahead. Junko shares her perspective on the importance of edge cases, what the recent Fourth of July Waymo incident in San Francisco reveals about scaling robotaxi operations, and how AV companies should be judged as commercial deployments continue to expand.

We also dive into hybrid autonomy, the role of remote operators, and whether removing the safety driver is truly the right benchmark for autonomy maturity. Junko explains why transparency remains one of the industry’s biggest challenges, how journalists can better cover autonomous vehicles, and why there is often a disconnect between industry reporting and academic research. Finally, we discuss end-to-end AI, exciting developments in London’s AV ecosystem, and preview our upcoming ‘Journalist Panel’ at ATS 2026.

Chapters

* (00:00) Introduction to Junko Yoshida

* (03:30) What journalists still get wrong in their coverage of AVs today

* (05:03) Where we are in the AV landscape today and the factors still being overlooked

* (08:30) Are AVs a solved problem? Why edge cases still matter

* (10:26) Waymo’s 4th of July incident, and what they could have done better

* (17:00) Should all AV companies be judged by the same standard as Waymo?

* (17:48) Hybrid autonomy as a path to scaling AVs

* (19:00) Is removing the safety driver proof of autonomy maturity?

* (19:30) The importance of remote operators in scaling AV operations and boosting passenger confidence

* (22:40) AV regulation and how to ensure the safest deployments

* (26:29) London’s AV landscape and its key players

* (27:14) Transparency and why it’s so difficult to cover the AV industry as a journalist

* (28:30) The gap between industry reporting and academic research in the AV space

* (29:17) End-to-end AI and the potential it could unlock if successful

* (30:35) Exciting AV developments in London

* (31:40) ATS 2026: What to look out for and our ‘Journalist Panel’

* (35:38) Conclusions and final thoughts

I’ll be on stage with Junko Yoshida at SAE International’s Automated Transportation Symposium on July 30th at 11:40 am on the ‘Journalist Panel’ alongside Jane Lappin, Alan Ohnsman of Forbes, and David Welch of Bloomberg. Feel free to reach out if you’ll be in attendance!

Notes/Links:

* You can find Junko Yoshida on LinkedIn and X.

* Junko’s blog: Junko’s Tech Probe (link).

* Junko’s podcast/newsletter with Prof. emeritus Phil Koopman: Phil & Junko on AV Safety (link).

* Waymo’s article on their remote operators ratio, mentioned at the 20:00 timestamp (link).

* Here are some of my food recommendations for ATS 2026 in San Diego, mentioned at the 32:17 timestamp:

* Downtown/Midtown

* Lucha Libre

* Luchador themed taco shop. Must get the Surf and Turf Burrito with fries (California Style) and try the cilantro crema (great salsa bar).

* Las Cuatro Milpas

* Longtime hole in the wall spot but recently renovated. Love the homemade tortillas and rolled tacos.

* Phils BBQ (multiple locations)

* Bronx Pizza

* Blue Water (middle town)

* Great fish tacos

* Hodad’s

* PB/La Jolla

* Leilani’s cafe

* El Pescador Fish Market & Restaurant

* Famous Fish Sandwich

* Other

* Lolita’s Mexican Food (Clairemont Mesa)

* Punjabi Tandoor (multiple locations)

-Harry

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Rethinking AV Safety as Robotaxis Scale with Junko Yoshida

The Driverless Digest Podcast

Rethinking AV Safety as Robotaxis Scale with Junko Yoshida