Uber will use Nvidia's new generative world model simulation tool, the cosmosand cloud-based AI supercomputing platforms, DGX CloudTo support the development of autonomous vehicle technology, the company announced CES 2025.
Cosmos is being marketed to robotics and autonomy companies as a tool that creates physics-based videos from a variety of inputs, including 20 million hours (probably Copyrighted) video, which can be used to simulate realistic art and driving environments. Nvidia DGX Cloud will provide Uber and other companies with access to high-performance AI infrastructure for training, fine-tuning and deploying AI self-driving models.
Uber has shared some details about how it plans to use these Nvidia tools. The ride-hailing and delivery giant has spent the past year Forming 14 partnerships with AV companies across the vertical, from Waymo In Robotoxi Aurora Innovations In trucking Serve robotics Robotic delivery on sidewalks.
Uber will likely hand over its vast data on how and where people use ride-hailing and delivery, working in tandem with such partners. The company does not develop its own AV technology, instead preferring a resource-light approach to partnering with others. It's not for lack of trying; Uber's history with AV development is problematic.
Uber launched its self-driving unit, Uber ATG, in 2015 in partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Center. A year later, the company acquired self-driving truck startup Auto, which was founded by Anthony Levandowski, a star engineer at Google. Later Uber It has shut down its trucking technology unit To focus on self-driving cars. But bringing Lewandowski on board has done some damage. Waymo accused him of stealing trade secrets, which they then alleged Uber used. case A settlement ended in 2018And Levandowski was later 18 months sentence He was in prison before then-President Donald Trump pardoned him.
Also in 2018, an Uber is testing self-driving vehicles in autonomous mode in Arizona. Hits a pedestrian, dies later As a result of his injuries. The following year, Uber spun off ATG after closing $1 billion in funding from Toyota, but then in 2020, it sold it to autonomous vehicle startup Aurora Innovations.
Today, Uber seems committed to being the bridge between rider and driver, be it a human or robot driver. But that doesn't mean Uber is comfortable going slow.
Company time Third quarter earnings reportUber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi explained that the company is only launching with Waymo in two cities this year — Austin and Atlanta — because of the investment going into the launch.
Responding to analysts' queries, Khosrowshahi said, “You want to have the right liquidity when launching in any city. “You want to go to a city with proper investment in your depot, in your infrastructure, in your mapping, etc., so that you can start getting a return on capital.”
Establishing AV deployments in a new city takes time, but it seems Uber thinks it can scale quickly with Nvidia's global model and cloud platform.
“By working with Nvidia, we are confident we can help supercharge the timeline for safe and scalable autonomous driving solutions for the industry,” Khosrowshahi said in a statement.
Uber will not share any additional details with TechCrunch.