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Waymo will no longer use the term ‘autonomous driving’ to describe its technology

It’s ‘fully autonomous driving’ moving forward.

Caitlin O’Hara / Reuters

The next time Waymo talks about its fully autonomous driving technology, you won’t see the Alphabet subsidiary use the term driving. “This is because the company wants to differentiate technology in driving. It is working from semi-autonomous driver assistance systems that are frequently and incorrectly grouped under the label.

“It may seem like a small change, but it is important because precision in language matters and could save lives,” the company said “Unfortunately, we see some automakers use the term ‘self-driving’ in an inaccurate way, giving consumers and the general public a false impression of (not fully autonomous) driver assistance capabilities …

With the Merger Around standard terminology, you will not only avoid misunderstandings and confusion, but you will also save lives. ” In practical terms, one of the first expressions you will see emerge from this change is Waymo’s renowned public education campaign, now known as Let’s Talk Autonomous Driving.

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A company that could be accused of using the term “autonomous driving.” Tesla is too light. Despite the name of it, your next full autonomous driving upgrade doesn’t let you take your hands off the wheel. At least in its current version, the software is a driver assistance system, not one that makes a Tesla into a fully autonomous vehicle. And while Waymo does not explicitly call Tesla, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has criticized repeatedly the automaker for the design of the autopilot, which it says allows for driver disconnection.

While Waymo emphasizes the security aspect in today’s announcement, the branding aspect is also important. A recent study found that 48 percent of Americans said they never get into a fully autonomous taxi. Despite some recent milestones, the company clearly has a long way to go as it tries to convince people to try their robotic taxis.

Engaged / TechConflict.Com

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