In an interview with The Associated Press, Amnon Shashua, co-founder and CEO of Mobileye, discussed the future of autonomous vehicles and the advancements being made in the industry. Shashua acknowledged the setbacks experienced by companies such as Uber, Tesla, and General Motors" Cruise, but emphasized that the technology is still moving ahead.

Shashua outlined three key stories that shape the future of autonomous vehicles. The first story focuses on safety, with the implementation of multiple cameras and sensors to enhance accident-avoidance capabilities. By providing a higher level of safety, the occurrence of accidents would be significantly reduced.

The second story involves the addition of more redundant sensors, such as lidar and imaging radars, to enable an “eyes-off” system. This means that drivers would be legally allowed to take their eyes off the road and not be responsible for driving on certain roads, starting with highways and eventually expanding to secondary roads. This hands-free system would offer increased productivity and allow drivers to engage in other activities, such as working on their smartphones.

The third story revolves around the concept of robotaxis, where there would be no human driver. Shashua highlighted the potential for increased efficiency and cost-effectiveness in ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft, as there would be no need to pay a driver.

When asked about the timeline for fully autonomous vehicles, Shashua mentioned that Mobileye's current system, called Chauffeur, is already being deployed on around 200,000 vehicles in China. The company plans to expand its reach to Europe and the U.S. this year. Additionally, Mobileye is collaborating with Volkswagen on the ID. Buzz van, with the goal of deploying thousands of autonomous vehicles by 2026.

Regarding legal responsibilities, Shashua explained that the liability for accidents occurring while using the eyes-off system would be shared between the supplier (Mobileye) and the automaker. The performance of the system would need to surpass human statistics, ensuring a high level of safety.

When asked about Tesla's Autopilot and “Full Self-Driving” systems, Shashua praised the technical capabilities of Tesla but expressed a difference in opinion regarding the reliance solely on cameras. Mobileye believes that additional sensors are necessary to provide redundancy and enhance safety, not just improved algorithms and computing power.