Waymo's Co-CEO Makes Her Case for Self-Driving Cars
Tekedra Mawakana addresses accidents, job fears, and plans to license Waymo's autonomous tech to other companies.
Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana sat down with the New York Times to tackle the hardest questions facing the autonomous vehicle industry head-on.
Her core message: earning public trust is the company's top priority — and she knows it won't come easy.
Mawakana pushed back on the narrative that self-driving cars will gut jobs, arguing autonomous vehicles won't lead to widespread employment losses. She also addressed Waymo's accident record directly.
Perhaps the biggest reveal: Waymo has plans to license its self-driving technology to other companies. That's a significant strategic shift — moving from operating its own robotaxi fleet to becoming a platform provider.
It's a bold play. Waymo is essentially betting it can be both the product and the infrastructure layer for autonomy. Whether the public buys in is another story entirely.