AXIOS (Joann Muller) - Exclusive: Waymo says there's no AI shortcut to self-driving
Breakthroughs in AI are fueling hopes that more data and smarter models can provide a shortcut to self-driving vehicles. Waymo, after more than 15 years and 200 million driverless miles, says there is none. Why it matters: The answer could determine whether the AV race is a long, expensive slog that rewards Waymo's head start — or a new track that lets newer rivals hit the road faster. Driving the news: Srikanth Thirumalai, Waymo's vice president of onboard software, said in an exclusive interview with Axios that it takes more than just better AI to safely deploy AVs at scale. - Waymo's goal from the start, he said, has been "demonstrably safe AI." But a growing reliance from competitors on single "end-to-end" AI systems introduces…