Johann Lau

I took my second Waymo across Los Angeles last night, and the experience was largely excellent. From the smooth pickup to navigating the freeway (which is now supported here in LA!), the technology is undeniably impressive. However, the "last mile" wasn't quite perfect. I was dropped off on the left side of a two lane, one way street, directly in traffic rather than on the shoulder. Also, my destination was on the right. As I've written previously (https://lnkd.in/gHw7drrc), there is great promise in using technologies like AI in countless ways, from autonomous driving to talent measurement. However, my recent Waymo experience highlights two critical lessons: 1. Humans Must Own the Outcome: Whether you are a passenger in an autonomous vehicle or managing talent, you cannot delegate accountability to the machine. Technology is a powerful tool, but humans must own the final result. In hiring, as in transport, we must remain in the driver's seat to ensure the "drop off" (i.e. the final decision) is the right one. 2. The Feedback Loop is Non Negotiable: Without human feedback to these systems, technology will never improve. I made sure to provide feedback on my ride, and we must do the same in our talent systems. If we don’t provide constant, iterative feedback, we lose the opportunity to refine them into something better. Progress happens when human intuition meets technological scale. We provide the feedback; the tech provides the lift.

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🚕🤖 The most ironic gig economy job just dropped. Waymo, the poster child of autonomous driving, is paying DoorDash drivers… to close car doors. Yes, really. In Atlanta, Dashers have reported receiving requests to drive less than a mile to a stopped Waymo vehicle and shut a door left ajar. The reason? If the door stays open, the vehicle can’t move. What sounds like satire is actually a confirmed pilot. 🔍 What’s actually happening here Waymo’s AVs can become temporarily immobilized if a passenger exits and doesn’t fully close the door. To recover fleet efficiency quickly: • Nearby DoorDash drivers are pinged • Small payment to “complete” the task • Vehicle gets back on the road In Los Angeles, similar requests have appeared via Honk, sometimes paying significantly more. ⚙️ This is bigger than a funny headline This isn’t about doors. It’s about the hidden reality of automation: • Even advanced AI systems hit edge cases • Physical-world failures still need humans • “Autonomous” often means “human-assisted at the margins” The future isn’t human or AI. It’s human + AI + gig-layer patchwork. 💡 Three uncomfortable questions for leaders 1️⃣ As AI systems scale, how many micro-exceptions will require human intervention? 2️⃣ Are we designing workflows that assume perfection instead of failure? 3️⃣ Who owns and funds this invisible labor layer? Because someone always does the “last 5%.” 🚀 The real lesson AI doesn’t eliminate work. It reshapes it into: • Exception handling • Recovery tasks • System supervision • Edge-case labor Today: DoorDash drivers closing AV doors Tomorrow: Entire job categories built around AI friction #AI #Automation #DigitalLabor #FutureOfWork #Waymo #GigEconomy #AIDayTwo #LeadershipInTheLoop

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Self-driving vehicles promise fewer total road deaths but perfection isn’t possible. Waymo’s co‑CEO said society will likely accept a robotaxi‑caused fatality “when” it happens if the net safety record improves. That’s candid, but it puts the spotlight on governance. #Ai #Selfdriving What robust AV safety looks like: - Transparent incident reporting (full datasets, not summaries) - Independent safety audits with public findings - Clear accountability when software or operations are at fault - Defined rollback/deployment thresholds tied to measurable risk Progress isn’t just “fewer crashes than humans”, it’s trust earned through verification and accountability. If AVs are safer on average, the burden is to prove it continuously and act fast when systems fail.

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The movement of goods is the backbone that the world runs on - $2.6 trillion a year in America alone. Every meal, every medicine, every material that builds our lives depends on it. That backbone is approaching its limit, and this is why robotrucks are must-haves. Thanks Grayson Brulte for kindly inviting me on the show to share how our technology will run continuously for commercial operations, and why I believe Bot Auto will be a categorical winner in the space.

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Jeff Hammoud, Rivian’s Chief Design Officer, took me inside their color and materials room—a space that encourages innovation and intricate design storytelling. I learned how Rivian’s design philosophy transforms everyday materials and objects into thoughtful features that enrich the experience of driving their EVs, and how one of their most iconic features was inspired by a humble piece of climbing gear. Follow along for more at https://lnkd.in/gZbXmpYk

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We start to develop a global consciousness on #privacy, however, we are not aware of what #autonomousCars mean to this. https://lnkd.in/db8btZg7

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