Waymo is preparing to use its robot’s data, including videos from internal cameras bound to the rider’s identity, to train the generated AI model. Privacy Policy Found by researcher Jane Manchun Wong.
The draft language reveals that Waymo can also share this data to personalize ads and raises new questions about riders’ behavior within autonomous vehicles for use in AI training and marketing.
The privacy page states: “Waymo can share data to improve and analyze its functionality and tailor products, services, advertisements and offers to your interests. You can choose not to share your information with third parties unless it is necessary to perform the service.”
The language is standard in today’s world; bringing cameras into the mix is a creepy factor.
Waymo offers riders the option to prevent personal information as defined by California’s privacy laws, to be shared or sold. Riders can also: “Use your personal information (including internal camera data related to your identity) to opt out of Waymo or its affiliates for training [generative AI]. ”
It is not clear what internal data can be used to train the generated AI model, or what are the expected use cases for such models. What is not obvious is what kind of internal camera capture – facial expressions? Body language? -or whether Waymo is using data to train internal models, or is it sharing that data with other alphabetical companies working on AI, such as Google or DeepMind.
TechCrunch has contacted Waymo for more information and will update this post if the company responds.
Waymo is the only self-driving car company to date, earning revenue for Robotaxi in the United States. As of February, the company is logging in Robotaxi rides with over 200,000 paid Weekly through its business services in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Phoenix and Austin. This is a harbinger of the increase in 10,000 rides a week two years ago and an increase as Waymo expands into new markets. The company aims to launch commercial services in Atlanta, Miami and Washington, D.C. over the next two years.
Despite these gains, Waymo is still likely to be a letter money loser, which may be why the company appears to be exploring other revenue streams, such as in-car advertising and data sharing used to generate AI models.
Last year, the letters fell Another $5 billion Enter Waymo, the company raised additional $5.6 billion Increased its valuation from external investors by more than $45 billion.
Waymo is still investing heavily in R&D and incurring expansion costs, including growing fleets, purchasing professional equipment, car maintenance and charging infrastructure.
It is not clear how far Waymo is from breaking even less profitability. Alphabet did not undermine Waymo’s financial position in its earnings report. Instead, Waymo is included in the letter “Other Bets” section of its balance sheet Recorded business losses $1.2 billion.
