Mike Miller

Reflections on my first-ever self-driving Uber (Waymo) experience... When I told my family and friends about my first Waymo, autonomous vehicle experience, I was surprised by the reactions. "You are so brave." "Weren't you scared?" "I have driven in SF, that is insane." "I never even knew that was a thing." "That sounds so risky." "Only in California." I reacted by saying that these cars were all over the city, and they seemed very safe, reliable, and even cool. Most importantly, they really seemed to work. In fact, I recall watching people exit the vehicles, and they all looked happy, excited, and really glad they took the risk. I began to reflect on how this experience equates to pharmaceutical companies first choosing to use Mobile Locker over the safer, more comfortable, and more visible choice(s). After all, the small, lesser-known experience is a bit riskier, right? But in the end, it turns out we, too, are "all over the city," with nearly 60 satisfied pharma/med device clients. And yes, I think most would say we are safe, reliable, and...(well, okay, maybe not necessarily cool.) Finally, most every one of our clients is happy, excited, and really glad that they took the risk. Why...because Mobile Locker really works. So if you are seeking to provide more impact and value to your field and to the HCPs you are targeting with your digital messaging... Consider riding with us here at Mobile Locker. #pharmaindustry #meddevices #hcpengagement

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Looking forward to discussing how changing demographics and culture norms are affecting investment opportunities in longevity, health and well-being at The Care Summit today Alongside Cake Ventures' Monique Woodard, Ziegler's Dan Hermann, Oak HC/FT's Billy Deitch and JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s Jennifer Edwards, we’ll dive into the trends shaping how we are investing in the space: - Last year marked one of the most significant social and economic moments in modern times: The number of older adults—those aged 50 and over- surpassed the number of children under the age of 15 for the first time. - In 2020 the 50 plus population contributed $45 trillion to global GDP, or 34% of the total. That equates to about 3x the revenue of the world’s 100 highest- earning companies in 2020. - The U.S. population grew by 24.5 million from 2010 to 2022, and Hispanics accounted for 53% of this increase – a greater share than any other racial or ethnic group. - Women around the world and across all ages drive 64% of consumer spending

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Examining Claims About Waymo's Autonomous Vehicles Several people are raising concerns about the development and deployment of Waymo's autonomous vehicles, including accusations of inadequate transparency, use of guinea pigs, and inferior simulation technology. These are serious claims meriting thoughtful analysis, especially for a technology with such potential impact on public safety. I admit that autonomous vehicle technology is not my specific area of expertise. As an excited but earnest observer, I clearly lack key perspectives or insights someone working directly in the field would have. Rather than dismiss worrisome warnings, I aim to cut through accusations to find truthful feedback on how to enable innovation while protecting people. Based on current third-party research, Waymo seems to demonstrate safety levels exceeding human driving capabilities: - An extensive 2021 study by Swiss Re, a highly reputable global reinsurer, analyzed over 3.8 million miles of rider-only autonomous driving by Waymo and found zero bodily injury claims, along with reduced property damage claim frequency. - Additional findings from Waymo compare their vehicles' safety record over millions of miles to real-world human driving benchmarks. These indicate their system effectively avoids collisions and resulting injuries at rates far surpassing human drivers. - There are no clear indications that Waymo uses subpar simulation practices. Their published details highlight advanced proprietary simulation capabilities for modeling sensor data and scenarios. While not definitive, this research implies Waymo prioritizes safety and due diligence during development. Transparency and accountability remain crucial as the technology evolves. The posters have not cited any specific data sources that expose deficiencies in Waymo's approach, however the background of those commenting suggest they are experts on the topic so I would like to get to the bottom of it without fear mongering. When discussing these items, I’m always looking for evidence-based discussions on these issues. If there are flaws in Waymo's methodologies or gaps in their public reporting, sharing these is highly productive. As this technology matures, our discourse and decision-making processes should reflect the same rigor and care that we expect from the engineers building autonomous systems. - MIT Technology Review: [Article on Waymo's Virtual Testing](https://lnkd.in/gKnXrvVp) , Will Knight has brought important insider's viewpoints to the conversation around transparency in AV development - Gadgets 360: [Waymo Trains and Tests Its Autonomous Vehicles](https://lnkd.in/g9GnFf44) - Autonomous Vehicle International: [Waymo's SimulationCity AD Evaluation Tool](https://lnkd.in/gMmKr8-q) #waymo

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Exciting Adventures and Tech Discoveries with Waymo Every summer, I visit my sister in California, and we typically explore the beaches, trails, valleys, mountains, and other scenic spots. This time, we decided to dive deeper into the heart of San Francisco, where we stumbled upon a Waymo driverless car. Without missing a beat, we decided to experience it firsthand. Flashback to a few years ago, during the COVID-19 pandemic, when I was preparing for a Machine Learning certificate course and immersing myself in every video by the renowned AI/ML guru Andrew Ng. One of his YouTube videos segued into autonomous cars and the feedback loops used to train and improve these models. That was the moment I became a believer in this technology and its potential to drive new innovations. From the early days of large computers mounted on vans to the millions of Teslas on the road today, the progress has been astounding. Experiencing Waymo's driverless car was a revelation. It's not just a tech marvel; it's a user-centric innovation. From the seamless booking process to the constant updates inside the car, and the personalized touch of displaying my initials "SC" when the car arrived, every detail was meticulously crafted to enhance passenger comfort. The price point was comparable to Uber, which was another pleasant surprise. Ultimately, the success of any product hinges on User Experience, Cost, and Accessibility. Waymo has built a competitive product that I believe will see massive adoption, potentially paving the way for more competitors in this space. My 10-year-old son asked, "When is it coming to West Chester?" That question sums it up perfectly. Here's hoping to see autonomous cars in West Chester, Philly, Palakkad, and everywhere else soon! #Innovation #Technology #AI #AutonomousVehicles #Waymo #UserExperience #FutureOfTransport

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🧠 Stroke Recovery: It's in the Genes 🧠 Exciting new research from UCLA Health reveals that specific genetic variants are closely linked to stroke recovery outcomes, including depression, PTSD, and cognitive health. Published in Stroke, this groundbreaking study highlights how understanding these genetic factors can pave the way for more personalized treatments for stroke survivors. By identifying genes that influence recovery, doctors can better predict patient trajectories and tailor therapies to improve quality of life. This marks a significant step forward in the quest for precision medicine in stroke care. #StrokeRecovery #Genetics #PrecisionMedicine #UCLAHealth Read more: https://lnkd.in/g2eWgKAz

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Took my first Waymo ride this week (self driving ride share here in SF and a few other markets) How was it? Weird. Surreal. Cool. I felt safe. It was weird seeing the steering wheel operate on its own but imagine the cognitive dissonance would be even greater if there was no steering wheel at all (does it really need one?) The car was clean and the driving was good. Followed the rules. As you would hope. Price was near what I’d expect from a standard Uber or Lyft. So it was like the benefits of a black car at standard rates. It did take longer to get downtown (and back) because Waymo can’t operate on the highway (from what I can tell) I am mindful of the human drivers that will be displaced as autonomous vehicles like these gain traction. For the moment I’m an example of putting personal benefit over societal economic implications but still pondering that. Would you ride in one? If you have, what’s your experience been? #waymo #selfdriving #technology #insights #consumerjourney #incontext #passengerreview #rideshare

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Ok Los Angelenos, as of today you can all officially ride in a Waymo! Why take Waymo One in LA? - Make traffic time useful! Get work done in your own private moving workspace. - For the price of valet parking you can ride in a beautiful, clean, electric Jaguar, have a drink at dinner, and then ride home instead of driving. - The safety of knowing the Waymo driver is never tired, drunk, distracted, and is always looking at the road in ALL directions simultaneously. - Relax and take a moment for yourself without needing to make small talk with a stranger. (Or let them know where you live!) If these are the robots that are taking over, I feel much better about the future. As of today you can test it for yourself! Download their app now. Curious to hear your thoughts! *Full disclosure they are also one of our favorite clients, but I was not asked to promote, just excited to share the experience with all of you! Let me know what you think!

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Excellent More or Less episode with the amazing Brit Morin, Dave Morin, Jessica E. Lessin, Sam Lessin, and Vinod Khosla. Must watch if you are investing in AI. #AIDecade #InvestorDecade

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San Francisco loves self-driving cars. 🚖 Waymo's robotaxis are taking over San Francisco! Locals and tourists alike are embracing driverless rides. #Waymo is now doing over 100,000 rides a week across LA, Phoenix, and SF (its largest market). Why the love? People love the convenience, privacy, and smooth rides. Plus, no need for awkward small talk! Waymo's winning: They're expanding rapidly while competitors like Cruise face setbacks. The future of transportation is cruising the streets of San Francisco. 🌉 WSJ reports: https://lnkd.in/eVM_vD9z #GoogleCloud #Google #Alphabet #Cloud

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My biggest scientific influence just won the Nobel prize in physics! https://lnkd.in/gehip9dN . I first saw him in 1985, at Bell Telephone Laboratories ("The Labs"), when we both worked there (me very junior). The Labs hosted a "Hopfield Network" day honoring him and his new-fangled ideas of using physics ideas, which applied relaxation-energy equations from physics to design networks which "solved" certain difficult problems with components which looked like neurons. (Spoiler: my Ph.D. thesis at Caltech, with Hopfield on my committee, used similar math to prove that real neurons could not possibly act that way; he had no complaints.) Hopfield co-founded (with my other favorite professor Carver Mead) Caltech's Computation and Neural Systems Program. I attended Caltech in the program's second year, and the first words I heard in a classroom were from Hopfield, saying roughly this: "If you can explain how you do something, say solve an equation, odds are computers can already do it better. If you have no idea, say recognize your mother's voice, odds are we have no idea how it works and computers have no chance." His class on Neural Nets (in 1988) was epically difficult; homework for the very first week involved solving a difficult set of differential equations, writing a computer program to simulate a simple neural circuit, and constructing a working electronic circuit (LEDs, op-amps, capacitors) which acted like a neuron. Lucky for me, I already knew how to program and build circuits. I benefitted directly from one of his major initiatives. While he was on my committee he wrote the Caltech faculty advising that he would require any grad student getting a Ph.D. (e.g. me) to write a single-author paper, proving their ideas were really theirs and not their advisors'. I don't know how my own advisor Christof Koch responded, but I heard the faculty collectively were in a rage: they needed those extra papers to fill out their publication lists. Publish-or-perish was very real to them, and his principled stand for intellectual integrity made life tougher for junior professors. So I was "forced" to do what I always wanted to do anyway: publish my most radical ideas as clearly as possible, in my own voice. So I wrote a paper pretty much proving that neurons could operate a hundred-fold faster (i.e. 10,000% faster) than anyone thought at the time, which means that much more bandwidth: https://lnkd.in/ghfsXNYu That paper started my career as a renegade and bandwidth advocate, a lonely position now utterly validated by many results presented in Tucson this April. Turns out I was right all along, thanks to not watering down simple ideas, thanks to him. Thank you Professor Hopfield!

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Recently I had the pleasure of joining the Lucid Motors team at their Bay Area HQ to bring our teams together and review current programs in flight and planned. For those of you not familiar with the company, #Lucid originally started as a #EV battery manufacture that - like so many other startup companies - jumped in the pool to build full vehicles. Their journey as now evolved into a multiple vehicle portfolio, with the release of the luxury segment Gravity SUV and a multi-tier Lucid Air Touring sedan offering. From Autoweek regarding the Air model tour that will compete vs the Tesla Model 3 in the mid-sedan segment: "This Lucid Air Touring sits below the flagship Sapphire and Grand Touring and boasts 620 hp from its twin-motor layout. The folks at Lucid say this combination is good enough for zero to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds and a 140-mph top speed, all while weighing two and a half tons." The team is excited for Lucid and where its portfolio is heading. Learn more about Gravity here: https://lnkd.in/gYdPF98U (sharp) Thank you Lucid + SAP team! Harrison Fletcher | Amir Bonakdar | Kate Rivera | Jim. T #Automotive #LifeAtSAP #BEV #markettrends #market

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Tonight, I stepped into the future 🚗 24 min. fully autonomous Waymo in SF. From complex turns to city traffic, it handled every move flawlessly. Safety. Affordability. Innovation. 🤯 📍Here’s what caught my attention: 1️⃣ Safety First – I felt secure throughout; the technology was tuned to anticipate every turn and stop. 2️⃣ Affordable Access – Costing less than my other rideshare options, it hinted at a future where AVs make mobility more accessible. 3️⃣ Invested Future – Alphabet’s $5.6 billion investment isn’t just about tech. It’s about making transportation work for people. 🌊 The potential is here and now. Autonomous vehicles are set to redefine what it means to travel: safely, affordably, and sustainably. Imagine a world where transportation is truly built for people. ❓Would you ride in a fully autonomous vehicle? Follow Elise Victor PhD

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Discover how Waymo's autonomous ride-hailing service is revolutionizing independence for people with disabilities in this sponsored article. Jessie Wolinsky, aka 'Badass Blind Babe,' shares her journey navigating San Francisco with ease, thanks to Waymo. Her story highlights the impact of accessible technology & the importance of embracing new experiences. #Accessibility #AutonomousVehicles #Inclusion https://lnkd.in/g_F2Bd57

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Want to know what the California Air Resources Board had to say about #ACFR implementation last night? Cloverleaf AI monitors these hearings distills insights, so your team can stay focused on doing their job. Reach out for a free customized summary! #cleanfleet #Advancedcleanfleet #Fleetelectrification #EVfleet #Hydrogenfleet

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From where I sit in the SF Bay Area, cradle of innovation for at least the last 30 years, I'm a true believer in the promise of the #AI revolution. That said, I find it fascinating to consider views on the opposing side. I'm sharing below two opinion pieces from the last two weeks suggesting that the AI revolution is fundamentally overhyped and a bubble ripe for bursting, and that AI tools are actually not useful or transformative. Contrast this with venture capitalist Kai-Fu Lee's prognostication that 50% of white collar jobs will be displaced by #AI within three years, and that OpenAI and the other cutting edge movers in the space are headed to a trillion+ dollar valuation. Which side will win out? Where will we be by 2030 in the AI race? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments.

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📈 AI Startup Sierra Expands HQ in San Francisco (4K to 41K SF) 🌁 Artificial intelligence firm Sierra is making a bold move by relocating to a larger office within San Francisco. The startup has signed a lease for a 41,104-square-foot space at 235 Second St., significantly upsizing from its current 4,000-square-foot office. 🏢 This move to San Francisco's South of Market neighborhood, where office vacancy rates have started to decline for the first time since 2020, is a positive sign for the city's hard-hit office market. The area's office vacancy rate, though still high at 28.8%, is slightly lower than six months ago. 📉 The deal contributes to the increase in leasing activity in San Francisco, which is up by about 1 million square feet compared to last year. This uptick is driven by the region's reputation as a leading national hub for AI companies. 💼 Sierra joins other AI firms expanding in the South of Market area, including Scale AI, which signed the city's largest office lease of 2024 with a 178,000-square-foot deal. So far this year, office tenants have signed leases totaling 750,000 square feet in South of Market, a significant increase from last year's 370,000 square feet. 🚀 Co-founded in 2023 by former Salesforce CEO Bret Taylor and former Google executive Clay Bavor, Sierra raised $85 million earlier this year to develop a customer support AI tool for businesses. The firm is set to relocate from its current space at 215 Second St. by next month. San Francisco's reputation as an AI hub, bolstered by its talent pool and six major AI research institutions, continues to attract companies. Recent significant deals include OpenAI’s sublease of over 400,000 square feet of Uber’s former headquarters and Anthropic’s takeover of Slack's former headquarters. These developments reflect a resilient and adaptive real estate market. As a commercial real estate professional, I’m excited to see how these trends shape the future of office space in our vibrant city.

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"Thursday broke my heart. California’s SB-1047, not yet signed into law, but on its way to being one of the first really substantive AI bills in the US, primarily addressed to liability around catastrophic risks, was significantly weakened in last-minute negotiations. The technology ethicist Carissa Veliz posted a succinct summary of much of the damage: The bill no longer allows the [Attorney General] to sue companies for negligent safety practices before a catastrophic event occurs; it no longer creates a new state agency to monitor compliance; it no longer requires AI labs to certify their safety testing under penalty of perjury; and it no longer requires “reasonable assurance” from developers that their models won’t be harmful (they must only take “reasonable care” instead) None of that is to the good." From Gary Marcus https://lnkd.in/gMrp6kcM

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DRIVERLESS CARS AS NEW SAN FRANCISCO TOURIST ATTRACTION: Story below describes rising interest in “robotaxi” rides as part of the San Francisco tourism experience, with popular pick-up spots being well-known tourist attractions such as the Ferry Building, Pier 39, Coit Tower and Japanese Peace Plaza. Riders (Waymo is the provider described) utilize a proprietary app to unlock the car upon arrival and to play music during the ride, with remote customer support monitoring for any unsafe activity and/or needed rider assistance. While the time of widespread AV deployment remains unknown, this much is certain: Developers are logging valuable development miles, and with that activity and visibility, consumer interest will continue to increase.  #autonomousvehicles #emergingissues #insuranceindustry

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