SUNNYVALE — The Tech Business Expo in downtown Sunnyvale brought together local residents and Silicon Valley tech companies on October 3rd, offering insights into public perception of autonomous vehicles and expert perspectives on the technology’s future.
Emily Xu, a 73-year-old former tech professional, expressed cautious curiosity about trying Waymo’s service, while other residents like Joseph championed the technology’s safety advantages over human drivers.
Emily Xu, a 73-year-old former tech professional, at the Tech Business Expo on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Sunnyvale, Calif. (Audrey Widodo/Peninsula Press)
Waymo representatives Carla Alpizar and Julio Bajo shared insider perspectives on recent incidents, including vehicle safety issues and early-morning honking disturbances in San Francisco. The discussion comes at a crucial time for the autonomous vehicle industry, as competitor Cruise faces a $1.5 million penalty and permit suspension, while Waymo announces expansion plans with Uber in Austin and Atlanta for 2025.
The mix of cautious optimism and concerns reflects a familiar pattern in automation history. Just as the public took decades to trust automated elevators, today’s self-driving cars face the same journey from skepticism to acceptance, with Silicon Valley leading the way in building public trust.
The Waymo car on display at the Tech Business Expo on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Sunnyvale, Calif. (Audrey Widodo/Peninsula Press)
Audrey grew up in Jakarta and Singapore, then moved to Washington D.C. for college and graduated with a B.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Maryland College Park in 2020. After graduation, Audrey worked at Metro TV and Metro Globe Network in Jakarta. She was a news presenter, producer and reporter for Jakarta Movers & Shakers, a business and economic program. She anchored the nightly news for Asia Prime & World News and hosted the entertainment program ShowBiz, interviewing artists and musicians. Her work has also been published in Voice of America and The Jakarta Post. At Stanford, Audrey focuses on becoming a data-driven journalist specializing in business and technology reporting while deepening her understanding of artificial intelligence. Outside the newsroom, Audrey loves running marathons, reading romance books and spending time with her Shiba Inu.
