Topic: Autonomous Driving

Lex Fridman's rise to prominence in the long-form interview space is attributed to early support from Elon Musk following a non-peer-reviewed study on Tesla's semi-autonomous driving system. Fridman, a former MIT researcher, has since hosted high-profile guests including Joe Rogan. The hosts compare his interview style to a "man in black" and note his lack of traditional charisma compared to Rogan.

Ford has announced its withdrawal from the autonomous vehicle race after a $2 billion loss, deciding to wait for third-party licensing instead. Simultaneously, Elon Musk admitted that Tesla's "Full Self-Driving" software will not receive regulatory approval for driverless operation this year, despite the $15,000 price tag for the feature.

The hosts provide a technical breakdown of why Boeing aircraft are particularly susceptible to 5G interference due to their fuselage composition and older altimeter designs. They argue the conflict is primarily a financial dispute over who pays for equipment upgrades. Furthermore, they suggest 5G's millimeter-wave signals could cause broader interference issues for future autonomous vehicle sensors.

Samsung introduced the Galaxy S10 5G with a flashy presentation promising 20 times faster speeds and near-zero latency. The marketing highlights future possibilities such as remote surgery, cloud gaming, and autonomous vehicles, though the hosts remain skeptical of the immediate practical benefits for average users.

The safety of Tesla's AutoSteer feature is questioned following near-accidents during a road trip where the system almost veered off the road. The technology is compared to ballistic parachutes on Cirrus aircraft, suggesting it creates dangerous complacency in operators. This shift in perspective highlights the necessity of long-term product testing over initial "glowing" reviews to uncover fundamental flaws in high-tech products.

Tech investor Jason Calacanis is criticized for his "elitist" shilling of the new Tesla Model 3 on CNBC, comparing it to the iPhone. The hosts discuss the practical limitations of electric cars, such as "white-knuckle" range anxiety and the lack of charging infrastructure. A comparison is made to the Chevy Volt, which the hosts prefer due to its backup gasoline engine.

During Prime Minister's Questions, Theresa May claimed that the United Kingdom is a global leader in "automated vehicles" as part of a strategy to build a strong economy. The hosts questioned the validity of this claim and the specific definition of "automated" versus "autonomous" vehicles. They speculated that the term might simply refer to the prevalence of chauffeured cars among the British elite.

Uber's conflict with the California DMV over self-driving car permits in San Francisco is detailed. After an Uber autonomous vehicle was caught running a red light, the company claimed it was "human error" by the safety driver. The hosts argue that Uber is intentionally ignoring regulations to maintain its "disruptor" reputation.

The impact of autonomous vehicles on the radio industry is analyzed, with the prediction that self-driving cars will eliminate the need for "time, temperature, and traffic" reports. Since these hyper-local updates are radio's last competitive advantage, the hosts conclude that the industry is "toast" as passengers shift to watching video in their cars.

A promotional event for Google's self-driving cars took place at the Thinkery children's museum in Austin, Texas. Attendees observed the "bean-shaped" prototype vehicles and interacted with Google staff members who indicated that "Phase One" of the rollout—where drivers are trained to take over manually from software—is projected for 2020. The event was characterized as lacking clear marketing direction or public engagement despite the presence of live music and refreshments.