Recently, Waymo has drawn public attention. Overseas media reported that the company, in an unreleased privacy policy, plans to use data collected from its self-driving taxis, including in-car camera videos containing passenger-identifiable information, to train generative AI models. Researcher Jane Manchun Wong uncovered this information by examining Waymo's privacy policy.

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According to the draft, Waymo might utilize this data for targeted advertising. California's Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) stipulates that users have the right to opt out of this data sharing and AI training. Waymo spokesperson Julia Ilina responded, stating that "this feature is still under development and will not change Waymo's privacy policy," and emphasized that passengers can choose whether to consent to data collection, especially for machine learning training purposes.

However, Ilina later denied that Waymo is using in-car camera footage from its self-driving taxis to train generative AI models. She pointed out that the screenshots released by Wong came from an unpublished application page and stressed that "the placeholder text on that page did not accurately reflect the true purpose of the feature."

It's worth noting that Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc. focused on autonomous vehicle development, was founded in 2009 as a spin-off of Google's self-driving car project. Waymo employs multi-sensor fusion technology, primarily using lidar, combined with cameras, radar, and high-definition maps, to create a high-precision positioning system. Furthermore, Waymo has established a comprehensive data engine and training system, forming a closed-loop ecosystem encompassing data acquisition, model training, and deployment evaluation.

Currently, Waymo is the only company in the US operating commercial self-driving taxi services, with approximately 700 autonomous vehicles, and plans to expand its services to more cities and highways. With the development of self-driving technology, Waymo's privacy policy is under close scrutiny, and passenger data security is undoubtedly a crucial issue for its future development.

Key Points:

🌐 Waymo plans to use in-car camera data to train AI models, potentially for targeted advertising.

🚦 Passengers can opt out of data sharing and AI training under the California Consumer Privacy Act.

🚗 Waymo is the only company in the US operating commercial self-driving taxi services, with 700 vehicles.