Name: Waymo shelves 'self-driving' term for its technology to shore up safety
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Waymo shelves 'self-driving' term for its technology to shore up safety

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FollowIt will label its tech as "fully autonomous" to create a distinction about how the systems work.Sean SzymkowskiIt all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.swears it's not out to pick nits and give us all an exercise in linguistics. The fact it will no longer use the term "" when describing its technology is about education and safety, Alphabet Inc.'s division devoted to the technology said Wednesday. Going forward, Waymo will call its technology "fully autonomous" to create, what it believes, is an important distinction.The company's argument rests entirely on how the public perceives "self-driving" as a term. Waymo points out, without naming names, that some automakers -- -- toss the phrase around even though its technology doesn't fully drive a car on its own. Worse, Waymo said the proliferation of "self-driving" can lead to drivers taking their hands off the wheel when it's unsafe to do so. We've of this in the past few years already.By moving move to the term "fully autonomous," Waymo hopes to lay the groundwork for standard industry terminology and help the public understand that "fully autonomous" means the car makes every decision, well, autonomously on its own accord. It also puts some space between Waymo's technology and companies that continue to brand their own systems as "self-driving." In the end, it's a bit of a branding exercise, but I think Waymo's heart is in the right place.So, you won't be picked up in a self-driving Waymo car if the technology is ever perfected. Instead, a fully autonomous Waymo could take you to your destination.A ride on public streets in Waymo OneGet the CNET Cars newsletterSee the latest cars and automotive trends from supercars to SUVs. Delivered Tuesdays and Thursdays.It’s the browser extension all shoppers love.Install CNET Shopping and join more than 100,000 shoppers. Save money with automatic price comparisons and add coupons to your cart with a single click.

FollowIt will label its tech as "fully autonomous" to create a distinction about how the systems work.Sean SzymkowskiIt all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.swears it's not out to pick nits and give us all an exercise in linguistics. The fact it will no longer use the term "" when describing its...

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Sean Szymkowski

CNET, formerly Computer Network, is an American media website that publishes reviews, news, articles, blogs, podcasts, and videos on technology and consumer electronics globally. Founded in 1994 by Halsey Minor and Shelby Bonnie, it was the flagship brand of CNET Networks and became a brand of CBS Interactive through CNET Networks' acquisition in 2008.

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Waymo shelves 'self-driving' term for its technology to shore up safety

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