Waymo’s co-CEO talks about the challenge of safely scaling robotics

Waymo co-CEO Tekedra Mawakana had a clear message during her interview on the TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 stage on Monday: “It is imperative that we scale.”

Mawakana was speaking in the context of how Waymo balances fundraising (and burning that money) with ultimately achieving profitability. But she was also clear in the interview that she believes Waymo can increase road safety by reaching this scale.

All of this helps explain why the company is expanding this year, and is expected to launch in several US cities — D.C., Miami, Denver, Dallas, Seattle, and Nashville — as well as in London in 2026. It’s a furious pace that has seen the self-driving vehicle company leverage multiple partnerships with companies like Uber, Lyft, and Avis.

“By the end of 2026, you should expect us to be offering 1 million rides a week,” she said.

Mawakana spent a lot of time during the interview with TechCrunch transportation editor Kirsten Korosec talking about the challenges of safely accessing this kind of range.

Waymo’s co-CEO emphasized that the company operates at a safer level than a typical human driver. Although she did not name names, she attacked competitors, saying they are not doing enough to prove that their self-driving car technology is truly safe.

“He must [them] “You have to be transparent about what’s going on,” she said. “And if you’re not transparent, in my view you’re not doing what’s necessary to actually earn the right to make the road safer.”

Her comments come as the company continues to address issues of concern as it expands — with one recent incident in Atlanta, Georgia, where a Waymo vehicle pulled in front of a parked school bus, prompting an investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Waymo itself recently released a report claiming its vehicles are five times safer than most human drivers, and 12 times safer in relation to pedestrians.

However, Waymo’s cars have been caught making a number of critical decisions.

“It’s important to realize that it’s not going to be perfect, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be responsible for transparency,” Mawakana said on stage. “I think…we’re really concerned as a company about those days. You know, we’re not saying if, we’re saying when, and we’re planning for it.”

Mawakana also said Waymo isn’t thinking in terms of “how much.” [incidents] “allowed.”

“We know that’s going to happen because our cars are on the road with humans, and unfortunately, right now, there are a lot of deaths, human driving, there’s a lot of injuries that happen on the roads,” she said.

When asked if the public would accept a death caused by a robotaxi in the face of the promise of greater safety, Mawakana said: “I think society will accept that.”