Uber has announced a partnership with Nvidia to utilize the latter's cutting-edge technology in accelerating the development of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. The ride-hailing giant will be leveraging Nvidia's generative world model simulation tool, Cosmos, and its cloud-based AI supercomputing platform, DGX Cloud, to support its AV ambitions.

Cosmos is a powerful tool that generates physics-based videos from a variety of inputs, including 9,000 trillion tokens generated from 20 million hours of video data. This technology can be used to simulate realistic industrial and driving environments, providing a robust platform for AV companies to test and refine their self-driving models. Meanwhile, Nvidia's DGX Cloud will provide Uber with access to high-performance AI infrastructure, enabling the company to train, fine-tune, and deploy its AI self-driving models more efficiently.

While Uber has shared few details about its plans for utilizing Nvidia's technology, the partnership is likely to involve the ride-hailing company sharing its vast data on how and where people use ride-hail and delivery services. This data could be used in tandem with its partners to develop more effective AV solutions. Notably, Uber has adopted an asset-light approach to AV development, preferring to partner with other companies rather than developing its own technology in-house.

Uber's history with AV development has been marked by setbacks and controversies. The company launched its self-driving unit, Uber ATG, in 2015 through a partnership with Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Center. However, the unit was plagued by issues, including a lawsuit from Waymo alleging the theft of trade secrets. The case ultimately ended in a settlement, but not before Uber's self-driving truck startup, Otto, was shuttered. In 2018, an Uber self-driving vehicle testing in autonomous mode struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, leading to a major overhaul of the company's AV efforts.

Today, Uber appears committed to playing a key role in the development of AV technology, albeit through partnerships rather than in-house development. The company's CEO, Dara Khosrowshahi, has emphasized the importance of investing in the proper infrastructure and mapping to support the deployment of AV solutions in new cities. By partnering with Nvidia, Uber is likely seeking to accelerate the timeline for safe and scalable AV solutions, which could have significant implications for the future of transportation.

Khosrowshahi has expressed confidence that the partnership with Nvidia will help "supercharge the timeline for safe and scalable autonomous driving solutions for the industry." While details about the partnership remain scarce, it is clear that Uber is committed to playing a key role in the development of AV technology, and its partnership with Nvidia could be a significant step forward in achieving that goal.