[nopinsight]

Uber is aggressively pursuing self-driving cars as we can observe from their massive investments to acquire Otto and other AI startups, and to set up labs filled with experienced robotics and AI researchers in the US and Canada.

Once autonomous vehicles become practical, it is almost imperative for Uber to own the critical technology to be competitive in their current businesses.

[sumeno]

First Uber has to survive for the next 5-10 years until autonomous vehicles become practical at the scale required for them to replace their drivers.

[valuearb]

What are you, an agent for autonomous engineers?

Uber can't ever own the critical technology in autonomous. They are late to the party, critical patents have been filed. Autonomous technology will be freely available when it's commercially feasible, Uber can buy some then. In the meantime it has to avoid blowing through the remainder of it's capital and stay alive.