I’ve defended the platform-partnership model for autonomy longer than most people in this space. Waymo riding on Uber’s demand, Mobileye supplying ADAS to a dozen automakers instead of building its own car — division of labor sounded like the mature, capital-efficient way to scale a technology this expensive. I don’t think that’s the endgame anymore. Waymo is reportedly exploring an exit from its Uber partnership, with the relationship souring amid a lobbying fight over robotaxi regulation.