For more than a decade, I’ve written, spoken, and advised clients and policymakers on the promise—and the complexity—of autonomous vehicles (AVs). Over that time, the sector has endured hype cycles, regulatory uncertainty, high-profile setbacks, and more than a few premature predictions about timelines.
And yet, after all of that, I remain firmly bullish.
That conviction was reinforced recently by something simple but powerful: getting in the car.
Over the past few months, I had the opportunity to take multiple autonomous rides with Waymo in San Francisco and Atlanta. I also continue to use and rely on the autonomous driving features in my own Tesla, which have steadily improved with each update.
The takeaway was clear: the technology has crossed a meaningful threshold.
From Theory to Experience
Much of the public debate around AVs remains abstract—focused on edge cases, headlines, and hypothetical risks. Riding in a fully autonomous vehicle changes that frame entirely.
The Waymo experience exceeded my expectations on nearly every dimension: smoothness, situational awareness, adherence to traffic rules, and overall rider confidence. The vehicles handled dense urban environments, unpredictable drivers, pedestrians, and complex intersections with a level of caution and consistency that—frankly—many human drivers don’t always display.
Equally important, the experience felt normal. That’s a milestone we don’t talk about enough. The future arrives not when technology dazzles, but when it quietly works.
Incremental Progress Is Still Progress
As a Tesla owner, I’ve watched firsthand how advanced driver-assistance systems evolve over time. Autonomous capability is not a binary switch—it’s an iterative process of software, sensors, data, and real-world learning. Tesla’s autonomous features have become materially more capable, intuitive, and useful, especially in everyday driving scenarios.
This is how transformational technologies mature: not in one dramatic leap, but through steady, compounding gains.
Too often, critics measure AVs against a standard of perfection rather than a realistic comparison point. The real benchmark isn’t an idealized autonomous system—it’s human driving, with all its variability, distraction, fatigue, and error. Measured against that baseline, the trajectory is unmistakable.
Policy, Not Just Technology, Will Set the Pace
Having spent years at the intersection of law, policy, and emerging technology, I’m convinced that the next chapter for autonomous vehicles will be shaped as much by governance as by engineering.
Regulators face a delicate task: enabling innovation while ensuring public trust and safety. States and cities are rightly focused on deployment standards, data transparency, and accountability—but overly fragmented or reactionary approaches risk slowing progress and undermining the very safety gains AVs can deliver.
The jurisdictions that get this right will not only improve transportation outcomes; they’ll attract investment, talent, and long-term economic growth.
A Measured Optimism—Rooted in Reality
I’ve never been a blind optimist about autonomous vehicles. The challenges are real: infrastructure integration, public perception, workforce transition, and regulatory harmonization all matter. But what has changed over the past few years—and crystallized for me in those Waymo rides—is confidence that the core technology works.
Autonomous vehicles are no longer a speculative concept. They are operating today, in real cities, under real conditions, carrying real passengers safely from point A to point B.
That’s why, after ten years of watching this sector evolve—and after sitting in the back seat myself—I remain bullish.
The question is no longer whether autonomous vehicles will play a meaningful role in our transportation future. The real question is how quickly we align policy, infrastructure, and public understanding to let that future arrive responsibly.
And based on what I’ve seen lately, it’s closer than many think.
Eric Tanenblatt is the Global Chair of Public Policy & Regulation at Dentons where he leads the firm’s Global Autonomous Vehicle practice. He previously served in the Administrations of three Presidents, as a senior advisor to US Senator Paul Coverdell and as chief of staff to Governor Sonny Perdue.
