TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 hosts a panel on the safety of autonomous AI systems
The TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 conference (13–15 October, San Francisco) will host a panel of representatives from Shield AI, Waabi and General Motors on safety, testing and regulation of AI in autonomous drones, vehicles and robotics.
TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 in San Francisco will host a panel discussion titled “Building AI Systems When Failure Is Not an Option” on the safety of autonomous systems in applications where AI failure can have serious physical consequences. Participants will include Nathan Michael (chief technology officer at Shield AI), Raquel Urtasun (founder and CEO of Waabi) and Mikell Taylor (director of robotics strategy at General Motors). The discussion is expected to cover building a safety culture, system testing and validation, regulatory hurdles and building trust.
According to the source, in February 2026, Shield AI secured the role of autonomy provider in the US Air Force Collaborative Combat Aircraft program for its autonomous platform Hivemind, and in March of the same year closed a Series G round of 1.5 billion dollars at a valuation of 12.7 billion dollars. In January 2026, Waabi secured an investment of 1 billion dollars and announced a partnership with Uber to deploy 25 000 or more robotaxis powered by Waabi Driver; according to the source, the company tests and stress-tests its autonomous systems in the Waabi World simulator, and according to Urtasun, the autonomous trucks still need to undergo full validation before driverless deployment.
Mikell Taylor at General Motors works on robotics strategy for the Autonomous Robotics Center and previously led the Amazon Robotics team that developed the autonomous mobile robot Proteus. According to the source, her experience primarily concerns how to design autonomous systems so that people can collaborate with them safely and reliably in real-world operations.
The Disrupt conference will take place on 13–15 October 2026 at Moscone West in San Francisco and, according to the organizers, includes over 200 sessions across six industry stages, with expected attendance of over 10 000 people and 250 or more speakers.
Why it matters
For companies developing or deploying autonomous systems in defense, transportation or robotics, this is a documented example of how major players (Shield AI, Waabi, GM) articulate their approach to testing, validation and regulatory preparation before deployment in environments where an AI error has physical consequences. Specific funding and valuation figures (Shield AI 1.5 billion USD at a 12.7 billion USD valuation, Waabi 1 billion USD and a partnership with Uber for 25 000+ robotaxis) show where investment capital is heading in the autonomous drone and vehicle segment in 2026.
Relevant practical impact
What this means
For a business
The approaches taken by Shield AI and Waabi (simulation testing, gradual validation before deployment without human supervision, an emphasis on safety culture) are a relevant reference point for companies planning to deploy autonomous AI systems in regulated or safety-critical operations.
Risks and complianceCheck the original
Event sources
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