Want to read Slashdot from your mobile device? Point it at m.slashdot.org and keep reading!

 



Forgot your password?
typodupeerror
×
Transportation AI

GM's Cruise Cuts 24% of Its Workforce 29

General Motors' Cruise robotaxi unit announced today that it will lay off 900 employees, or 24% of its workforce. The news follows the departure of nine executives amid an ongoing safety investigation following an inccident in which a pedestrian was dragged by one of the company's self-driving cars. CNBC reports: The company had 3,800 employees before Thursday's cuts, which also follow a round of contractor layoffs at Cruise last month. Affected employees will receive paychecks until Feb. 12 and at least an additional eight weeks of pay, plus severance based on tenure. A Cruise representative also told CNBC that the company's goal is now to work on a fully driverless L4 service, as well as relaunching ride-hailing in one city to start. In a statement, a Cruise spokesperson said, "We shared the difficult news that we are reducing our workforce, primarily in commercial operations and related corporate functions. These changes reflect our decision to focus on more deliberate commercialization plans with safety as our north star. We are supporting impacted Cruisers with strong severance and benefits packages and are grateful to the departing employees who played important roles in building Cruise and supporting our mission."

GM added, "GM supports the difficult employment decisions made by Cruise as it reflects their more deliberate path forward, with safety as the north star. We are confident in the team and committed to supporting Cruise as they set the company up for long-term success with a focus on trust, accountability and transparency."
This discussion has been archived. No new comments can be posted.

GM's Cruise Cuts 24% of Its Workforce

Comments Filter:
  • by TWX ( 665546 ) on Thursday December 14, 2023 @02:18PM (#64082099)

    A news reporter recently got to test out some rides in self-driving cars in San Francisco. The Waymo car, while not perfect, felt mostly like it was being driven by a person. The Cruise car was awful, to the point that its own behavior led to someone actually kicking it hard enough to trip the collision sensor.

    The cars driving in Beam.NG look smoother and safer.

    • by mjwx ( 966435 )

      A news reporter recently got to test out some rides in self-driving cars in San Francisco. The Waymo car, while not perfect, felt mostly like it was being driven by a person. The Cruise car was awful, to the point that its own behavior led to someone actually kicking it hard enough to trip the collision sensor.

      The cars driving in Beam.NG look smoother and safer.

      Strangely enough, Beam.NG highlights the problem with self driving cars.

      In Beam.NG, on a clear, straight road they'll never go over 30 MPG, will stop for every single intersection regardless of if they have to, when there are multiple cars on an intersection all cars will stop. Lets not even get started on maps like Italy or Jungle Island where you've narrow roads and two cars can't manoeuvre around each other, so you get two cars refusing to move and tailbacks behind each. Keep in mind that the cars wil

  • by Spinlock_1977 ( 777598 ) <Spinlock_1977.yahoo@com> on Thursday December 14, 2023 @02:28PM (#64082127) Journal

    On the bright side, it's 75% better than Theranos.

    • On the bright side, it's 75% better than Theranos.

      On the dark side of regulation, it only has to be 10 - 15% better than human drivers are today.

      42,000+ deaths racked up by those lame meatsacks behind the wheel on American roadways last year. Hell of a low bar to trip over. I'd guess Cruise will be ready for approval by Easter to meet that standard.

      (I can only hope I'm off by a order of safety magnitude, but I kinda doubt it.)

  • Weren't they just saying that they needed to drop airplay and android support for safety? Now they have to fire people for safety? What's next? They have to have public floggings for safety? They need anybody running a GM car to pay them $100 a month, for safety? You can't just poop out the word "safety" as a catchall for any action the company takes and expect people to buy it. This was about the bottom line, like all corporate decisions are. With the airplay/android thing? It's about collecting user data

    • by Ksevio ( 865461 )

      The problem the health and safety officer at GM was putting up signs to try and reduce workplace accidents that said "Safety = Money" and the executives took that to heart and assumed the reverse was true as well.

  • ongoing safety investigation following an incident in which a pedestrian was dragged by one of the company's self-driving cars.

    That's one way to get them into the showroom.

FORTH IF HONK THEN

Working...