*By: Madison Alworth* Uber's self-driving cars could be back on the roads as soon as August, and CNET senior reporterBen Fox Rubin said it's part of the ride-sharing company's goal to increase profitability. "Uber and their main rival in the U.S., Lyft, both strongly anticipate that self-driving cars are their future. They are way more profitable ー at least they expect them to be way more profitable ー and they have the potential, despite what happened in Arizona, of being substantial safer if the technology actually does work," Rubin said in an interview with Cheddar. According to news site [The Information](https://www.theinformation.com/articles/how-ubers-self-driving-car-unit-plans-to-move-forward), Uber will restart testing the cars in Pittsburgh, and possibly San Franscisco, about four months after one of its autonomous vehicles struck and killed a pedestrian in Arizona. After the March crash, the company suspended all of its self-driving test programs in the country. Since then, Uber has invested in multiple safety efforts. "They've done some internal reports, and they've got 16 different suggestions back of different things they should actually do to make improvements," Rubin said. Some fixes that are expected to be included involve fixing the autobrake failsafe. The [preliminary report](https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/HWY18MH010-prelim.pdf) from the National Transportation Safety Board noted that Uber's autobrake systems were disabled at the time of the fatal accident. The company has also been working closely with the NTSB to review safety practices and hired the agency's former chairman Christopher Hart in an advisory role. For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/uber-set-to-resume-testing-self-driving-vehicles).

Share:
More In Business
Starbucks’ Change Flushes Out a Debate Over Public Restroom Access
Starbucks’ decision to restrict its restrooms to paying customers has flushed out a wider problem: a patchwork of restroom use policies that varies by state and city. Starbucks announced last week a new code of conduct that says people need to make a purchase if they want to hang out or use the restroom. The coffee chain's policy change for bathroom privileges has left Americans confused and divided over who gets to go and when. The American Restroom Association, a public toilet advocacy group, was among the critics. Rules about restroom access in restaurants vary by state, city and county. The National Retail Federation says private businesses have a right to limit restroom use.
Trump Highlights Partnership Investing $500 Billion in AI
President Donald Trump is talking up a joint venture investing up to $500 billion for infrastructure tied to artificial intelligence by a new partnership formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. The new entity, Stargate, will start building out data centers and the electricity generation needed for the further development of the fast-evolving AI in Texas, according to the White House. The initial investment is expected to be $100 billion and could reach five times that sum. While Trump has seized on similar announcements to show that his presidency is boosting the economy, there were already expectations of a massive buildout of data centers and electricity plants needed for the development of AI.
Load More