Ex-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick on Autonomy Boosting Mining Efficiency
edgarpavlovsky · x · 2026-07-24
a16z shared insights from former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick regarding the application of autonomy in the mining sector. Kalanick describes mining as one of the most beautiful and interesting use cases for autonomous vehicles.
He notes that they can approach a gold mine CEO today and promise a 20% increase in annual gold production. Beyond the massive productivity upside, automation brings significant safety benefits given the harsh nature of mining work. Furthermore, with over half of the current mining workforce projected to retire in the next three years, the timing for autonomous solutions is highly advantageous.
Related event: Uber Founder Urges Grads to Automate Heavy Machinery(3 posts)→
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