The Road to Autonomy

Grayson Brulte | AUTNMY AI

Hosted by Grayson Brulte, The Road to Autonomy delivers institutional-grade intelligence on autonomous vehicles, autonomous trucking, robotaxis, and the capital flows shaping the market. Every episode combines primary field research, proprietary data, and conversations with the operators, investors, and policymakers building the autonomy economy. Three shows comprise the feed: The Road to Autonomy (Tuesdays): Flagship, in-depth conversations and analysis with the architects of the autonomy economy. Autonomy Signals, presented by KPMG (Thursdays): AUTNMY AI co-founders Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant analyze the underlying technical and regulatory signals moving the market. Autonomy Markets (Saturdays): Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk, Partner & TMT Analyst, LightShed Partners and General Partner, LightShed Ventures break down the week in autonomy from a Wall Street and investment perspective. With over 400 episodes, The Road to Autonomy has become the trusted source for hedge funds, analysts, and executives who need to understand the emergence of the autonomy economy and the growth of physical AI.

  1. 11h ago

    Autonomy Markets: Has Robotaxi Begun to Scale?

    This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla increasing their robotaxi inventory in Texas, a controversial autonomous vehicle bill in Washington DC, Uber’s acquisition of Delivery Hero, and WeRide‘s global expansion strategies. Data from the Texas DMV shows that Tesla has 175 robotaxis registered in Texas, a quadrupling in just six weeks from 42 on June 1st. This is a trend that is not isolated to Texas, as Grayson has noted in his Robotaxi Miami Field Report that Tesla is also ramping up operations in that market as well. In Washington DC, a new district bill introduced by Councilmember Charles Allen aims to update the 2012 AV Act to allow commercial autonomous operations. However, the bill introduces highly restrictive mandates, including a requirement for autonomous vehicle operators to log over 250,000 testing miles within the district before receiving a commercial permit that could lead to regulatory capture for incumbents. Shifting to the delivery sector, Uber made a major move by earmarking approximately €2 billion through 2031 for European expansion, explicitly including autonomous vehicle initiatives alongside its acquisition of Delivery Hero. Meanwhile, Uber’s autonomous delivery partner, Avride, launched sidewalk street robot operations in Miami via Uber Eats, having already completed 60,000 trips. On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss WeRide’s global Level 2++ on-road validation testing alongside Bosch in Germany, France, and Japan. Additionally, government data from Hong Kong reveals that 63 autonomous driving licenses have been issued across seven companies, with Baidu logging 149,129 miles with safety drivers on pre-approved roads. Closing out the show Grayson and Walt analyze Baidu‘s expansion into Kazakhstan and predict local robotaxi manufacturing could begin there within the next 12 to 18 months. Episode Chapters 0:00 Tesla's Growing Robotaxi Fleet 4:52 Washington DC's Autonomous Vehicle Bill 12:03 Uber Acquires Delivery Hero and Bets on Autonomous Delivery 18:07 Lucid's Selloff and the Nuro Partner Risk 23:19 WeRide's Level 2++ Expansion 24:57 Foreign Autonomy Desk 27:10 Next Week Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Autonomy Markets: Has Robotaxi Begun to Scale?

  2. 1d ago

    Autonomy Signals: Baidu's Hong Kong Expansion Unlocks Right-Hand Drive Markets

    This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Baidu's Apollo Go robotaxi expansion in Hong Kong, the first combat strike using Saronic autonomous vessels on an Iranian naval base, and autonomous drones mapping volcanic gas clouds off the coast of Sicily. Hong Kong issued Baidu three pilot licenses covering 50 vehicles and cleared cross-district driverless trials using its sixth-generation RT6 robotaxis. The city-state's right-hand drive, left-side traffic system turns it into a proving ground for Japan, the UK, Singapore, and Australia, advancing China's Autonomous Belt and Road Initiative and setting up Baidu to export validated autonomy into left-side traffic markets. On July 12, 2026, US Central Command (CENTCOM) executed the first ever combat strike using unmanned surface vessels, deploying three Saronic-built Corsair vessels against Iran's Bandar Abbas Naval Base. The strike marks a doctrinal shift in naval warfare, altering the cost-exchange calculus of maritime conflict as tier one primes reposition themselves as mission integrators and treat autonomous hulls as expendable peripherals to their combat systems. Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss researchers at the Technical University of Munich deploying an autonomous drone on the Italian island of Vulcano to map volcanic gas concentrations at a 5% margin of error, eliminating the need to fly into corrosive plumes. Episode Chapters 0:00 KPMG Sponsor Introduction 01:34 Signal 1: Baidu's Apollo Go Expansion in Hong Kong 18:55 Signal 2: First Autonomous Maritime Combat Strike 37:16: Signal 3: Autonomous Drones Mapping Volcanic Gas Clouds Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Autonomy Signals: Baidu's Hong Kong Expansion Unlocks Right-Hand Drive Markets

  3. 4d ago

    Scale Not Technology Is the Real Constraint in AI Manufacturing

    Todd Deaville, VP, Advanced Manufacturing Innovation, Magna, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss how artificial intelligence and advanced robotics are transforming global manufacturing. To Deaville, AI is a highly powerful tool set optimized for recognizing complex patterns, making quality-control decisions, and analyzing massive data flows. Applying AI to robotics introduces unprecedented flexibility to the physical world, moving beyond historically rigid, defined programming to enable machines that can adapt and make operational changes in real time. With manufacturing facilities spanning 28 countries, Magna’s primary challenge is deploying these advanced technologies at scale. To achieve this, the company clusters its solutions around specific product and process archetypes, relying on a playbook approach with practical guides to help local plants succeed. This shift toward more complex digital workflows is being further accelerated by a new generation of workers whose gaming backgrounds have trained them to navigate highly interactive, realistic three-dimensional simulations.. By continuously feeding operational data back into its systems, Magna is elevating the skills of its workforce, streamlining its design-for-manufacturing processes, and building a highly efficient, autonomous future. Episode Chapters 0:00 Defining AI in Manufacturing 2:40 Robotics 4:42 Open Source Models & Data Sovereignty 8:34 Deploying Tech Globally 11:07 Labs vs. Active Factory Floors 13:06 Scale Is the Real Bottleneck 16:56 Humanoid Robots 21:13 Gaming and the Evolving Workforce 28:57 Magna Data Flywheel 31:06 The Future of Robotaxi Manufacturing 32:32 Future of Magna 33:56 AUTNMY AI -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, Indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Scale Not Technology Is the Real Constraint in AI Manufacturing

  4. Jul 11

    Autonomy Markets: Three Robotaxis in Miami, Four New Waymo Markets, One New NHTSA Letter

    This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss Tesla‘s unsupervised robotaxi launch in Miami, Waymo preparing to bring four new markets online, and NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison’s letter to autonomous vehicle operators. On July 3rd, Tesla launched unsupervised robotaxi in Miami, their first market outside of Texas and California. We were there on the ground conducting field research with no safety monitor and no chase vehicle in sight, riding through torrential downpours and flooded streets. The fleet grew from two vehicles on day one to three vehicles by day three, and it was the best unsupervised robotaxi experience we have ever had. While conducting field research, we counted over two dozen Cybercabs staged in Miami, every single one with a steering wheel and a Florida license plate. We believe these are validation vehicles and that Cybercab will be Tesla’s major robotaxi launch vehicle. Notably, Tesla’s operating domain extends further west than Waymo’s, wrapping around the back side of Miami International Airport. As Tesla scales in Miami, NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison sent a letter to autonomous vehicle operators on July 8th citing a pattern of driverless vehicles interfering with police, fire, and EMS. The timing was notable, as our Tesla robotaxi flawlessly pulled over for an ambulance during our Miami rides. Mr. Morrison’s approach of loosening hardware rules while tightening behavioral scrutiny is the regulatory framework we believe the industry needs to scale. Waymo opened employee rides in Las Vegas, San Diego, Tampa, and Denver, the final gate before public service. Tampa confirms the call The Road to Autonomy made three weeks ago when we uncovered Waymo’s 100,000 square foot warehouse lease near Tampa International Airport. Beyond the four new cities, OMEGA uncovered corporate filings pointing to potential Waymo deployments in France, Spain, and the Netherlands, along with an Alphabet entity in Singapore holding $21 billion that we verified as a wholly owned Waymo subsidiary through the Delaware Chancery Court. On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss Baidu publicly disclosing 143,000 autonomous driving miles in Hong Kong and Zelos securing Malaysia’s first L4 public road permit for driverless delivery. Episode Chapters 0:00 Tesla Launches Robotaxi in Miami 8:50 Tesla's Miami Service Area Compared to Waymo's 14:35 NHTSA Administrator Jonathan Morrison's Letter to Autonomous Vehicle Operators 19:13 Waymo's New Markets: Las Vegas, San Diego, Tampa, and Denver 23:02 Denver: Waymo's First Snow and Ice Market 26:41 OMEGA uncovers Waymo's European Grand Ambitions 29:32 Waymo's Playbook 32:01 Uber's Autonomy Partners Struggles 34:27 Foreign Autonomy Desk 35:21 Next Week Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Autonomy Markets: Three Robotaxis in Miami, Four New Waymo Markets, One New NHTSA Letter

  5. Jul 10

    Autonomy Signals: Tesla Launches Robotaxi in Miami, Waymo's July 4th Stumble, Momenta IPOs in Hong Kong

    This week on Autonomy Signals presented by KPMG Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss Tesla’s Unsupervised Robotaxi launch in Miami, Waymo’s July 4th stumble in San Francisco, and Momenta’s oversubscribed IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. On July 5, 2026, Tesla launched Unsupervised Robotaxi service in Miami, its first unsupervised market outside of Texas, with retrofitted Model Ys operating through heavy rain and flooded roadways during the heart of hurricane season. Grayson was on the ground for launch day, riding through South Florida’s mini lakes without a single hesitation from the vehicle, and uncovered a Cybercab staging lot near Miami International Airport with dozens of vehicles ready to deploy. The Miami launch is a deliberate stress test of Tesla’s camera-only system against the exact adverse weather conditions currently under NHTSA engineering analysis, and the receipts reveal a premium pricing experiment running 3X to 4X the base fare of Tesla’s Texas markets. Then there is Waymo, whose vehicles bricked across San Francisco on the 4th of July as fireworks, road closures, dense crowds, and connectivity failures overwhelmed the fleet. Vehicles idled until their batteries depleted and had to be towed, one Waymo burned, and San Francisco officials have launched inquiries into the incident. The July 4th stumble potentially exposed a remote assistance bottleneck that makes Waymo’s lean human supervision model the critical scaling constraint in burst demand emergencies, threatening the path to one million weekly rides as regulators eye special event requirements and remote operator staffing ratios. Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss Momenta’s listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange as the market’s first physical AI stock, with the retail tranche oversubscribed 414 times and 14 cornerstone investors including BlackRock, Fidelity International, GIC, Mercedes-Benz, and BYD. With its software running in over 900,000 vehicles and licensing revenue growing 42-fold over three years, Momenta’s IPO signals that institutional investors are shifting their preference away from speculative capital-intensive deployments towards proven physical AI providers. Episode Chapters 00:00 KPMG Sponsor Introduction 01:16 Signal 1: Tesla Launches Unsupervised Robotaxi in Miami 38:38 Signal 2: Waymo's July 4th Stumble in San Francisco 1:11:27 Signal 3: Momenta IPOs on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Autonomy Signals: Tesla Launches Robotaxi in Miami, Waymo's July 4th Stumble, Momenta IPOs in Hong Kong

  6. Jul 7

    Bot Auto's Playbook for One Billion Autonomous Miles

    Brett Suma, President and COO of Bot Auto, joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss Bot Auto’s playbook for autonomously driving one billion autonomous miles in four years. On April 29th by completing its first humanless run from Houston to Dallas. To achieve long-term growth and commercial success, Bot Auto is rejecting the standard driver-as-a-service intermediary model used by its competitors. Instead, the company is building direct relationships with shippers and designing a utility grid of capacity focused on solving network sequencing, lane selection, and utilization. As the company focuses on capital-efficient deployment, Bot Auto plans to sidestep raising large funding rounds to purchase depreciating operations assets. Instead, the company will rely on traditional financing methods, established banking relationships, and an experienced sales force to scale its tractor and trailer counts. With a comprehensive five-year financial roadmap in place, Bot Auto is positioning itself to scale organically based on market demand, setting a disciplined target of one billion autonomous miles within the next four years. Episode Chapters 0:00 Why Bot Auto 4:56 April 29th Humanless Houston to Dallas Run 9:52 Economics of Humanless Miles 14:36 Building a Trucking Business 17:17 Capacity as a Utility Grid, Not Truck Counts 24:19 Bot Auto's Business Model 29:34 CapEx and Financing Trucks 32:15 Hidden Risk of Operating a Mixed Fleet 41:49 Staying Disciplined as Bot Auto Grows 44:24 One Billion Autonomous Miles in Four Years 47:36 AUTNMY AI -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, Indices and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

  7. Jul 4

    Autonomy Markets: Waymo and Uber Divorce in Phoenix. Are Austin and Atlanta Next?

    This week on Autonomy Markets, Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk discuss the end of Waymo and Uber's partnership in Phoenix, Tesla's Cybercab hitting the streets of Austin branded for America 250 and Waymo's "Because they're everything" World Cup campaign. As Tesla gets closer and closer to putting the Cybercab into service, the U.S. Government is inching toward a national framework that would allow vehicles with no steering wheel and no pedals to deploy across all 50 states and charge for rides. It is the regulatory environment that we believe Tesla is waiting to change before deploying Cybercab into the fleet, even if the rides are free. As Tesla waits for regulatory certainty, The Road to Autonomy broke the news that Waymo and Uber quietly ended their Phoenix partnership, noticing an update on the Uber autonomous vehicle site. The Phoenix partnership, which lasted 948 days, consisted of a fleet of 12 vehicles that serviced a 180 square mile area. Important to note that this was a dedicated fleet for Uber and the vehicles were not part of the traditional Waymo fleet. Now that Waymo and Uber have divorced in Phoenix, we believe it is only a matter of time until they divorce in Austin, where the service has been live for 482 days, and Atlanta, where the service has been live for 370 days. Both partnerships could unwind by the first quarter of 2027. On the Foreign Autonomy Desk, Grayson and Walt discuss the global growth of FSD and Volkswagen and Bosch ending their automated driving partnership, the latest in a long line of stalled autonomy efforts at the German automaker. Episode Chapters 00:00 Happy 250th Birthday, America 1:15 Waymo and Uber Phoenix Divorce 5:47 Dara, Nuro and Wayve Signals 8:24 Who Could Backfill Phoenix for Uber? 13:52 The Fizzling Demand Narrative 17:51 Cybercab, Branded for America 250 21:53 Regulatory, Not Safety, Is Holding Cybercab Back 24:50 Tesla Semi 25:54 Waymo's World Cup Because They're Everything Campaign 28:06 Robotaxis at Airports 29:32 Chinese Made Vehicles 31:11 Foreign Autonomy Desk 34:15 Next Week Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Autonomy Markets: Waymo and Uber Divorce in Phoenix. Are Austin and Atlanta Next?

  8. Jul 2

    Autonomy Signals: The Era of Being Measured

    This week on Autonomy Signals, Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant discuss the pending Uber-Waymo divorce, Agility Robotics’ $2.5 billion SPAC merger with Churchill Capital XI, and the launch of The Road to Autonomy Confidence Indices. As of May, Waymo and Uber concluded their robotaxi partnership in Phoenix after roughly 948 days, with Waymo going exclusively direct-to-consumer in that market and Uber seeking a replacement partner, with a Nuro / Lucid partnership as the leading candidate. Uber’s value to select autonomous vehicle operators is highest during market entry, and once an operator builds density and consumer trust, Uber’s value diminishes as the robotaxi provider’s brand grows in that market. Then there is Agility Robotics, whose $2.5 billion SPAC merger with Churchill Capital XI targets over $620 million in gross proceeds to become the first pure-play humanoid robotics entity in the public markets. The listing could be perceived as a forced transparency event, as SEC disclosures will stress-test the contested 98% task success rate, the $300 million contingent backlog, and a warehouse data moat that risks becoming a depreciating asset as the industry pivots to foundation model generalization. Closing out the show, Grayson and Rob discuss the launch of The Road to Autonomy Confidence Indices, a first-of-its-kind benchmark tracking the market’s confidence in the global commercial adoption of robotaxis, autonomous driving licensing, autonomous trucks, and delivery bots. Each index is a single zero-to-100 reading, cryptographically sealed and independently verifiable, and the early divergence is telling, as robotaxi confidence is rising while the market continues to be unsure about autonomous trucking. Episode Chapters 00:00 Signal 1: Waymo/Uber Divorce: Predictable and Repeatable 34:29 Signal 2: Agility Robotics' $2.5B merger with Churchill Capital XI 55:06 Signal 3: The Road to Autonomy Confidence Indices Launch 1:04:19 AUTNMY AI Follow The Road to Autonomy Indices -------- About The Road to Autonomy The Road to Autonomy is the leading applied intelligence platform covering the convergence of automation, autonomy, and the Autonomy Economy.™. Through our podcasts, newsletter, and proprietary applied intelligence, we set the narrative for institutional investors, industry executives, and policymakers navigating the convergence of automation, autonomy, and economic growth. Join institutional investors and industry leaders who read This Week in The Autonomy Economy every Sunday. Each edition delivers exclusive insight and commentary on the autonomy economy, helping you stay ahead of what's next. Sign up for This Week in The Autonomy Economy newsletter: https://www.roadtoautonomy.com/ae/ See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

    Autonomy Signals: The Era of Being Measured
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Hosts & Guests

4.7
out of 5
33 Ratings

About

Hosted by Grayson Brulte, The Road to Autonomy delivers institutional-grade intelligence on autonomous vehicles, autonomous trucking, robotaxis, and the capital flows shaping the market. Every episode combines primary field research, proprietary data, and conversations with the operators, investors, and policymakers building the autonomy economy. Three shows comprise the feed: The Road to Autonomy (Tuesdays): Flagship, in-depth conversations and analysis with the architects of the autonomy economy. Autonomy Signals, presented by KPMG (Thursdays): AUTNMY AI co-founders Grayson Brulte and Rob Grant analyze the underlying technical and regulatory signals moving the market. Autonomy Markets (Saturdays): Grayson Brulte and Walter Piecyk, Partner & TMT Analyst, LightShed Partners and General Partner, LightShed Ventures break down the week in autonomy from a Wall Street and investment perspective. With over 400 episodes, The Road to Autonomy has become the trusted source for hedge funds, analysts, and executives who need to understand the emergence of the autonomy economy and the growth of physical AI.

Information

  • Creator
    Grayson Brulte | AUTNMY AI
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    430
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 AUTNMY AI, Inc. | All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    The Road to Autonomy

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