Mobileye CEO Shashua expects more autonomous vehicles on the road in 2 years as tech moves ahead

Five years ago, automakers and tech companies thought they were on the cusp of putting thousands of self-driving robotaxis on the street to carry passengers without a human driver

DETROIT -- Five years ago, automakers and tech companies thought they were on the cusp of putting thousands of self-driving robotaxis on the street to carry passengers without a human driver.

Then an Uber autonomous test vehicle hit and killed a pedestrian in Arizona, multiple problems arose with Tesla's partially automated systems, and General Motors' Cruise robotaxis ran into trouble in San Francisco.

Yet the technology is moving ahead, says Amnon Shashua, co-founder and CEO of Mobileye, an Israeli public company majority owned by Intel that has pioneered partially automated driver-assist systems and fully autonomous technology.

Already, Mobileye systems are at work in vehicles that take on some driving functions such as steering and braking, but a human still has to be ready to take over. Systems that let drivers take their eyes off the road and fully autonomous systems are coming in about two years.

Shashua talked with The Associated Press about the next steps toward autonomous vehicles. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.