Uber, Autobrains, and Nvidia plan Munich robotaxi program ( Bloomberg / Getty Images)Uber announced a partnership with Israeli AI startup Autobrains Technologies and chipmaker Nvidia to launch a robotaxi program in Munich, marking the company's first effort to bring autonomous ride-hailing to Europe.The plan is for Uber’s mobility network, Autobrains’ driving software, and Nvidia’s DRIVE Hyperion platform to work together. Munich will be the first city to launch the service if it gets regulatory approval.At the core of Autobrains' technology is an architecture that divides the act of driving among multiple purpose-built AI agents, each responsible for a distinct aspect of decision-making and capable of responding to conditions as they unfold, rather than delegating all tasks to one overarching model. The approach is designed to operate on standard automotive sensors and is built to work across multiple vehicle platforms — what the companies describe as an "OEM-agnostic" model.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Autonomous driving will not scale by relying on a single model to solve every driving scenario," Autobrains CEO and Founder Igal Raichelgauz said in a statement. "It requires systems that can reason, adapt, and make decisions under uncertainty."Sarfraz Maredia, Uber's global head of autonomous mobility and delivery, said in a statement that the program creates a path for automakers and autonomy developers to bring vehicles into a commercial network. Rishi Dhall, vice president of automotive at Nvidia, said in a statement that combining the three companies' technologies can help accelerate the development of scalable autonomous fleets.The three-way structure is designed to give automakers a way to participate in autonomous ride-hailing by pairing their vehicle platforms with Autobrains' driving software, Nvidia's compute hardware, and Uber's rider network, the companies said.The Bavarian capital has attracted a growing number of autonomous vehicle initiatives, and Reuters notes that Uber had previously signaled its intention to run self-driving tests in the city as early as 2026. Munich was selected in part for its combination of dense city streets, high-speed road networks, and regulatory environment, according to the announcement.The partnership was announced at the GTC Taipei conference.
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