Shield AI, Waabi, and General Motors on building AI when failure is not an option at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

At TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, leaders from Shield AI, Waabi, and General Motors will discuss deploying AI in high-stakes physical environments on the Real World AI Stage in a session titled “Building AI Systems When Failure Is Not an Option.” Speakers include Shield AI CTO Nathan Michael, Waabi founder and CEO Raquel Urtasun, and GM Director of Robotics Strategy Mikell Taylor, who will address safety culture, testing and validation, regulation, and trust. The conference runs October 13–15 at Moscone West in San Francisco and is promoting ticket discounts that expire September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

By AI Newsroom· Reviewed by Pranav, Founder & Editor-in-ChiefPublished about 2 hours agoUpdated about 2 hours ago0 views

Shield AI, Waabi, and General Motors on building AI when failure is not an option at TechCrunch Disrupt 2026

Why It Matters

As AI moves from software into aircraft, vehicles and robots, errors can produce catastrophic real-world outcomes rather than merely incorrect answers. Hearing how leaders in defense autonomy, self-driving vehicles, and industrial robotics approach assurance and deployment sheds light on the standards and practices that could govern future real-world AI systems.

Key Facts

Event: TechCrunch Disrupt 2026, October 13–15, Moscone West, San Francisco
Session: "Building AI Systems When Failure Is Not an Option" on the Real World AI Stage
Speakers: Nathan Michael (Shield AI CTO), Raquel Urtasun (Waabi founder & CEO), Mikell Taylor (GM Director of Robotics Strategy)
Shield AI news: Hivemind selected as autonomy provider for U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone prototype program (February); Shield AI announced $1.5B Series G at $12.7B post-money valuation (March).
Waabi news: Raised $1 billion (January); partnership with Uber to support deployment of 25,000+ Waabi Driver-powered robotaxis.

TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 will host a session exploring how to move AI safely from labs into real-world systems where mistakes can have severe consequences. Titled “Building AI Systems When Failure Is Not an Option,” the conversation on the Real World AI Stage brings together Nathan Michael of Shield AI, Raquel Urtasun of Waabi, and Mikell Taylor of General Motors to discuss testing, validation, regulatory challenges, safety culture, and public trust. Nathan Michael leads development of Hivemind, Shield AI’s platform-agnostic mission autonomy software, and draws on experience in AI, control, perception and multi-robot systems developed at Carnegie Mellon University. Shield AI’s Hivemind was chosen in February as an autonomy provider for the U.S. Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft drone prototype program, and the company announced a $1.5 billion Series G round at a $12.7 billion post-money valuation in March. Raquel Urtasun brings more than 25 years of work in AI and autonomous vehicles, including roles as Uber ATG’s chief scientist and head of R&D and positions at the University of Toronto and the Vector Institute. Waabi has emphasized simulation-based testing and validation through its Waabi World simulator; the company raised $1 billion in January and has a partnership with Uber to support deploying more than 25,000 robotaxis powered by the Waabi Driver, while noting its autonomous trucks still require full validation before driverless operation. Mikell Taylor oversees robotics strategy at GM’s Autonomous Robotics Center and has a background building industrial and warehouse robots, including leading Amazon’s Proteus project. Her experience focuses on designing robots that are reliable and able to work safely alongside people, underscoring the session’s attention to user experience, adoption, and deployment planning when machines leave controlled demonstrations and enter workplaces. The session is one of more than 200 at Disrupt, a three-day conference that expects over 10,000 attendees, 250+ speakers, and 300+ exhibiting startups. TechCrunch is offering discounted passes that expire September 25 at 11:59 p.m. PT, including savings up to $200 and a second pass at 50% off select ticket types.