Strip District-based autonomous vehicle startup Argo AI LLC announced the formation of a new safety and security council to help guide the company along its path of ensuring the public that the vehicles equipped with its self-driving tech are safe.
Stacked with experts across the safety and security industries like transportation, medicine, law enforcement and cybersecurity, Argo's Safety Advisory Council will offer the company external perspectives and feedback on the company's internal workings. The company did not state if these findings would be made public.
Argo said the council's formation is a proactive effort and one that builds on its main mission of making streets and roadways around the world safer.
"At Argo, our foundational value is safety,” Bryan Salesky, co-founder and CEO of Argo, said in a press release. "Autonomous vehicles have the potential to profoundly and positively impact transportation safety and accessibility in cities. I am grateful for the Argo Safety Advisory Council to share their collective wisdom and expertise to help Argo realize this goal."
Robert L. Sumwalt, the executive director of the Center for Aviation and Aerospace Safety and a former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said in a LinkedIn post that he was happy to join the council as one of its five members.
"I wouldn’t have accepted the invitation to join if I believed [Argo wasn't] committed to safety," Sumwalt said. "Over the years I’ve seen organizations that talk a good game about safety, but there’s nothing behind the talk. I truly believe Argo gets it … I applaud their transparency and sincere willingness to improve."
Other members of the council include Ankura Consulting Group LLC Cybersecurity Senior Managing Director and former Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Christopher “Todd” Doss, ESi Senior Managing Consultant and former Medical Officer for the NTSB Dr. Mitchell Garber, Storm King Strategies Principal and CEO and former Acting Administrator of the NTSB David Kelly and TransSafe Consulting Principal and CEO and former Administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Annette Sandberg.
