Why Waymo’s Chip Story Matters to Your Business
Waymo’s latest robotaxi development may seem far removed from your shop, logistics operation, clinic, workshop or professional-services firm in Malaysia. It is not. The important lesson is not that every SME needs to build a custom semiconductor. It is that companies adopting artificial intelligence successfully are increasingly looking beyond the visible software and asking a harder question: what infrastructure is needed to make automation reliable, fast and practical in daily operations?
Waymo has built a custom 5-nanometre application-specific integrated circuit, or ASIC, to process large volumes of sensor data before that information reaches the main computing system. According to TechCrunch, the chip delivers more than 1,000 trillion operations per second and supports the company’s sixth-generation self-driving system. For you, the takeaway is simpler: better automation depends on matching the right technology to the job, not merely adding another application to your existing workflow.
What Happened
Waymo has been expanding its robotaxi operations and opened its next-generation Ojai vehicle to all riders in Los Angeles, Phoenix and San Francisco, as reported by TechCrunch. The vehicle uses 13 high-fidelity cameras, creating a substantial stream of information that must be processed quickly. In a self-driving vehicle, delays or inefficient processing can affect how the system responds to pedestrians, traffic, road layouts and unexpected situations.
To address this, Waymo developed a dedicated chip rather than relying entirely on general-purpose computing hardware. The company says this contributes to a system that is cheaper to build, operate and maintain. Waymo is still working with technology partners including AMD, Micron, Nvidia, Samsung, Sandisk, Socionext and TSMC, according to TechCrunch. This combination of internal capability and external partnerships shows how advanced automation is usually built: keep the strategically important layer under control while collaborating on specialised components.
The same report also highlighted a wider issue around autonomous technology: trust and security. The Idaho National Laboratory is reportedly evaluating whether certain Chinese lidar sensors could create security risks in vehicles operating in the United States, according to TechCrunch. Whether or not such concerns affect your business directly, they reinforce the need to understand where your operational data goes, who can access it and how dependent you are on a single technology provider.
Why This Matters for Malaysian SMEs
For a Malaysian SME, the closest equivalent to Waymo’s sensor-processing challenge may be the information overload created by your daily operations. A restaurant may receive orders through walk-ins, WhatsApp, food-delivery platforms and social media. A distributor may manage stock across a warehouse, online marketplace and sales team. A service company may coordinate leads, quotations, appointments, invoices and follow-ups across separate spreadsheets and messaging threads.
AI can help, but only when the underlying information is organised. If customer details are duplicated, product names are inconsistent or staff record updates in different places, an AI assistant will produce unreliable results. Before choosing an AI tool, identify the repetitive information flow that causes the most delays. For example, you may want an automation that captures a WhatsApp enquiry, checks product availability, creates a quotation draft and assigns a follow-up task. That is a focused operational use case, rather than a vague attempt to “use AI everywhere”.
Waymo’s approach also offers a lesson about speed. A robotaxi must respond quickly because decisions happen in real time. Your business may not need millisecond responses, but customers increasingly expect prompt replies, accurate stock information and fast confirmation. A centralised workflow can help your team respond consistently even when you are busy, a staff member is on leave or enquiries arrive after office hours.
| Waymo lesson | SME application | Practical first step |
|---|---|---|
| Process information efficiently | Reduce manual copying between sales, inventory and accounts | Map one customer-to-invoice workflow |
| Use purpose-built technology | Select tools for your actual business process | Define the exact task before selecting software |
| Combine internal control with partners | Keep ownership of customer and operational data | Review integrations, exports and access permissions |
| Design for reliability | Prevent missed follow-ups and inconsistent service | Create alerts, approval steps and exception handling |
Do not ask, “Where can we add AI?” Ask, “Which business decision or repetitive task should become faster, more accurate and easier to supervise?”
Start with Workflow Infrastructure, Not Hype
Many SME owners begin with an AI chatbot because it is easy to demonstrate. A chatbot can be useful, but it is only one part of an automated system. If it cannot access current stock, customer history, service availability or approved pricing, it may create more work for your team. A more useful approach is to build a dependable information layer first.
Start by listing the systems your team uses today. Include accounting software, point-of-sale tools, spreadsheets, e-commerce platforms, CRM records, email and messaging channels. Then mark where information is entered more than once. Those duplicate entry points are often the best candidates for automation. You can connect systems, standardise fields and introduce approval rules before adding AI-generated messages or recommendations.
For example, a Malaysian wholesaler could connect an online enquiry form to a customer database, route the enquiry to a salesperson, check whether a quotation already exists and send a reminder if there is no response. A renovation company could turn a customer’s project brief into a structured task list, while requiring a human to approve the final quotation. A tuition centre could automate trial-class reminders and attendance updates while keeping sensitive student information restricted.
The Bigger Picture
Waymo’s custom chip illustrates a broader shift in technology: competitive advantage increasingly comes from the complete operating system around a product, not from a single visible feature. The chip, sensors, software, data, partners and safety processes all work together. The same principle applies to your company. An AI tool alone will not transform operations if staff do not follow a common process, records are incomplete and no one reviews exceptions.
This does not mean you should attempt an expensive technology overhaul. It means you should build deliberately. Choose one workflow with clear volume and repetition. Define the information required at each stage. Decide which actions can be automated and which require staff approval. Keep a record of who changed what, and check the results regularly. Treat customer data, supplier information and financial records as business assets that need access controls and backup procedures.
You should also avoid depending entirely on one platform. TechCrunch reported that Serve Robotics expanded partnerships with Grubhub and DoorDash after its relationship with Uber changed, presenting diversification as an important scaling lesson TechCrunch. For an SME, diversification can mean keeping clean data exports, documenting your processes and ensuring your team knows how to operate essential tasks if an application becomes unavailable.
A Practical 30-Day Plan
During the first week, choose one workflow such as enquiry handling, appointment booking, stock updates or invoice preparation. Record every step, including delays, duplicated entries and common mistakes. During the second week, standardise the information fields and decide who owns each stage.
In the third week, introduce one automation with clear safeguards. Let the system draft replies, create tasks or move records, but require approval for sensitive decisions such as refunds, credit terms, employment matters or final quotations. In the fourth week, review completion time, error frequency and staff feedback. Keep the automation only if it makes the process clearer and more dependable.
Waymo’s chip story is ultimately a reminder that useful AI is built on disciplined infrastructure. For your business, that infrastructure may be a clean customer database, connected systems, clear permissions and a workflow your staff can trust. Build those foundations first, and you will be in a stronger position to adopt more advanced automation as the technology matures.
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