Autonomy Summit 25: Building Momentum for America's Autonomous Future

On December 4, AVIA brought together the autonomous vehicle community's most influential voices for Autonomy Summit 25, a day of substantive dialogue on the policies and partnerships that will define the next chapter of American mobility.

The summit featured critical conversations with federal leaders shaping AV policy, including a conversation with National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) Administrator Jonathan Morrison on the agency's regulatory approach to autonomous vehicles, while Senators Todd Young and Gary Peters addressed the urgent need for federal legislative action. Congressman Vince Fong and Aurora CEO Chris Urmson also discussed the bipartisan recognition that clear federal standards are essential for American competitiveness in autonomous technology.

Industry leaders shared operational insights that brought policy discussions into sharp focus. Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña offered his perspective on the industry’s focus on road safety in the development, testing, and deployment of autonomous driving systems on American roads.

Safety advocates and accessibility organizations provided essential context for why federal AV policy matters beyond technology and economics. Jonathan Adkins, CEO of the Governors Highway Safety Association spoke to the road safety community's interest in autonomous vehicles as a tool for reducing traffic fatalities, while American Council of the Blind Executive Director Scott Thornhill and National Council on Disability Executive Director Ana Torres-Davis emphasized how autonomous vehicles will transform mobility for millions of Americans with disabilities.

The conversations throughout Autonomy Summit 25 returned repeatedly to a central theme: federal policy action is no longer optional. As deployment expands and technology matures, the United States needs a cohesive regulatory framework that supports innovation, enables commercial scaling, and maintains American leadership in autonomous vehicles.

Autonomy Summit 25 demonstrated that the AV industry is strongly aligned with government officials, safety advocates, and accessibility organizations. What happens next depends on translating that alignment into legislative and regulatory action. AVIA looks forward to seeing action in 2026.