In many parts of California, the sight of a driverless car navigating city streets has shifted from science fiction to a daily occurrence. For Shuvam Chakraborty ’16, who studied in Berkshire's Advanced Math/Science Research (AMSR) program and was named a Regeneron (formerly Intel) Science Talent Search (STS) semifinalist as a senior, this frontier is his professional home. Although he didn’t initially set out for a career in autonomous vehicle startups, his path led him straight to the heart of the "driverless revolution.”

After earning both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in computer science and statistics at Stanford University, Shuvam joined Nuro, a Silicon Valley robotics company dedicated to making autonomous delivery accessible to all. As a software engineer, he solves complex challenges within the vehicle's perception system––the "eyes and brain" that allow the car to understand and safely navigate the world.

When he isn’t refining AI algorithms, Shuvam takes full advantage of the West Coast landscape, biking, hiking, and exploring the California wilderness. We caught up with him to discuss the future of self-driving technology, the AI explosion, and how his time under the Mountain keeps him grounded.

Where do you foresee autonomous vehicle technology heading in the coming years?
I believe autonomous vehicles are one of the coolest engineering feats we’ve ever attempted. I see them having a widespread impact on mobility, personal vehicle ownership, and ridesharing. Sitting in a car that drives itself is a magical experience!

However, because safety is paramount and standards must remain extremely high, I don’t foresee a massive, short-term explosion in scale. Instead, I expect a deliberate rollout of “robotaxis” from companies like Waymo and, hopefully, Uber, Nuro, Lucid on the scale of tens of thousands. Within five years, I think high-quality, self-driving systems will become the norm for personally owned vehicles, though automakers move slowly. Trucking and logistics are another area where I expect autonomy to make a massive impact in the next 3 to 5 years.

Do you use AI in your daily work? 
Like any technology, it’s productive or counterproductive depending on how you use it, like the difference between "doomscrolling" and using social media to grow a business. I prefer using AI to answer specific, hard-to-find questions rather than blindly outsourcing large swaths of work.
I love the process of designing elegant code; outsourcing that would make my job a lot less fun! Furthermore, in a safety-critical system like a self-driving car, every line of code must be understood and accounted for. I’m not a fearful person, but I hope we don’t lose our ingenuity and creativity due to overreliance on these tools.

How has Berkshire's motto, Pro Vita Non Pro Schola Discimus, manifested in your professional journey?
It’s a great motto that you appreciate more in hindsight. Regardless of success, status, or wealth, there is no greater joy than knowing how to live the right way and finding happiness in simple things. There is no substitute for basic common sense.

Having been in Silicon Valley for nearly a decade, it can certainly feel like a "bubble" at times. I feel my background, including my time at Berkshire, has kept me grounded and connected to the world at large.

What advice would you give to a student looking into a career as a software engineer?
The factors that define a great software engineer are hard work, dogged persistence, and a real passion for problem-solving. Very few things work on the first try, so you need the discipline to stick with it and debug.
Also, remember that great software is about simplicity and elegance. Volume is never a measure of quality; well-written code can often take up half as many lines and perform twice as well as a cluttered solution.

What is your fondest memory of your time at Berkshire?
I would have to say Dorm Wars (now Winter Carnival). I loved the atmosphere of friendly competition and the wide variety of challenges we competed in. There were so many memorable moments every year.