Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., announced on Wednesday its plans to introduce robotaxi services on highways across San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix. This marks the Google subsidiary’s inaugural effort to broaden its operations amid increasing competition in the autonomous driving sector, both domestically and globally.
Initially, Waymo will provide highway rides to select early access users. The company stated, “If the freeway route is considerably quicker, we can synchronize it with freeway travel to deliver a faster, smoother, and more efficient ride.”
Currently, Waymo operates in select areas of the San Francisco Bay, with plans to expand into San Jose, including the Mineta San Jose International Airport, which is the second largest airport in its service zone after Phoenix Sky Harbor.
This development comes as Tesla broadens its rob-taxi service with safety monitors and drivers, while Amazon-backed Zoox is providing complimentary robo-taxi rides around the Las Vegas Strip.
Waymo stands out as the sole company in the U.S. offering a paid robotaxi service with over 1,500 vehicles that operate without safety drivers or in-vehicle monitors. The company began charging for rides in Phoenix back in 2020, nearly 11 years after its inception as Google’s self-driving car initiative.
Over the years, Waymo has expanded gradually, but it, like its competitors, is currently under federal investigation for erratic driving behavior.
Although highway driving is generally less complicated compared to city navigation, it introduces a range of new challenges that require higher-speed maneuvering, such as merging and exiting. Self-driving cars find urban environments particularly tough due to numerous pedestrians, frequent intersections, and unpredictable conditions. However, errors or failures at high speeds on highways can lead to severe consequences. The company mentioned collaborating with local highway patrols and safety agencies to develop new protocols for highway travel.
While Tesla has long provided driver-assistance features on highways, this initiative positions Waymo as the first company to offer fully driverless operation on highways.
Driverless taxis, which have disrupted industries in various US and Chinese cities, are now on their way to London.
As a cyclist, Londoner, and journalist who has closely observed AI developments, I find myself somewhat anxious. Yet, considering the frequent encounters with careless human drivers in London, part of me feels cautiously hopeful.
Ultimately, the question arises: is it preferable to navigate the roads among tired, distracted, and irate humans, or to coexist with potentially erratic AI?
The UK government has affirmed plans for companies like Uber to launch pilot programs featuring self-driving “taxi and bus-like” services in 2026. Following that, in the latter half of 2027, automated vehicle legislation is expected to take effect, establishing a formal legal framework for the industry. Crucially, this law places accountability for accidents on the automakers rather than local residents.
Officials advocate that unmanned vehicles could enhance road safety, given that human error is responsible for 88% of all traffic accidents. The statistics are staggering: London highways reported 130 fatalities last year, which included 66 pedestrians and 10 cyclists. Globally, 1.2 million individuals die in traffic incidents annually.
As someone who cycles often in London, I have firsthand experience with the challenges posed by reckless driving. I’ve witnessed drivers engaging in a variety of distractions, from eating breakfast to watching movies. I have been rear-ended at red lights at least four times. While it is commonly said that AI lacks creativity, humans have certainly mastered the art of poor driving.
In contrast, AI isn’t swayed by distractions such as text messages, alcohol, or fatigue. With numerous sensors, machines lack blind spots and always check their surroundings before making a turn.
Admittedly, there have been alarming reports of autonomous vehicles failing to stop and causing harm to pedestrians. These incidents garner significant media attention. However, considering the numerous fatalities attributed to human drivers, the statistics of road deaths paint a less sensational picture. In the UK, more than four people die daily in traffic accidents.
The safety concerns surrounding autonomous vehicles are complex. While I believe that every road fatality is unacceptable, there exists a compelling argument that if AI can travel the same distance with fewer casualties, it shouldn’t be demonized in the pursuit of progress.
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I have doubts about whether self-driving cars can differentiate pedestrians from shadows. “
Research indicates that driverless cars often outperform human-driven vehicles in terms of safety, although this advantage may not consistently hold in urban environments, particularly under poor lighting or during complex maneuvers.
These vehicles depend on technology companies to ensure their safety, raising questions about potential conflicts of interest relating to profit versus safety. We have already seen concerning suggestions to equip pedestrians with electronic sensors to enhance their visibility to these machines.
When it comes to cyclists, can tech companies ensure they maintain a 1.5-meter buffer when a robocar passes, or will they simply prioritize not hitting cyclists? The latter might streamline urban travel times, but could pose risks to vulnerable cyclists. Furthermore, to what extent will autonomous vehicles pause to allow pedestrians to fully cross the street, or will they encourage hurried crossings? These parameters can be influenced, and there are inevitably tensions between safety and travel efficiency.
Even if a company aims to act benevolently, AI systems are inherently unpredictable. Just as chatbots can suggest erroneous ingredients, self-driving cars cannot guarantee they won’t misinterpret a pedestrian as a shadow. It’s an unsettling truth.
Personally, I harbor reservations about AI operating vehicles in my vicinity, just as I do about human drivers. However, while human capabilities can improve with time and effort, AI has the potential for rapid advancement. The roll-out of automated taxis in London could provide invaluable data that enhances the safety of our roads. Ultimately, if given a choice, I would prefer an AI driver.
Nevertheless, the stark reality remains: a few tons of steel on four wheels—combined with high-tech systems—will never constitute a wholly safe or efficient urban transport solution. Self-driving taxis may mirror today’s human-operated models, ultimately not resolving London’s transport challenges.
Electric bikes and dedicated cycle lanes are environmentally friendly and often more efficient for city travel, while buses can accommodate multiple passengers, utilizing the space of two SUVs. However, such solutions may not yield substantial profits for big tech companies, will they?
Matt Week
What I’m reading
How music works by Talking Heads frontman David Byrne.
What I’m seeing
Horror movies I’ll bring her back (It’s true, through the hands that cover their eyes at the moment).
What I’m working on
Next spring, I plan to plant various cuttings in my garden to fill empty spaces.
Matt Sparkes is a technology reporter for New Scientist
Welcome back. This week in tech: General Motors announces the end of robotaxis but not self-driving cars. One woman’s battle against AI in her housing application. Salt Typhoon and tech companies donating to Donald Trump. Thank you for your engagement.
GM discontinues Cruise robotaxi. Uber resumes robotaxi service in Abu Dhabi
Despite the shut down of one robotaxi business, another will emerge. General Motors recently revealed its decision to cease funding Cruise, its subsidiary responsible for self-driving car software and robotaxi services. Cruise faced challenges after a serious accident in 2023, leading to regulatory restrictions on its operations. GM has invested significantly in Cruise but has not seen profits. This move aligns with Apple’s discontinuation of its self-driving car project.
Former Cruise CEO’s revenue projections fell short, leading to GM’s decision. Cruise’s closure mirrors Uber’s shift away from robotaxis to a distribution model in the self-driving sector. Meanwhile, Waymo continues to expand its robotaxi services.
Woman’s fight against AI in housing
AI is infiltrating various aspects of life, including housing. One US woman faced discrimination based on AI screening in her apartment application. After legal action, the responsible company settled and pledged to avoid AI screening for future tenants.
What’s new: Tech CEOs and Trump. Salt Typhoon
Technology CEOs and Trump: Silicon Valley leaders publicly align with Trump through donations and engagements. Meta, Amazon, and OpenAI among those contributing to Trump’s fund. Google and Microsoft also show signs of collaboration with Trump.
Salt Typhoon: Following the Salt Typhoon cyber attack, cell phone companies are under scrutiny for lack of notification to affected individuals. FBI only alerted high-profile targets, leaving many uninformed.
Self-driving car company May Mobility has partnered with transportation technology company Via to launch the first self-driving on-demand microtransit service on public roads in Sun City, Arizona. This milestone is in line with May Mobility’s goal to begin passenger-only operations by 2023. It also suggests that a gradual approach to commercializing autonomous driving could work well for startups.
Sun City is a planned community for “active retired adults.” Launching an unmanned microtransit service in this environment isn’t as flashy as putting robotaxis on the streets of San Francisco or autonomous transportation at Phoenix’s airport. However, thanks to this, the company expanded smoothly and avoided getting into trouble.
May’s strategy of partnering with cities to integrate autonomous microtransit services into existing public transportation also laid the groundwork for more challenging deployments in the future. Carlos Cruz Casas, chief innovation officer for the Miami-Dade County Department of Public Works, told TechCrunch that May Mobility, also in partnership with Via, will launch an on-demand shuttle service in Miami. Neither May Mobility nor Via responded to TechCrunch for confirmation.
Rival Cruise Corp. launched an unmanned robotaxi fleet in Miami before towing its entire fleet after a pedestrian was hit and dragged by one of its General Motors-backed vehicles in October. Remember, we started testing in just one day. Cruise subsequently had its license to operate in California suspended and last week laid off 900 employees and several executives.
By keeping its head down and deploying small, May has so far been able to expand without major disruption. The company operates shuttles to designated stops on campus and along fixed routes in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and Arlington, Texas. Most recently, May partnered with Via to launch an on-demand service in Grand Rapids, Michigan. A Grand Rapids customer can summon his one of May’s Toyota Sienna Autono-MaaS AVs from within a designated geofenced area.
Steve Miller, a risk management consultant specializing in self-driving cars at the U.S. Insurance Bureau, told TechCrunch that more controlled, low-speed shuttles and on-demand services like those offered by May and competitor Veep are on the horizon. He said he expected that. Beep operates self-driving shuttles to provide transportation for residents of the Lake Nona community in Florida and public transportation in Peachtree Corners, Georgia. Beep also provides transportation for guests at Disney’s Celebration Resort and Wilderness Lodge Resort.
“What we’re seeing as we’re talking about commercial deployment is that the industry is really focused on trucking and shuttle transportation, like Veep and May Mobility-type shuttles.” said Miller, noting that the development of Level 2 advanced driver assistance software for OEMs is important. It’s also trending in AV startups. “And the reason these two are in the lead is because they both have the advantage of being in a defined operational domain. They’re in a controlled environment. That’s what makes robotaxis difficult. The problem is that there are many edge cases that cannot be modeled at this time.”
Meanwhile, May said the company’s multi-policy decision-making system is well-equipped to deal with edge cases. According to the company, the system “runs real-time onboard simulations to analyze thousands of possible scenarios every second and select and execute the safest scenario.”
Miller also said that today’s funding environment encourages companies to focus on sustainability around their core business rather than achieving moonshot goals. In November, May raised $105 million, bringing its total funding up to $300 million.
“With so many cities and municipalities in the U.S. and so many transportation subsidies, we’re going to see more shuttle-type operations,” Miller said. “So I think we’re going to see interest from cities, airports, transportation hubs. There’s a lot of opportunity to connect to mass transit, and I think that’s pretty lucrative.”
Suncity unmanned operation begins
May Mobility’s first passenger-only service in Sun City will request a “select group of initial passengers” to be picked up or dropped off in one of the company’s Autono-MaaS minivans from various stops, according to the company. It is said to give an opportunity.
The free service will initially operate on public roads from 4pm to 6pm, Monday to Friday. A company spokesperson said expansion was imminent but depended on May’s careful and thoughtful approach to safety, passenger feedback and community trust.
Passengers can book on-demand rides through May Mobility’s app, available on Google Play and the Apple App Store. Residents interested in becoming early riders can apply online.
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