#ICYMI: Waymo admits driverless fleets gets support from agents in PH

A US senator expressed safety concerns on the revelation.

File photo: Waymo

Looking into the safety of robotaxis

US autonomous driving technology firm Waymo has revealed that its driverless fleet gets human assistance from Filipinos.

According to a report by The Straits Times, this was revealed during a Senate hearing on Feb 4 on the safety of self-driving cars.

This was also revealed after a Waymo robotaxi struck a child, who had minor injuries, in front of an elementary school in California on Jan 23.

Waymo is operating in Phoenix, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Austin, Texas, and has announced plans to expand to other cities such as Boston, Dallas, and Washington, DC as well as London.

As of the latest available data in early 2026, Waymo’s fleet of autonomous vehicles, mostly robotaxis, is estimated at about 2,500.

During the hearing, Senator Edward Markey disclosed that when an autonomous vehicle faces a scenario it cannot resolve on its own, the "Waymo phones a human friend for help."

He described what he characterised as a largely opaque system of "remote assistance operators" who play a role in vehicle safety but remain invisible to the public.

Dr Mauricio Pena, Waymo’s chief safety officer, said those workers do not take control of the vehicles, emphasising that Waymo’s system retains responsibility for all driving decisions.

The Waymo executive said that some of the human assistants are based in the US and abroad, including the Philippines.

This drew immediate concern from Markey, who framed the issue as one of safety, security, and labour.

Having people overseas influencing American vehicles is a safety issue, he said, citing the potential for delayed information, unfamiliarity with US road conditions, and cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

A Waymo spokesman told People magazine that the use of Filipino workers is part of the company’s effort to scale its operations globally.

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Via: The Straits Times