Journalist Alarmed When His Waymo Barges Into Path of Presidential Motorcade

In the Financial Times, journalist Joe Miller recounts an incident involving a Waymo robotaxi that veered into the path of a presidential motorcade in Dallas. Miller, who had just begun his first journey in a driverless vehicle, observed his autonomous car obstructing the path cleared for the motorcade due to the Waymo's inability to follow police directions.

The journalist explained, "I was 10 minutes into my first trip in a driverless car when I realized my vehicle was potentially obstructing the president of the United States." Upon realizing the error, Miller attempted to communicate with the vehicle, but the robotaxi remained unmoved, continuing to play music. The onlookers, including police officers growing increasingly agitated, eventually instructed the Waymo to vacate the road.

A support representative from Waymo suggested backing away from the vehicle, but this request was deemed unfeasible by those tasked with presidential security. Eventually, Miller exited the car, witnessing the robotaxi crawl forward with its hazard lights on. Subsequently, Waymo issued an apology and explained that the AI misinterpreted police gestures, and the vehicle froze as it waited for remote assistance.

This is not the first occurrence of such mishaps involving Waymo. The company has indicated that it will "continually refine" its software, with a spokesperson acknowledging the need for improvement before operating in environments where such situations are more prevalent, such as Washington DC. Miller emphasized that the stakes are higher when dealing with government motorcades, suggesting that Waymo should refine its vehicles' navigation abilities before expanding to such regions.