Driverless Car Controversy Becomes Mounting Issue in San Francisco

A Waymo rider-only robotaxi is seen during a test ride in San Francisco on Dec. 9, 2022. Paresh Dave/Reuters

Controversy has sprung up in San Francisco around whether or not driverless cars are ready to be deployed on a mass scale.

Driverless cars, once considered a novelty, are becoming more and more common. Some even believe the technology could replace human-driven taxicabs.

California, a state that has progressed past many others in incorporating this technology, has encountered a sharp increase in driverless cab incidents. One company, Waymo, is a leading developer of driverless taxicabs.

Following a particularly busy day, two Waymo robotaxis failed in San Francisco. The two vehicles stopped traffic at 2nd and Howard as well as 3rd and Howard, as the cars seemed to not be able to figure out how to navigate traffic, resulting in the taxis stopping in the middle of the road.

In another incident, a Waymo taxi was responsible for striking and subsequently killing a dog while driving, according to a California Department of Motor Vehicles report. In Arizona, a driverless vehicle struck and killed a woman in 2018.

Significantly for taxicab drivers, this new technology could threaten their livelihoods. The advent of driverless taxis, particularly in the city of San Francisco, has led to protests calling for legislators to halt the implementation of the new technology.

Taxicab drivers have attended these protests in addition to city council meetings in order to raise awareness for their cause.

Edward Escobar, a protester and founder of The Alliance for Independent Workers, said at a rally: “We’re not saying that technology doesn’t have a place. We’re just saying that the future of workers and the future of work is very important.”

Escobar, who was the host of the rally, said that workers replaced by technology were vulnerable.

“What’s going to happen with all these workers when they’re permanently displaced?” he said.

Marcelo Fonseca, a cab driver with 30 years of experience, also took to the stand to voice his concerns. He called for Waymo and Cruise, two self-driving car companies, to be halted.

“It’s clear their technologies are not ready for primetime,” he said.

Throughout the event, signs decrying the congestion Waymo taxis have caused were prevalent.

Meanwhile, the city of San Francisco has forged onwards with innovating and implementing new technologies incorporating artificial intelligence.

Last year, California’s regulatory agencies allowed Cruise and Waymo to launch their own self-driving taxi services in San Francisco. Prior to this, companies like Cruise and Waymo were required to have backup human drivers just in case.

The fully autonomous vehicles were only allowed to operate in San Francisco from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., among other restrictions meant to limit the possibility of error. There are also restrictions on the type of weather these vehicles are allowed to operate in.

Driverless vehicles are just one of the controversial AI-powered technologies that are emerging; others like the San Francisco-born company ChatGPT have also been making waves.