Waymo's robotaxis operate in cities like San Francisco, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Austin, Atlanta, and Miami, planning for over 10 more in 2026 including Houston and Orlando. They use about 70 remote agents — half in the US and half in the Philippines—to suggest routes in tricky situations without steering or driving the vehicles.
The onboard AI remains in control, ignores advice when needed, handles most issues autonomously, and this rare support—with low latency under 250ms—is audited and deemed sufficient for safe robotaxi operations, outperforming human drivers overall. US lawmakers, led by Sen. Ed Markey, are probing Waymo's offshored remote assistance for potential cybersecurity risks, latency issues, and national security gaps, seeking details from the company and competitors.
This scrutiny questions "driverless" labeling amid ongoing NHTSA investigations into incidents like passing stopped school buses. Future regulations may demand more US-based operators, stricter transparency, or proof of full autonomy, potentially delaying expansions but elevating industry safety standards.
Waymo dominates with over 20 million trips and 22-27% market share in San Francisco's taxi rides, surpassing Lyft; Cruise remains sidelined after suspension, while Tesla offers supervised rides in Austin. Waymo boasts a strong safety record: over 127 million autonomous miles logged, with 90% fewer serious crashes and 84% less airbag deployments than human drivers, despite 1,429 mostly minor incidents from 2021-2025.
REMOTE "HELP" SCRUTINY THREATENS ROBOTAXI REVOLUTION—IS TRUE AUTONOMY A MYTH?