Waymo Taxi Malfunction Raises Autonomous Vehicle Concerns

Mike Johns, a Los Angeles tech entrepreneur, nearly missed his flight due to a malfunctioning Waymo driverless taxi, which circled a parking lot in Scottsdale, Arizona, for about five minutes. Despite the incident, Johns was able to make his flight after Waymo's customer service regained control of the vehicle. He shared his frustrating experience on LinkedIn, where the video quickly went viral, criticizing Waymo for a lack of empathy and human connection. Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, has stated that the issue has been resolved with a software update and that Johns was not charged for the trip. The company also attempted to contact Johns for a follow-up, though he claimed they had not reached out effectively. This incident highlights ongoing challenges in the rollout of autonomous vehicles, reflecting broader concerns over the reliability and customer experience of such services.