The Outpost is a comprehensive collection of curated artificial intelligence software tools that cater to the needs of small business owners, bloggers, artists, musicians, entrepreneurs, marketers, writers, and researchers.
© 2025 TheOutpost.AI All rights reserved
Curated by THEOUTPOST
On Sat, 4 Jan, 12:01 AM UTC
2 Sources
[1]
Waymo explains how its driverless taxis handle carjackings after incident in downtown LA
Waymo, the ride-hailing app that features driverless robotaxis, explained what happens when someone tries to steal one of the fully autonomous, electric Jaguars -- following in an incident in downtown Los Angeles Thursday. A man, who authorities say was possibly under the influence of some substance, was in the driver's seat of one of Waymo's fully electric Jaguar I-PACEs when officers arrived to the scene near South Hill Street and Fifth Street around 12:30 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Footage shows officers pulling him out from the driver's seat, where no one is usually sitting in the self-driving cars. Waymo officially launched in Los Angeles in November, becoming available to anyone in some parts of the greater LA metro area, including Santa Monica, Hollywood and parts of South LA surrounding the University of Southern California campus. Before then, the app was only available to a limited number of riders on a waiting list. Like apps such as Uber and Lyft, rides are offered seven days a week, 24 hours a day through the app -- just with no one behind the wheel. The service is currently available in LA, San Francisco, Phoenix and some surrounding areas of the Arizona city. Of Waymo's more than 5 million rides, there have been "only been a handful of instances" in which a rider or someone else not authorized to operate the car has tried to drive off, the company said in a statement Thursday to CBS News Los Angeles. Waymo's self-driving cars are designed so no one -- including riders -- can operate them after getting into the driver's seat. In the statement, the company explained what happens in such situations. "Waymo vehicles are designed so that unauthorized individuals cannot disengage the automated driving system and manually operate the vehicles," Waymo said in the statement. "When any unauthorized individual sits in the driver's seat, Waymo's Rider Support team can ask them to leave the vehicle and end the ride. If they don't comply with commands to leave the vehicle, Rider Support coordinates with our Emergency Response Team, which works with law enforcement to respond." Riders are not allowed to drive the cars, which are fully autonomous, and Waymo employees are in the driver's seat on just some occasions. The company said these individuals are specialists reviewing the performance of the vehicles and the technology. "Our vehicles are primarily driving autonomously, but you'll sometimes notice that our cars have autonomous specialists riding in the driver's seat," the company website states. "These specialists are there to monitor our autonomous driving technology and share important feedback to help us improve the Waymo One experience." Waymo is not authorized to offer rides on freeways but is fully available on surfaces streets in some parts of LA. The electric Jaguars are run by a system the company calls "the Waymo driver," which features hardware and software for the self-driving capabilities. This includes sensors, cameras, radars and an AI platform on the hardware end as well as the collection of information from sensors on the software side, according to the company website. "Together, our hardware and software work in concert to paint a complete picture of the world around the car and enable us to navigate roads safely," the website states. Cameras within the vehicles are used to determine when a rider may be incapacitated from being under the influence of alcohol, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported last week on how Waymo handles such situations. The cars' cameras, which use a machine-learning model based on real-time cases, can also spot whether a person inside is smoking or not wearing their seatbelt, the Chronicle reported. Earlier this year, when Waymo was only available to LA riders on a select waiting list, a man was arrested on suspicion of trying to steal one of the driverless vehicles in downtown LA. He had tried putting the car in "drive" but couldn't manipulate the controls, according to LAPD.
[2]
Waymo explains how its driverless taxis handle car thefts after incident in downtown LA
Waymo, the ride-hailing app that offers driverless robotaxis, explained what happens when someone tries to steal one of the fully autonomous, electric Jaguars -- following an incident in downtown Los Angeles Thursday. A man, who authorities say was possibly under the influence, was in the driver's seat of one of Waymo's fully electric Jaguar I-PACEs when officers arrived to the scene near South Hill Street and Fifth Street around 12:30 a.m., according to the Los Angeles Police Department. Footage shows officers pulling him out of the driver's seat, where no one is usually sitting in the self-driving cars. Waymo officially launched in Los Angeles in November, becoming available to anyone in some parts of the greater LA metro area, including Santa Monica, Hollywood and areas of South LA surrounding the University of Southern California campus. Before then, the app was only available to a limited number of riders on a waiting list. Like apps such as Uber and Lyft, rides are offered seven days a week, 24 hours a day through the app -- just with no one behind the wheel. The service is currently available in LA, San Francisco, Phoenix and some surrounding areas of the Arizona city. Of Waymo's more than 5 million rides, there have been "only been a handful of instances" in which a rider or someone else not authorized to operate the car has tried to drive off, the company said in a statement Thursday to CBS News Los Angeles. "Waymo vehicles are designed so that unauthorized individuals cannot disengage the automated driving system and manually operate the vehicles," Waymo said in the statement. "When any unauthorized individual sits in the driver's seat, Waymo's Rider Support team can ask them to leave the vehicle and end the ride. If they don't comply with commands to leave the vehicle, Rider Support coordinates with our Emergency Response Team, which works with law enforcement to respond." Riders are not allowed to drive the cars, which are fully autonomous, and Waymo employees are in the driver's seat on just a few occasions. The company said these individuals are specialists reviewing the performance of the vehicles and the technology. "Our vehicles are primarily driving autonomously, but you'll sometimes notice that our cars have autonomous specialists riding in the driver's seat," the company website states. "These specialists are there to monitor our autonomous driving technology and share important feedback to help us improve the Waymo One experience." Waymo is fully available on surfaces streets and working towards offering rides on freeways, with additional testing underway to get there, according to the company. The electric robotaxis are run by a system the company calls "the Waymo driver," which features hardware and software for the self-driving capabilities. This includes sensors, cameras, radars and an AI platform on the hardware end as well as the collection of information from sensors on the software side, according to the company website. "Together, our hardware and software work in concert to paint a complete picture of the world around the car and enable us to navigate roads safely," the website states. Cameras within the vehicles are used to determine when a rider may be incapacitated from being under the influence of alcohol, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which reported this week on how Waymo handles such situations. The cars' cameras, which use a machine-learning model based on real-time cases, can also spot whether a person inside is smoking or not wearing their seatbelt, the Chronicle reported. Earlier this year, when Waymo was only available to LA riders on a select waiting list, a man was arrested on suspicion of trying to steal one of the driverless vehicles in downtown LA. He had tried putting the car in drive but couldn't manipulate the controls to successfully drive off, according to LAPD.
Share
Share
Copy Link
Waymo explains its safety protocols for handling unauthorized access to its autonomous vehicles following a recent incident in Los Angeles, highlighting the company's advanced security features and expanding service.
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, recently addressed how its driverless taxis handle potential carjacking situations following an incident in downtown Los Angeles. The event, which occurred early Thursday morning, involved a man, possibly under the influence, who was found in the driver's seat of one of Waymo's fully electric Jaguar I-PACEs 12.
In response to the incident, Waymo explained its robust safety measures:
Unauthorized Control Prevention: Waymo vehicles are designed to prevent unauthorized individuals from disengaging the automated driving system or manually operating the vehicles 12.
Remote Monitoring: When an unauthorized person sits in the driver's seat, Waymo's Rider Support team can remotely instruct them to leave the vehicle and end the ride 12.
Emergency Response: If the individual doesn't comply, Waymo's Emergency Response Team coordinates with law enforcement to address the situation 12.
Waymo officially launched its service in Los Angeles in November, expanding its availability to the general public in specific areas of the city 12. The company operates in several locations:
Waymo offers 24/7 ride-hailing services through its app, similar to Uber and Lyft, but without human drivers 12.
Waymo's autonomous vehicles, nicknamed "the Waymo driver," incorporate sophisticated hardware and software:
Waymo reported that out of over 5 million rides, there have been only a handful of instances where unauthorized individuals attempted to operate their vehicles 12. The company emphasizes that its vehicles are primarily autonomous, with occasional presence of specialists to monitor and improve the technology 12.
While Waymo is fully operational on surface streets in certain areas, the company is working towards offering rides on freeways, with additional testing underway 2. As autonomous vehicle technology continues to advance, incidents like the one in Los Angeles highlight the ongoing challenges and the need for robust safety measures in the evolving landscape of driverless transportation.
A tech entrepreneur's harrowing experience with a malfunctioning Waymo robotaxi highlights the challenges and potential risks of autonomous vehicle technology, sparking debates about safety measures and human oversight in AI-driven transportation.
10 Sources
10 Sources
Alphabet's Waymo removes waitlist for its self-driving service in Los Angeles, opening up to all residents across 80 square miles. This marks Waymo's third and largest city for full robotaxi operations.
2 Sources
2 Sources
Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company, faces scrutiny over potential plans to use interior camera data for AI training and ad personalization, sparking privacy concerns and prompting clarifications from the company.
9 Sources
9 Sources
Alphabet's Waymo announces plans to test its self-driving cars in Tokyo, marking its first international expansion. The company will partner with local firms to map key areas and adapt its AI systems to Japan's unique driving conditions.
5 Sources
5 Sources
Zoox launches autonomous cab service in San Francisco and expands in Las Vegas, while Waymo offers public rides in Los Angeles. Both companies plan further expansions in 2025.
3 Sources
3 Sources
