Waymo’s description of its cars as “self-driving” faced new challenges in Washington on February 4.
A senior company official told senators that people stationed outside the United States help guide vehicles when they cannot navigate certain road situations on their own.
During a hearing before the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña said the company uses remote workers to provide guidance when a vehicle encounters a situation it cannot resolve.
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Peña said these workers do not control the cars from afar. He explained that they only give instructions, while the software remains responsible for driving and making decisions on the road.
Senator Edward Markey did not find this answer convincing. He asked if all remote support staff are based in the United States. Peña said they are not, and he later confirmed that some work in the Philippines.
Markey said that involving overseas workers weakens the idea of full autonomy and may create safety and cybersecurity concerns.
He noted that remote staff might receive information too late to be useful, and that transferring data across borders could introduce technical risks.
Meanwhile, the Federal Communications Commission (FSC) has started gathering public feedback on a new SpaceX proposal. What did the agency say? Read the full story.
