Your shiny, futuristic Waymo robotaxi is cruising along, all “I’m fully autonomous, bow before my sensors!”—until it hits a confusing construction cone or a rogue squirrel and suddenly phones home for help… to a remote operator chilling in the Philippines. “Just guidance, not driving,” they swear, like it’s no big deal that overseas humans are backseat-driving your driverless ride. Congressional hearings are grilling them on safety, cybersecurity, and why your self-driving future includes global call centers. Turns out “autonomous” means “autonomous… with a lot of offshore tech support.” Who needs a steering wheel when you’ve got international remote assistance?
It Turns Out That When Waymos Are Stumped, They Get Intervention From Workers in the Philippines
