Last week, a passenger from Los Angeles almost missed his trip home because he claims the self-driving Waymo cab he was taking to the airport kept going in circles across a parking lot.
Last week, Mike Johns took a Waymo to a local airport on his way home from Scottsdale, Arizona. The subsequent events resembled a ride at Disneyland.
“What’s causing this to circle? In a social media video that has now gone viral and had over two million views and conversations, Johns added, “I’m getting dizzy.”
Johns claims that when the automobile whirled around the parking lot, he was locked inside. He couldn’t stop the automobile, and the customer support representative he was speaking to on the phone couldn’t stop the car either.
It’s going around in circles in a parking lot. Despite wearing a seatbelt, I am unable to exit the vehicle. Has someone hacked this? What’s happening? explains Johns in the video.
After a few minutes, the Waymo agent managed to bring the vehicle under control, enabling him to reach the airport in time for his departure back to Los Angeles.
Along with the fact that he is uncertain if he was speaking to an AI or a human, he claims that the representative’s lack of empathy in trying to assist him is a serious worry.
“Where is the compassion? What human connection does this have? Johns stated in an interview with Los Angeles’ CBS News. “It’s just another example of the digital world we live in today. A half-baked product with no one in the middle to address the needs of the customers.
Although he would love to see services like Waymo flourish, Johns, who ironically works in the tech sector himself, says he has no intentions to ride along until he is certain that the problems have been worked out.
In the meantime, despite the large amount of attention his video has received since last week, he has yet to receive a response from someone at Waymo regarding his concerns.
“Human-less? “Less human,” he declared. “That’s the ghost in the shell, right?”
A request for comment on the incident from CBS News has not yet received a response from Waymo.
Days prior, Waymo made waves in Los Angeles when an individual attempted to take control of one of their self-driving, all-electric Jaguars in the downtown area.
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!