A Waymo offers a unique experience: you ride as a passenger behind or next to an empty driver’s seat, the steering wheel turning as though handled by a ghost. The New Yorker staff writer Molly Fischer has been reporting on Waymo, and she tells David Remnick that though the statistics are hard to parse, Waymos appear to be safer than cars driven by humans. Fans of Waymo prefer not putting themselves in the temporary custody of a stranger, but, Fischer says, this appeal is precisely what makes Waymos’ glitches scariest. Now that her reporting is done, Remnick wants to know: Would she take one of the robot taxis by choice?

Further reading:

“We’re Learning to Live with Waymos. It’s Going Weird,” by Molly Fischer
“Waymo Cars, Honey Bears, and the Future of San Francisco,” by Anna Wiener

 

New episodes of The New Yorker Radio Hour drop every Tuesday and Friday. Join host David Remnick as he discusses the latest in politics, news, and current events in conversation with political leaders, newsmakers, innovators, New Yorker staff writers, authors, actors, and musicians.


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