In testimony before the U.S. Senate this week, held after a Waymo struck a child walking to school in Santa Monica, a top executive revealed that the autonomous vehicle company uses remote workers in the Philippines to assist its self-driving cars, including those operating daily on Bay Area roads.
Asked by Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., what happens when a Waymo vehicle encounters a situation it cannot resolve on its own, Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña likened the system to a "phone a friend."
"They provide guidance, they do not remotely drive the vehicles," Peña said. "Waymo asks for guidance in certain situations and gets input, but Waymo is always in charge of the dynamic driving task."
Pressed on where those workers are based, Peña said Waymo employs remote assistance operators in the United States and abroad, including in the Philippines, though he did not know the exact number.
Markey sharply criticized the practice, calling it a safety and security concern.
"Having people overseas influencing American vehicles is a safety issue," Markey said. "The information the operators receive could be out of date. It could introduce tremendous cyber security vulnerabilities. ... And let's not forget Waymo is trying to replace the jobs of hardworking taxi and ride share drivers."
In a 2024 blog post, Waymo described its remote workers as "fleet response agents," who do not control steering, braking or acceleration.
"When the Waymo vehicle encounters a particular situation on the road, the autonomous driver can reach out to a human fleet response agent for additional information to contextualize its environment," the post reads. "The Waymo Driver (software) does not rely solely on the inputs it receives from the fleet response agent, and it is in control of the vehicle at all times."
On Friday, a Waymo spokesperson said the agents are licensed drivers who undergo background checks, driving record reviews, drug screening and training on local traffic rules and emergency scenarios.
The company added the agents provide limited guidance only when requested by the vehicle's software and are not continuously monitoring cars. The system can accept or reject any suggestions it receives and remains fully in control of driving decisions, Waymo said.
Waymo, owned by Google parent Alphabet, currently operates autonomous ride-hailing services in six U.S. markets, including the Bay Area, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Miami, Phoenix and Austin, Texas, according to its website.
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