Waymo Defends Use of Remote Assistance in Self-Driving Cars

Waymo, Alphabet's self-driving unit, has addressed concerns from Congress regarding its remote assistance personnel, asserting that they have not been utilized in on-road operations. Occasional remote assistance could occur to move autonomous vehicles slightly during training, but not for actual driving tasks.

Alphabet's self-driving division, Waymo, is defending its remote assistance system amid congressional scrutiny. The company emphasized that its remote personnel have never been used for on-road operations.

In a letter to Senator Ed Markey, Waymo clarified that remote driving, or 'tele-operations,' is not employed for driving tasks. The company did acknowledge that, in some rare instances, U.S.-based personnel might prompt an autonomous vehicle to move forward slightly, at a speed of 2 miles per hour, to exit a travel lane.

However, Waymo reassured the senator that such actions have only occurred during training sessions and not in real-world driving situations.

(With inputs from agencies.)