Waymo's Unexpected Passenger: A Baby Born in a Robotaxi

A San Francisco woman gave birth in a Waymo self-driving taxi while en route to a medical center. The event is a positive twist in the otherwise controversial media coverage involving Waymo's driverless taxis. Waymo reported the incident and assisted the emergency services.

Waymo's self-driving taxis garnered attention this week for something far more positive than their usual headlines. A San Francisco woman gave birth in one while on her way to the University of California, San Francisco medical center, adding a delightful twist to the ongoing narrative about driverless vehicles.

The incident was confirmed by a Waymo spokesperson, who explained that the company's rider support team noticed unusual activity inside the vehicle, prompting them to check on the passenger and alert emergency services. Despite the unusual circumstances, both mother and child reached the hospital safely before emergency help could arrive.

Waymo, a subsidiary of Alphabet, Google's parent company, refrained from detailing how they detected the anomaly but acknowledged the presence of interior cameras and microphones. While not the first birth in a Waymo taxi, the event underscores the trust and reliability some riders feel towards these autonomous vehicles, despite past criticisms and accidents involving them.