Waymo robotaxis display impatience-like behavior in San Francisco streets
Waymo robotaxis operating in San Francisco have reportedly begun displaying impatience-like behaviors, such as creeping forward at pedestrian crossings before pedestrians have fully crossed. The company's director explained this reflects a shift in training to balance legal compliance with efficient passenger transport, making vehicles behave more like human drivers.
What happened
Waymo robotaxis operating in San Francisco have begun displaying behaviors similar to human impatience, according to engineering professor William Riggs of the University of San Francisco. Riggs observed a Waymo vehicle creeping forward at a rolling start at a pedestrian crossing before the pedestrian had fully crossed, a behavior the car had not previously exhibited.
Reported impact
The development represents a departure from Waymo's previous cautious driving approach, which was designed to prioritize safety over efficiency by strictly adhering to traffic laws.
Index analysis
Waymo's product management director David Margines explained that human specialists training the vehicles must balance two goals: ensuring the cars follow every traffic law while also transporting customers in a reasonable timeframe. Margines stated that being more assertive in driving makes the vehicles more predictable and helps them blend into traffic by behaving as humans would.
Classification
Sources and evidence
Sources not yet published
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