Waymo boss: Pinoys help "guide" our self-driving taxis

Waymo autonomous taxis in US provided guided by center in Philippines, executive revealed

Self-driving taxis may still be a distant reality in the Philippines, but Filipino workers are already playing a role in helping guide autonomous vehicles on U.S. roads.

This was revealed by Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña during a hearing before the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on February 4, where the company was questioned about the operations and safety of its Robotaxi program.

Peña clarified that overseas personnel do not directly control the vehicles, but instead provide supplementary support to Waymo’s autonomous systems.

“They provide guidance. They do not remotely drive the vehicles. The Waymo vehicle is always in charge of the dynamic driving tasks, so that is just one additional input.”

When pressed by senators on how many non-U.S.-based operators Waymo employs, Peña admitted he did not have the exact figures—a response that reportedly frustrated members of the committee. He did, however, confirm that Filipino workers based in the Philippines are among those contracted to provide remote guidance.

“The Philippines,” said Peña.

Peña’s disclosure prompted senators to raise concerns over potential cybersecurity risks, the possibility of delayed or inaccurate information being relayed to vehicles, and, more pointedly, the qualifications of overseas operators employed by Waymo.

“Having people overseas influencing American vehicles is a safety issue. The information the operators receive could be out of date. It could introduce tremendous cybersecurity vulnerabilities. We don’t know if these people have US driver’s licenses,” said Sen. Ed Markey.