by JANIE KHAR
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Waymo's self-driving taxis have gone viral for negative reasons, including the death of a beloved warehouse cat in San Francisco and an illegal U-turn in front of police who failed to ticket a non-existent driver.
This week, however, self-driving taxis are excited to report the news that a San Francisco woman gave birth to a baby at Waymo.
A Waymo spokesperson said in a statement Wednesday that the mother was en route to UCSF Medical Center on Monday when she gave birth in the robotaxi. The company said its passenger assistance team detected “unusual activity” inside the vehicle and called to check on the passenger and alerted 911.
Waymo, which is owned by Google parent company Alphabet, declined to say how the car knew something was wrong.
The taxi and its passengers arrived safely at the hospital before emergency services. Medical center spokesman Jess Berthold confirmed the mother and child were taken to the hospital. He noted that the mother was not available for interview.
Waymo noted that the vehicle was taken out of service for cleaning after the trip. According to the company, this is not the first time a baby has been born at Waymo, although it is unusual.
“We pride ourselves on being a trusted company in moments big and small, serving passengers of all ages, even those who are just moments away,” the company said.
The popularity of driverless taxis has increased, although controversy remains. Passengers can ride them on highways and interstates around San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles and Phoenix.
In September, Waymo turned around in front of a sign expressly prohibiting this, and criticism poured in on social media that the law prohibited police from using the car. In October, a popular cat named Kit Kat, known for roaming the Mission District, was hit by a Wimo.
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This story was translated from English by an AP editor using a generative artificial intelligence tool.
