Waymo Says Overseas Operators Help Guide U.S. Robotaxis, Drawing Scrutiny

Waymo has acknowledged that some remote operators assisting its robotaxis are based in the Philippines, a disclosure that sparked concern among U.S. lawmakers during a Senate hearing on autonomous vehicle safety.

Waymo Chief Safety Officer Mauricio Peña told senators that human operators can provide guidance when vehicles encounter complex driving scenarios but emphasised that the cars remain fully in control of driving functions.

“They provide guidance. They do not remotely drive the vehicles,” Peña said, adding that the vehicle “is always in charge of the dynamic driving tasks.”

When pressed on how many operators are located abroad, Peña said he did not have a detailed breakdown, prompting frustration from lawmakers who raised questions about cybersecurity risks, data delays and worker qualifications.

Some senators also criticised the outsourcing aspect, arguing that overseas involvement in autonomous fleets could have safety and labor implications.

The hearing included executives from Waymo and Tesla, both defending the safety of their autonomous systems as regulators weigh nationwide standards for self-driving vehicles.

The disclosure comes amid increased scrutiny of robotaxi operations following recent incidents involving Waymo vehicles and as the company expands commercial deployments across U.S. cities.

Last week, Waymo announced a $16 billion funding round that values the company at $126 billion “post-money.”