The world is gradually resembling a scene from a Doraemon-inspired future, where self-driving cars are no longer a mere fantasy but an emerging reality. Waymo Llc is becoming the new flag bearer revolutionizer of the transportation industry with their seemingly magical driverless cars.It's the new rage amongst the individuals living in San Francisco,with a lot of people ready to welcome the new age of artificial intelligence with open arms. But beneath the shiny veneer of progress lies a storm of controversy. As the streets of San Francisco fill with these sleek, driverless marvels of AI, cracks in the system are beginning to show—and they’re impossible to ignore. From ethical dilemmas to technical glitches, Waymo’s AI-powered revolution might just be steering us straight into a dystopian reality. A Real-Life Nightmare: Mike Johns' Experience A viral video making the rounds features Los Angeles tech entrepreneur Mike Johns trapped in a real-life self-driving nightmare as he was on his way to the airport.“It went into its first loop, second loop. What’s going on? I feel like I’m being pranked,” Johns said, recounting the bizarre ordeal. By the fourth loop, he was already feeling dizzy as the car spun repeatedly in a small, confined area.

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Waymo’s system flagged the issue, and a customer support rep contacted him through the car, acknowledging it as a “routing issue.” Despite the intervention, Johns wasn’t impressed, later writing, “I’ll keep it old-fashioned and just #Lyft or #Uber from now on.” This isn't the first time a customer has reported such an "unmagical" experience. Many users have shared their concerns, citing issues like Waymo cars misreading traffic, colliding with delivery robots, and abruptly changing direction—highlighting flaws in their navigation systems. Recently, a viral video showed a Waymo vehicle freezing in a construction zone, unable to interpret a worker's hand signals. Such incidents raise questions about the readiness of autonomous vehicles to handle complex, real-world scenarios.

Lack of Road Ethics and Growing Frustration

Another problem is these cars lack road ethics. A recent video showed a police officer pulling over and questioning a car for driving on the wrong side of the street—only for the officer to realize the car has no driver! https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/1808876793149206845?t=KOZJiMwIz8VlZBfqiLi91w &s=19

The lack of road ethics shown by these robo taxis have led to San Francisco’s fire chief, Jeanine Nicholson to being fed up with robotaxis as they are messing with her firetrucks.They're not ready for prime time," Nicholson said, condemning the reckless pace at which robotaxis are being rolled out despite their glaring failures in interacting with first responders. She argues that the robotaxi industry is moving too fast, prioritizing expansion over safety, and wreaking havoc on public streets. "These companies are being allowed to break things without taking responsibility," she added, pointing out that robotaxis are still inept at handling the crucial task of yielding to firetrucks, ambulances, and police carsMeanwhile, Waymo and Motional are planning to begin robo taxi service in Los Angeles emphasising on their lack of accountability for their software development on assuring road safety.

Public Debate and Growing Rebellion

The introduction of these driverless cars have indeed caused a lot of fierce public debate. One sarcastic user commented, "Yay, let's put taxi drivers out of jobs!" Others are equally harsh, with one remarking, "The cars have no common sense; they can't even handle traffic at an intersection." Another pointed out the glaring safety risks, accusing companies of prioritizing greed over people's lives. The anger has boiled over—just recently, a Waymo car was set on fire with a firecracker. While the cause remains unclear, it could foreshadow a certain rebellion to take place in the distant future. Elon Musk himself has predicted that by 2040, self-driving cars will outnumber human-driven ones.But at what cost? As millions of jobs in transportation and delivery vanish, the promise of progress may only deepen inequality. Without action, automation could leave swaths of workers behind, driving unemployment and social unrest to dangerous levels. The future could be a bleak one, where the rich thrive on technology and the rest are left to pick up the pieces.

Will Waymo Survive the Chaos of India’s Roads?

Although Waymo hasn't reached India, it is easy to assume that it will want to, due to the $5.6 billion it has raised. However, a question must be asked: can this car survive the havoc of Mumbai’s streets, Delhi’s unpredictable traffic, or Bangalore’s notorious auto mafia? Can any AI-powered machine survive the chaos here?Or will they crash into the reality of India's unpredictable traffic and notorious road culture?