Source: Prof G Research Team
Waymo's expansion into commercial robotaxi services has triggered coordinated pushback from taxi unions, local governments, and federal regulators who see autonomous vehicles as a threat to livelihoods and public safety. The company's success in securing permits and operating in major cities like San Francisco has made it a focal point for broader anxieties about who profits from automation and whether safety testing can prevent the 36,000 annual deaths cited as justification for removing human drivers. The tension between corporate deployment speed and regulatory gatekeeping will shape both Waymo's path forward and whether AVs become a regulated utility or a controlled monopoly.