Waymo Admits Remote Assistants Based in Philippines; U.S. Senators Raise Safety Concerns

At a recent U.S. Senate hearing on autonomous vehicles, Waymo’s Chief Safety Officer revealed that its self-driving cars receive remote assistance from "fleet response agents" located in places like the Philippines when encountering complex driving situations. Although Waymo emphasized that these agents only provide guidance in exceptional circumstances—without directly controlling the vehicles—and have undergone local traffic regulation training and hold valid driver’s licenses, senators and the public have raised concerns about network latency, agents’ familiarity with local rules, and public safety. Critics questioned whether this practice is primarily aimed at cutting costs and pressed further: “Are self-driving cars truly driverless?” Meanwhile, both Waymo and Tesla urged Congress to accelerate the establishment of nationwide autonomous vehicle regulations to counter competition from Chinese companies and safeguard U.S. leadership in the field.