A Waymo autonomous taxi outdoors the Google headquarters in Mountain View, California, US, on Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2026.
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Photos
Waymo’s vehicles are pushed with out people. However when a departing passenger leaves a door open, the automobile will not transfer till an individual closes it.
For that process, Waymo is popping to gig staff from corporations like DoorDash.
The Alphabet-owned self-driving automobile firm confirmed on Thursday that it is working a pilot in Atlanta to compensate supply drivers for closing Waymo doorways which are left ajar. DoorDash drivers are notified when a Waymo within the space has an open door so the autos can rapidly get again on the street, the corporate mentioned.
That acknowledgement got here after a Reddit publish confirmed a DoorDash driver in Atlanta was supplied $11.25 to shut the door of a close-by Waymo.
Waymo and DoorDash mentioned in a joint assertion to CNBC that they’re at all times searching for new and versatile methods for DoorDash deliverers to earn cash, including that future Waymo autos could have automated door closures. Waymo did not say when that functionality will arrive.
Waymo’s reliance on folks for easy duties underscores how even essentially the most superior autonomous applied sciences nonetheless require expensive human intervention for some primary operations. Valued at $126 billion in a latest financing spherical, Waymo is central to Alphabet’s Different Bets, that are focused at “utilizing expertise to attempt to resolve huge issues that have an effect on all kinds of industries, together with transportation and well being expertise,” in keeping with the corporate’s monetary filings.
In Alphabet’s annual submitting final week, the corporate mentioned the Different Bets phase recorded an working loss final 12 months of $7.5 billion, which included a $2.1 billion stock-based compensation cost at Waymo.
Along with DoorDash, Waymo can also be paying customers of Honk, an unbiased roadside help firm, to shut robotaxi doorways. A latest Washington Submit report mentioned Honk customers, who receives a commission to supply upkeep on Waymo autos, had been supplied as much as $24 in Los Angeles for closing a door.
On Thursday, Waymo started deploying its next-generation robotaxi as the corporate pushes to increase its lead within the U.S. Waymo at the moment gives its totally autonomous robotaxi service in six U.S. markets, with plans to broaden to a number of extra this 12 months.
