Driverless Cars Cause Chaos in Carpark, Disturbing Locals
news.com.au
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Details
- Date Published
- 18 Aug 2024
- Priority Score
- 2
- Australian
- Yes
- Created
- 8 Mar 2025, 01:04 pm
Description
Residents captured the moment driverless cars began driving around in circles with their lights on in the middle of the night, reports The Sun.
Summary
A series of malfunctions involving driverless taxis operated by Waymo has caused significant disturbances in a local carpark, frustrating residents and highlighting potential safety issues with AI-operated vehicles. The driverless taxis, initially met with enthusiasm, have started malfunctioning, circling in the parking lot during late hours and disrupting the peace. Residents have expressed concerns over their inability to address the disruptions directly, as the technology's autonomous nature leaves them without a point of contact. Waymo has acknowledged the issue, stating efforts are underway to implement a fix. This incident underscores the challenges of integrating AI technology into everyday life, highlighting the need for robust governance and responsive safety mechanisms.
Body
Car park full of confused driverless AI taxis causes misery for localsResidents have captured the wild moment dozens of driverless cars parked next-door went rogue in the middle of the night.Karim Camara – The Sunless than 2 min readAugust 18, 2024 - 12:07AMResidents captured the moment driverless cars began driving around in circles with their lights on in the middle of the night, reportsThe Sun.The driverless taxis, operated by Waymo, have understood to have been causing disturbances throughout the day as well.Randol White captured the moment the driverless cars began malfunctioning. Picture: Video/Randol WhiteWhen the AI cars were first introduced to the neighbourhood, locals were excited to see the new technology in practice.But the novelty has quickly worn off for many residents who “don’t find it funny anymore”.“I was happy to see the Waymos coming in, but this aspect of it, I’m not a fan,” resident Randol White told the Los Angeles Times.The 57-year-old said he first noticed the disturbance two weeks ago when the AI cars began going off at 4am.Despite reaching out to the company, he feels powerless to stop the disturbances.The AI cars are left in the parking lot and residents have no one to speak to once the cars start malfunctioning.“That’s the most frustrating thing, you’re just yelling into the void,” Mr Randol said.Waymo has noted the problem and said: “We have identified the cause and are in the process of implementing a fix.”Russel Pofsky, who has lived in the area for 20 years, said he’s never experienced anything like this.The longtime resident claimed the loss of sleep has made him “more cranky” than ever before.Other neighbours echo the sentiment.More CoverageWhy bosses are suddenly flipping WFH rulesMary MadiganCountry finally opens border after CovidChantelle FrancisChristopher Cherry, who was initially excited about the technology, now finds the constant beeping a major distraction, affecting both his work and sleep.As residents wait for a fix, their patience is wearing thin, with many simply wishing the honking would stop.This story originally appeared onThe Sunand was reproduced with permissionMore related storiesOn the RoadAussie battles scooters as cyclone nearsFootage of an Aussie who went to great lengths after finding his car parked in by hundreds of e-scooters has gone viral.Read moreNSW / ACT Courts & Law‘Catastrophic’: Tears after fatal P-plater crashMultiple people broke down in tears as a P-plater learned his fate over a fatal crash which killed one woman and severely injured another.Read moreNSW / ACT Courts & Law‘Never forgive’: Child’s vow after deadly crashA child says she can ‘never forgive’ the driver in a horrific crash that injured her and left two children dead after a dangerous drag race on a busy road.Read more