this post was submitted on 07 Feb 2026
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412
It Turns Out That When Waymos Are Stumped, They Get Intervention From Workers in the Philippines (futurism.com)
submitted 5 days ago by return2ozma@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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[–] EmilyIsTrans@lemmy.blahaj.zone 5 points 5 days ago (2 children)

Do you actually have any evidence Waymo staff can remotely drive their vehicles? Or are you just tilting at windmills? I don't really appreciate the insinuation that I am some rube by someone evidently unaware of basic cybersecurity concepts.

[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 3 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago) (1 children)

(not op) Right here. It's the only place they've ever admitted its possible.

https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/consumer-protection-and-enforcement-division/documents/tlab/av-programs/tcp0038152a-waymo-al-0003_a1b.pdf

In very limited circumstances such as to facilitate movement of the AV out of a freeway lane onto an adjacent shoulder, if possible, our Event Response agents are able to remotely move the Waymo AV under strict parameters, including at a very low speed over a very short distance.

[–] EmilyIsTrans@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 3 days ago

Hmm interesting, thanks for the link!

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org -3 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (4 children)

Do you actually have any evidence

I have expressed my belief, or my doubt, however you want to look at it.

someone evidently unaware of basic cybersecurity concepts.

I can assure you that is not the case. I work in IT, all my life, much longer than you, and I know all of it's basic concepts.

Think: what would happen when such a car gets stuck and the remote operator can't achieve anything with "giving directions"? He needs some stronger action. Maybe he needs to "escalate" to some "senior". What would that person do?

There is the possibility of remote steering, and I think they would use it, 10 out of 10 times, instead of telling their passengers that they give up now and everybody must leave the car.

[–] rebelrbl@sh.itjust.works 7 points 5 days ago

“I work in IT, all my life, much longer than you, and I know all its basic concepts.”

And anyone who’s spent their life working in IT would laugh you out of the room for that sentence. Lost all credibility with that BS.

[–] Chozo@fedia.io 4 points 5 days ago (1 children)

No. They just end the ride and send somebody from the local depot to drive the car back to the garage.

Source: I was on Waymo's Fleet Response team for a year doing literally this job that is now outsourced overseas. While the tech exists for full remote steering, NHTSA regulations disallow it, and that's one of the few agencies that Google actually has to abide by if they want to drive their cars on public roads.

[–] Zwuzelmaus@feddit.org 0 points 5 days ago

Source: I was on Waymo's Fleet Response team for a year doing literally this job

Good to hear. Thanks for sharing this.

But still, if I were some higher manager there, then I would probably think a little different than you honest people:

that is now outsourced overseas.

  1. One of the differences is that these operator people come a lot cheaper now.

NHTSA regulations disallow it

  1. Another difference is that they won't ever tell any American what they actually do at their job, because they are on the other side of the globe, where it makes no difference at all if they can spell this 5 letter abbreviation or not.
[–] NotMyOldRedditName@lemmy.world 2 points 4 days ago* (last edited 4 days ago)

For future reference, he's your proof its possible to be remotely moved, which means a hacker could exploit it.

https://www.cpuc.ca.gov/-/media/cpuc-website/divisions/consumer-protection-and-enforcement-division/documents/tlab/av-programs/tcp0038152a-waymo-al-0003_a1b.pdf

In very limited circumstances such as to facilitate movement of the AV out of a freeway lane onto an adjacent shoulder, if possible, our Event Response agents are able to remotely move the Waymo AV under strict parameters, including at a very low speed over a very short distance.

[–] EmilyIsTrans@lemmy.blahaj.zone 2 points 5 days ago

You and every other conspiracy theorist can express your unevidenced beliefs how you like, this conversation clearly isn't worth my time.