When I posted on Instagram in May about my first ride in a self-driving, AI-powered Waymo car in San Francisco—a video of an empty driver’s seat with the steering wheel making a smooth left turn on a busy street—the responses ranged from “Yikes” and “That is CRAZY” to “No no no.”
I'll admit, I was a bit freaked out myself as the Waymo, a standout, white, all-electric Jaguar, outfitted with rotating sensors on the roof, ferried me up and down one of San Francisco’s steepest streets. But I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved) to watch the autonomous driver pause fully yet gently at each and every stop sign along the route. The Waymo was a defensive driver, but not too slow; it steered carefully, but ventured into traffic with conviction. I finally exhaled and relaxed.
