Waymo denies using remote drivers after Senate testimony goes viral
Published: (February 18, 2026 at 10:35 AM EST)
1 min read
Source: The Verge
Source: The Verge
Waymo denies using remote drivers after Senate testimony goes viral
Waymo defended its use of remote assistants for its robotaxis after the testimony of one of its top executives during a Senate hearing went viral. In a letter to Sen. Ed Markey (D‑MA) on Tuesday, Waymo’s head of global operations Ryan McNamara provided a detailed description of the company’s remote‑assistance operations, including the number of employees based overseas.
- Waymo employs approximately 70 remote assistance agents.
- Roughly half are based in the United States, and the other half are in the Philippines.
- These agents “provide advice only when requested by the [automated driving system] on an event‑driven basis.”