A pregnant woman in San Francisco gave birth inside a Waymo robotaxi on Monday night while en route to UCSF Medical Center. This event marks the latest milestone in the driverless car saga, one that no one saw coming except, perhaps, anyone with more than six months of experience as a ride-share driver.
Waymo’s remote team detected unusual activity in the vehicle and called 911, though the autonomous car beat emergency services to the hospital. Some traditions, it seems, are immune to disruption. For decades, expectant mothers have been racing against biology in the back seats of taxis and Ubers from London to Los Angeles.
There was the mother in India who named her son Uber after giving birth to him en route to the hospital, with the driver reportedly assisting in the delivery. There was also the California couple in 2017 who welcomed their baby in an Uber during Shabbat. At the time, the father joked that everyone was telling them to name the baby Uber, though they ultimately chose not to.
These stories are numerous. Now, Silicon Valley has at least partially automated the experience. Following the birth, the Waymo vehicle in San Francisco was promptly removed for cleaning. This was not Waymo’s first such occurrence; the company noted that a Phoenix baby arrived first in one of its vehicles. A Waymo spokesperson remarked that while this is a very rare occurrence, some of their newest riders just cannot wait to experience their first Waymo ride.