I toured San Francisco in one of Waymo’s self-driving cars a few weeks ago. One thing that caught my attention as we drove across the city was how accustomed people had grown to not seeing drivers. In addition to the fact that there were numerous autonomous cars on any given street at any given moment, tourists were no longer gaping at passersby. The sight of the technology is now commonplace.
There were indications within the car itself that Waymo is attempting to evoke a similar emotion in its users. As passengers climb aboard the all-electric vehicle, music is played and they are greeted warmly by name.
