A pregnant woman in San Francisco recently made headlines after giving birth inside a Waymo robotaxi while en route to UCSF Medical Center. This unexpected delivery marks a unique milestone for autonomous vehicles and adds a new chapter to the ongoing story of driverless technology.
The incident occurred Monday night. According to The SF Standard, Waymo's remote operations team detected "unusual activity" within the vehicle and promptly contacted 911. Despite the emergency call, the autonomous vehicle managed to reach the hospital before emergency services arrived.
This event, while novel for a robotaxi, continues a long-standing "tradition" of babies being born en route to the hospital in ride-share vehicles and taxis. For decades, expectant mothers have found themselves in a race against time, delivering their babies in the backseats of various vehicles from London to Los Angeles. Notable past incidents include a mother in India who famously named her son Uber after giving birth in one of their cars, with the driver reportedly assisting in the delivery. Another California couple welcomed their baby in an Uber during Shabbat in 2017, with the father humorously remarking, "Everyone is telling us to name the baby Uber, but we can't do that." Now, Silicon Valley's autonomous vehicle technology has, at least partially, automated this unpredictable experience.
Following the San Francisco birth, the Waymo vehicle was promptly removed for cleaning. Interestingly, this wasn't Waymo's first experience with an unexpected delivery; the company confirmed to the Standard that a baby had previously been born in a Waymo vehicle in Phoenix. A Waymo spokesperson offered a lighthearted comment on the rare occurrence, stating:
"While this is a very rare occurrence, some of our newest riders just can't wait to experience their first Waymo ride."
