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April 1, 2026

Robotaxi Firms Withhold Remote Assistance Data

Robotaxi Firms Withhold Remote Assistance Data

Mark Matlock / April 1, 2026

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Robotaxi Firms Withhold Remote Assistance Data

Robotaxi Firms Withhold Remote Assistance Data

Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) submitted a list of inquiries in letters to seven American businesses developing autonomous vehicle technology in February. In particular, he wanted to know how frequently remote workers' input is used in the vehicles run by Aurora, May Mobility, Motional, Nuro, Tesla, Waymo, and Zoox. According to the findings of Markey's probe, which were made public on Tuesday, they all declined to comment. The data released by Markey's office is the most recent illustration of how reluctant autonomous car manufacturers are to disclose specifics about how they actually operate, even though they are all testing this technology on public roads. The AV businesses' employment of [remote assistance operators] to help steer their AVs has shown a startling lack of transparency, according to this investigation.In its report, Markey's office stated, "The inquiry revealed a patchwork of safety measures across the business, with significant diversity in operator credentials, reaction times, and offshore personnel, all without any federal regulations governing these operations. Markey stated on Tuesday that he is "working on legislation to place severe guardrails on AV companies’ use of remote operators" and that he is urging the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to look into these businesses' use of remote help workers. Every company listed has been contacted by TechCrunch.Nuro and Waymo declined to comment.May Mobility and Aurora expressed gratitude for collaborating with Markey's office. Requests for comment from the others were not answered. Following a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on the future of selfdriving cars in February, Markey began his research.Waymo's chief safety officer, Mauricio Peña, discussed during the hearing how the company's vehicles occasionally require assistance from "remote assistance" personnel when they become trapped in challenging or unexpected situations.Peña also disclosed that the Philippines is home to almost half of Waymo's remote support employees. Over the years, autonomous car manufacturers have occasionally discussed these kind of remote assistance services.However, because the technology was still in its early stages of development or testing, those discussions were frequently theoretical. The focus on these businesses' whole operations has increased since many of them have commercially deployed robotaxis or, in Aurora's case, self-driving semi-trucks. Markey wrote to those seven businesses after the hearing to request additional details on their remote activities.His agency asked each company 14 questions, such as how frequently remote workers provide instruction to autonomous vehicles, how large these teams are, where they are situated, how they are licensed, and what security measures are in place. The responses from the firms, which you can read in full here, differ greatly.Waymo and May Mobility specifically said that this is "private business information," therefore none of them addressed the question of how frequently their remote employees are required to provide assistance to the AVs. The question was left out of Tesla's reply letter. The business eliminated its North American communications team years ago, though it is unclear why. In its letter, Waymo stated that the amount of help requests per mile that its vehicles send to remote workers has "materially decreased" as a result of enhancements to its self-driving system, but company provided no details or evidence to support this assertion. According to the business, the self-driving technology handles the "vast majority of queries" that its robotaxis submit to remote assistance personnel "before an agent even offers an answer. Additionally, only Waymo acknowledged employing remote helpers from abroad.Markey's office stated on Tuesday that a "driver's license in a foreign area is not a replacement for passing a U.S. driver's license exam, as the regulations of the road will almost definitely vary by region," despite the company's claims that it ensures these employees have local driver's licenses. With the exception of Tesla, every company stated that they either do not permit remote help workers to operate these autonomous vehicles directly or do not have the capability to do so.In the meantime, Tesla stated that its remote assistance employees "are authorized to momentarily acquire direct vehicle control as the ultimate escalation move after all other potential intervention steps have been exhausted. According to Tesla, the remote operator cannot drive the car faster than 10 miles per hour, and this can only occur while a vehicle in its pilot fleet is traveling at two miles per hour or less.

by Mark Matlock

Skullcandy EcoBuds vs Dime 3: Which One Should You Buy?

Skullcandy EcoBuds vs Dime 3: Which One Should You Buy?

So you're stuck between the Skullcandy EcoBuds vs. the Dime 3 and can't decide which one to get. Both cost

Project Hail Mary’ Becomes Amazon MGM’s Biggest Hit

Project Hail Mary’ Becomes Amazon MGM’s Biggest Hit

Amazon's gamble on "Project Hail Mary" has paid off handsomely, as the movie recently overtook "Creed III" to become the highest grossing picture in the company's history. With a reported budget of almost $200 million, it was a significant wager. For any movie, but particularly for one that is not a sequel or a part of an established franchise, that is a hefty price tag. Rather, it is based on Andy Weir's best-selling science fiction book, "The Martian," which was successfully turned into a movie ten years ago. It is not the only element that makes "Project Hail Mary" seem out of the ordinary.Ryan Gosling plays a scientist who collaborates with a rocklike alien to unravel the mystery of why several stars, including our own, appear to be dimming for extended periods of time, making him the only human actor on screen. However, according to The Hollywood Reporter, "Project Hail Mary" has made an estimated $164.3 million in North America and $136.2 million elsewhere after ten days in theaters.Its ultimate box office figures should be much higher when it leaves theaters because it only dropped 32% domestically in its second weekend, reaching $54.5 million. This makes "Project Hail Mary" the largest hit of 2026 (to date) and one of the best non-franchise, non-sequel movies of the previous ten years. For what is now known as Amazon MGM Studios, this is wonderful news.From distributing smaller, critically acclaimed films like "The Big Sick" and "Manchester by the Sea" to more recently purchasing the film studio MGM (which sparked a struggle for control of the James Bond franchise) and announcing its goal to release 14 films in theaters annually, the company's cinematic aspirations have changed over time. These films, which included "After the Hunt," "Mercy," and the contentious "Melania" documentary, appeared to be losing viewers until "Hail Mary. The New York Times was informed by Courtenay Valenti, Amazon's head of film, that the company's approach of producing "big, bold entertaining commercial films" was supported by "Project Hail Mary's" successful opening weekend.Additionally, "The Sheep Detectives," starring Hugh Jackman, will be released in theaters in May, followed by a reboot of "Masters of the Universe" in June.

by Mark Matlock

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