Waymo Faces Scrutiny Over Autonomous Vehicles' Actions During San Francisco Blackout

Supervisors question Waymo executives about communication gaps and cars stopped in intersections during December power outage.

Published on Mar. 2, 2026

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Waymo executives testified at a San Francisco City Hall meeting about the actions of their autonomous vehicles during a city-wide power outage on December 20. The vehicles lost communication with Waymo's dispatch center, leading to 63 reported cases of cars stopped in intersections awaiting human commands, which allegedly blocked access for emergency vehicles. City officials had difficulty reaching Waymo during the incident, until the mayor personally called the company. Waymo acknowledged the communication gaps and said their global fleet of vehicles has about 70 dispatchers at a call center in the Philippines to assist cars requiring human intervention, but the system was overwhelmed that night. Supervisors and union members expressed concerns about the lack of oversight and control over autonomous vehicles, while a professor argued the problem was with regulations requiring a 5G connection rather than the vehicles themselves.

Why it matters

The incident highlights the ongoing challenges and concerns around the integration of autonomous vehicles into urban environments, particularly during emergency situations when communication and control become critical. It raises questions about the appropriate level of regulation and oversight needed to ensure public safety as self-driving technology continues to advance.

The details

During the City Hall meeting, Waymo executives revealed that their global fleet of autonomous vehicles has about 70 dispatchers at a call center in the Philippines to assist cars requiring human intervention. On the night of December 20, when a city-wide power outage caused a loss of 5G cellular connectivity, Waymo's system was overwhelmed, leading to 63 reported cases of cars stopped in intersections awaiting human commands. This allegedly blocked access for emergency vehicles. City officials said they had a hard time reaching Waymo that night, finally making contact after the mayor called personally. Waymo acknowledged the communication gaps and took responsibility for the issues that occurred.

  • On December 20, a city-wide power outage caused a loss of 5G cellular connectivity in San Francisco.
  • During the power outage, Waymo's autonomous vehicles lost communication with their dispatch center.

The players

Waymo

An American autonomous driving company and a subsidiary of Alphabet Inc., Google's parent company.

Peter Finn

A Teamster representative who was part of a group of angry union members protesting outside City Hall.

Theresa Rutherford

The president of SEIU 1021, a labor union, who argued that there needs to be proper oversight and control over autonomous vehicles.

Bilal Mahmood

A San Francisco supervisor who compared the autonomous vehicles to Cinderella's magical carriages that can turn into pumpkins.

Sam Cooper

A Waymo project manager who acknowledged the communication gaps that occurred during the power outage.

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What they’re saying

“We're out here today to demand that our city and our state start putting people above robots.”

— Peter Finn, Teamster

“Autonomous vehicles, as with AI, as with all of these non-human tools, we do know that there has to be control. There has to be proper oversight. There has to be proper checks and balances.”

— Theresa Rutherford, SEIU 1021 President

“Out on the streets right now are hundreds of vehicles moving about the city like Cinderella's magical carriages. But just like in the fairy tale, we can now see that those carriages can turn into pumpkins at the drop of a hat.”

— Bilal Mahmood, San Francisco Supervisor

“I want to be very clear that Waymo takes full responsibility for the communication gaps that occurred that evening. Specifically, we acknowledge the difficulty the Department of Emergency Management, and other agencies experienced in reaching us.”

— Sam Cooper, Waymo Project Manager

What’s next

City officials said they are searching for ways to increase regulations on autonomous vehicles to ensure better oversight and control, particularly during emergency situations.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges of integrating autonomous vehicles into urban environments and the need for a balanced approach that prioritizes public safety while also allowing for the development of this emerging technology.