A Waymo robotaxi in San Francisco pulled over and alerted emergency services after its systems detected a service-terms violation involving a firearm. Two juvenile passengers were detained after police responded to the vehicle, according to the San Francisco Police Department.
The incident took place shortly before 4 a.m. on September 3. Officers said they found a loaded, unserialized AR-style firearm in the cabin, commonly described in the United States as a “ghost gun.” Police also reported suspected marijuana and an irritant spray in the vehicle.
- Loaded, unserialized AR-style firearm
- Suspected marijuana
- Irritant spray
Waymo confirmed that its systems identified the firearm-related violation, stopped the vehicle, notified emergency services and cooperated with law enforcement. The episode illustrates that a driverless ride is not necessarily a private space: Waymo says its vehicles use interior cameras and microphones for safety, emergency response, lost-property cases and cabin-condition checks. In emergencies, company personnel can access live video feeds.
The company says it does not use facial recognition or other biometric technology to identify riders. A separate incident in July also involved a Waymo vehicle stopping after two teenagers were reportedly drinking alcohol and firing toy guns from its window; it remained in place until police arrived. As robotaxi operations expand, onboard monitoring and the limits of intervention are becoming as consequential as autonomous driving itself.
