Waymo is asking DoorDash drivers to shut the doors of its self-driving cars

2026-02-13 · Source: TechCrunch · Field: Technology & Digital — Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning, Robotics & Autonomous Systems · Depth: Fundamental Awareness, quick

Summary

Waymo's autonomous vehicles, currently operating in six cities, face a peculiar operational challenge: they become inoperable if a passenger leaves a door ajar. To address this, Waymo has initiated a pilot program in Atlanta, partnering with DoorDash to dispatch gig workers to close vehicle doors. A DoorDash driver reported receiving an offer of $6.25, plus an additional $5 for verified completion, to drive less than one mile and close a Waymo car door. Both Waymo and DoorDash confirmed the legitimacy of this program, stating it enhances AV fleet efficiency by quickly returning vehicles to service. This partnership is part of a broader collaboration that includes autonomous delivery services in Phoenix. Previously, Waymo engaged Honk, a towing service app, for similar door-closing tasks in Los Angeles, with payments reportedly up to $24. Waymo plans to integrate automated door closures into future vehicle models.

Key takeaway

For CTOs and VP of Engineering overseeing autonomous fleet deployments, recognize that even advanced systems will encounter unforeseen physical world interactions requiring human intervention. Your teams should proactively identify such "last mile" operational gaps and explore micro-tasking partnerships, similar to Waymo's with DoorDash, to maintain fleet efficiency and service continuity while long-term automated solutions are developed.

Key insights

Autonomous vehicle operations face unexpected human-interface challenges requiring novel, human-powered solutions.

Principles

• Operational efficiency justifies micro-task outsourcing.
• Human intervention remains critical for edge cases.

Method

Waymo dispatches DoorDash drivers via a pilot program in Atlanta to manually close vehicle doors left ajar, ensuring AV fleet uptime and preventing traffic obstruction.

In practice

• Integrate human-in-the-loop for AV edge cases.
• Pilot micro-tasking for fleet maintenance.
• Design future AVs with automated physical controls.

Topics

• Autonomous Vehicles
• Waymo
• DoorDash
• Gig Economy
• Robotaxi Operations

Best for: CTO, VP of Engineering/Data, Director of AI/ML, AI Operations Specialist, Tech Journalist, General Interest

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Editorial summary, takeaway, and curation by AIssential. Original article published by TechCrunch.