Waymo Self-Driving Car Kills Dog in San Francisco While in Autonomous Mode

Thumbnail Image

The information displayed in the AIM should not be reported as representing the official views of the OECD or of its member countries.

A Waymo self-driving car operating in autonomous mode struck and killed a small dog in San Francisco. The AI system detected the dog but was unable to avoid the collision. The incident has raised safety concerns about autonomous vehicles, despite a human safety operator being present.[AI generated]

Why's our monitor labelling this an incident or hazard?

The event involves an AI system (autonomous vehicle by Waymo) whose use directly led to harm (death of a dog). The incident report confirms the involvement of the AI system in the accident. Although the company states the accident was unavoidable, the AI system's operation caused the harm. Therefore, this is an AI Incident due to direct harm caused by the AI system's use.[AI generated]
AI principles
SafetyRobustness & digital securityAccountabilityTransparency & explainability
Industries
Mobility and autonomous vehiclesRobots, sensors, and IT hardware
Affected stakeholders
Other
Harm types
Physical (death)Reputational
Business function:
Other
AI system task:
Recognition/object detectionForecasting/predictionReasoning with knowledge structures/planningGoal-driven organisation

Articles about this incident or hazard