Uber has launched autonomous rides in London using AI technology developed by the British start-up Wayve. Starting Thursday, passengers using the Uber app in the UK capital can be matched with vehicles outfitted with this autonomous-driving technology. This makes London the second city in Europe to offer robotaxis after Zagreb.
Currently, only 15 vehicles are licensed, meaning the chances of landing a robotaxi on request are slim. This small fleet contrasts with the more than 100,000 private hire vehicles in the capital, which is roughly the same number of Uber customers who have registered to take autonomous rides.
Despite the autonomous technology, passengers will still have a human supervisor behind the wheel ready to take over if needed. Uber and Wayve are testing these cars in one of the world’s largest ride-hailing markets, where the centuries-old roads of London present unique challenges not found in cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco.