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Not to be overlooked, Amazon took a significant leap into the autonomous ride-sharing space by acquiring Zoox for $1.2 billion in 2020. The robotaxi is set to launch publicly in San Francisco and Las Vegas this year, while it is currently being tested in cities like Austin and Miami. The unique design of Zoox vehicles—box-shaped without conventional steering wheels or pedals—promises a futuristic passenger experience, where riders sit facing each other.
Both Waymo and Zoox have human remote workers available for assistance, but they cannot control the vehicles directly. This dependency on human oversight raises pertinent questions about the scalability and reliability of these autonomous systems.