The neon glow of the city reflected off the rain-slicked windshield as Leo, a young taxi driver, pulled up beside veteran cabbie, Sal. “Sal, you hear about this?” Leo gestured with a jerk of his thumb towards a news feed flashing on his phone. “Robotaxis. They’re saying they’ll be everywhere soon. Waymo’s already rolling in San Francisco, Phoenix, LA, and now Uber’s teaming up with NVIDIA. It’s like Ford and GM threw in the towel, but these tech giants are just charging ahead. We gotta protest this. It’ll kill our jobs.”
Sal, his face etched with years of navigating the city’s chaotic streets, took a long drag from his cigarette. “Protest? Kid, protests ain’t gonna stop progress. Besides,” he sighed, “I’m kinda looking forward to those robotaxis.”
Leo stared, incredulous. “You’re what? Sal, they’re gonna replace us!”
“Look, Leo,” Sal said, his voice raspy. “Think about it. No more late-night runs with sketchy characters. No more worrying about getting jumped. No more cash, no more fumbling for change. With the smartphone app, you know exactly who’s getting in and where they’re going. It’s safer. Way safer. After all, the market is huge. Statista says it’s a $5 trillion market by 2030, and someone is going to fill that need.”
Leo frowned. “But… but it’s our livelihood!”
“Livelihood,” Sal repeated, a hint of weariness in his voice. “Yeah, well, my livelihood’s been dodging bullets and dealing with drunks for too long. Besides, with companies like Tesla and Zoox still in the game, and Uber teaming up with NVIDIA, the technology is only going to get better. 2025 is supposed to be a huge year for this stuff.” He paused, a flicker of something else in his eyes. “There’s just one thing that worries me.”
“What’s that?” Leo asked, leaning forward.
Sal flicked his cigarette ash out the window, his gaze distant. “Robots becoming taxi customers.”
Leo blinked, confused. “Robots? What do you mean?”
Sal chuckled, a dry, humorless sound. “Think about it, kid. If everything’s automated, who’s to say a robot won’t need a ride? Maybe they’ll be going to robot bars, or robot repair shops. Maybe they’ll be going to see robot friends. And how are we supposed to rate them? Will they tip? Will they leave a mess? And what if they decide to go off route? How do you argue with a robot? It’s a whole new level of crazy, and I’m not sure I’m ready for it.”
All names of people and organizations appearing in this story are pseudonyms
Robotaxi Ride-Hailing Rivalry Intensifies: Uber-NVIDIA Pact Vs. Tesla
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