Amazon's Zoox recalled software last month after one of its unoccupied robotaxis drove straight into an active fire scene. Heavy smoke everywhere. The car went in anyway.
The vehicle saw emergency responders, flames, and what I can only assume was a wall of smoke thick enough to choke out a small village. Kept driving. No hesitation. Just committed to the bit.
Zoox issued a voluntary recall. Fixed the software. Said the robotaxi didn't properly detect "certain environmental conditions." That's the technical term for a f*cking inferno.
The car was empty. No passengers. Just a robot making the kind of decision that would get a human driver arrested or committed. But because it's autonomous technology, we get a press release and a software patch.
Retail traders saw the news and immediately started Googling "is this bullish for AMZN?" Yes, Gary. Your $47 fractional share is about to moon because a driverless car tried to merge with a structure fire. Load up.
The robotaxi industry keeps promising us a future where cars are safer than human drivers. Humans occasionally text and drive. Robots occasionally drive into active emergency scenes because the smoke looked like a fun new route. Real confidence-builder.
Zoox says the issue is resolved. The fleet is back on the road. If you live in a city where these things operate, maybe stand a few extra feet back from any burning buildings. The car might think you're a pickup location.
Amazon spent years developing this technology. Billions in investment. Top engineers. Cutting-edge sensors. And the best they could do was build a car that treats smoke signals as turn signals.
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