Lessons from the Great Waymo Outage of 2025 (Brad Templeton) - The Driverless Digest Podcast Recap

Podcast: The Driverless Digest Podcast

Published: 2026-01-06

Duration: 55 min

Summary

The podcast discusses the implications of the Waymo outage in 2025, emphasizing that while self-driving cars will make mistakes, their ability to learn and improve is crucial for their future success. Brad Templeton shares insights on the importance of transparency and the challenges of public perception regarding autonomous technology.

What Happened

In this episode, host and guest Brad Templeton delve into the 'Great Waymo Outage of 2025,' a significant event where a major power outage in San Francisco disrupted the operations of Waymo's self-driving cars. On December 20th, a Saturday before Christmas, approximately one-third of households in the city lost power, affecting traffic signals and leading to chaos for Waymo vehicles. Videos circulated on social media showing these cars blocking intersections and contributing to traffic congestion, raising questions about their reliability during such incidents.

Templeton, who has extensive experience in the autonomy space, points out that Waymo vehicles navigated intersections successfully about 7,000 times during the outage. However, he notes the importance of understanding the context behind this statistic, as the total number of attempts was not disclosed. He expresses skepticism towards companies that withhold data, arguing that transparency is key for public trust and for the improvement of self-driving technology. Templeton warns against the culture of secrecy that can lead to mistrust, referencing the downfall of Cruise as a cautionary tale. Ultimately, the conversation emphasizes that while these vehicles will make mistakes, the focus should be on their capacity for learning and improvement over time.

Key Insights

• Self-driving cars will continue to make mistakes, but their ability to learn from them is vital.
• Transparency from companies like Waymo is essential for building public trust.
• The culture of secrecy within tech companies can lead to negative public perception and potential failure.
• Judging the improvement of autonomous vehicles should focus on trends rather than isolated incidents.

Key Questions Answered

What caused the Waymo outage in 2025?

The Waymo outage was primarily triggered by a significant power outage in San Francisco on December 20, 2025, which affected one-third of the households in the city. During this event, traffic signals were disabled, leading to chaos on the streets as Waymo vehicles struggled to navigate intersections. Although many speculated about a potential cell phone outage contributing to the issues, Templeton noted that there wasn't sufficient evidence to support that theory.

How did Waymo vehicles perform during the outage?

During the outage, Waymo claimed that their vehicles successfully navigated intersections on their own approximately 7,000 times. However, Templeton pointed out that the lack of transparency regarding the total number of attempts made it difficult to assess the performance accurately. He emphasized the importance of understanding the context of these numbers, as isolating incidents without broader data could mislead public perception.

What can we learn from the Waymo outage?

The outage serves as a reminder that self-driving cars, like Waymo's, will inevitably make mistakes. However, the key takeaway is their capacity to learn from these mistakes. Templeton highlighted the importance of focusing on whether autonomous vehicles are on a path to improvement rather than fixating on individual incidents. This perspective is crucial for understanding the future viability of self-driving technology.

Why is transparency important for companies like Waymo?

Transparency is vital for building public trust in autonomous technology. Templeton criticized tech companies for their tendency to withhold data, which can lead to speculation and fear among the public. He referenced the downfall of Cruise as an example of how a culture of secrecy can harm a company's reputation and effectiveness. By being open about their challenges and successes, companies can foster a better understanding and acceptance of self-driving technology.

What are the implications of the Great Waymo Outage for the future of self-driving cars?

The Great Waymo Outage highlights the ongoing challenges and limitations of self-driving technology. It underscores the fact that while autonomous vehicles are capable of handling many situations, they still face significant hurdles, especially during unexpected events like power outages. The conversation suggests that the focus should be on continuous improvement and the ability of these vehicles to adapt and learn over time, rather than expecting perfection.