Robotaxis Are Having a Bumpy Rollout

Summary

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WSJ Tech News Briefing – “Robotaxis Are Having a Bumpy Rollout”

Date: June 2, 2026
Host: Imani Moise
Guests:

• Heidi Mitchell, WSJ contributor
• Sean McClain, WSJ reporter

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Episode Overview

This episode explores two major tech topics:

1. The risks of "scam baiting"—engaging with spam texts.
2. The challenging public rollout of robotaxis in American cities.

The main focus is on the growing backlash to autonomous taxis from companies like Waymo, Tesla, and Zoox, and how public resistance could affect the trajectory of self-driving vehicle adoption.

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Section 1: The Dangers of Scam Baiting (00:10–04:29)

Key Discussion Points

• Scam baiting (messing with spam text senders) is on the rise as a response to increasing spam.
• Engaging with scammers may feel satisfying but can make individuals bigger targets.
• Scammers collect seemingly innocent details, building a profile that can be exploited.
• Professional scam baiters employ rigorous security measures that lay users should not attempt.

Insights & Notable Quotes

• Satisfaction in Sassing Scammers

  • Heidi Mitchell:

    "I get a sense of satisfaction at kind of scamming them back... It somehow gives me some stupid sense of satisfaction. They're winning in the end though, right?" (01:27)

• The Real Risks of Engagement

  • Heidi Mitchell:

    “You’re confirming that that phone is live... That can then be sold on the dark web or be put on lists for other scammers. Also, you might be giving them information about where you live because of the time of day you're responding... They're very good at teasing out little bits of information from anything that you give them.” (01:58)

• Difference Between Average and Professional Scam Baiters

  • Heidi Mitchell:

    “He uses a computer that's not connected to the Internet... uses VPNs and burner phones, so there's no way for them to track him. So he is a professional. Don't try this at home, kids. It will not work for you. You will get burned.” (02:55)

• Best Practices for Handling Scam Texts

  • Heidi Mitchell:

    “You really should just ignore it. Experts said don't reply, don't click on a link, don't scan a QR code, don't call the number... Ignore, block and report.” (03:47)

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Section 2: Robotaxis Face Public Backlash (05:14–10:50)

Key Discussion Points

• 2026: The Year Robotaxis Were Supposed to Go Mainstream

  • Major companies are rapidly expanding autonomous taxis.
  • Public backlash is increasing as robotaxis become more visible in cities.

• Core Public Concerns

  • Unsafe or ‘weird’ driving behavior: e.g., blocking roads, entering hazardous conditions.
  • Lack of human driver to interact with or report.
  • Not all incidents involve crashes—reckless yet technically legal behaviors unsettle communities.

• Incidents Raising Alarm

  • Noted case: Robo taxi collided with a child near a Santa Monica elementary school. (06:26)
  • Accumulating minor incidents are driving media and official scrutiny, even if most are non-fatal.

• Debate Over Safety Metrics

  • Companies tout sharp reductions in crashes and injuries.
  • Critics argue that official stats miss other forms of risk—reckless maneuvers, rule-bending, or just “unnerving” driving.
  • Academic and advocacy voices push for a holistic safety standard, not just “number of crashes.”

• Industry Responses

  • Waymo, with the vast majority of vehicles on roads, leads in safety research and community outreach.
  • Emphasis on earning public trust, working with law enforcement, evolving company practices.

• Historical Perspective

  • The robotaxi transition is likened to earlier technological disruptions—perhaps “like the first horseless carriages.”
  • The scale of change means acclimation may take years.

Insights & Notable Quotes

• Identifying the Issue

  • Sean McClain:

    "It's things like driving down their quiet neighborhood street or blocking traffic or driving into a flooded road and getting stuck... things that people are finding generally weird, concerning, and possibly dangerous. It's not like an Uber driver who you could talk to..." (05:42)

• Incident Example

  • Sean McClain:

    “There was a case in January in Santa Monica… a small child ran out from behind a line of cars… the robo taxi collided with the child, low speed... the child didn't have any serious injuries. But again... draw scrutiny from the public, the press, law enforcement, local officials.” (06:26)

• Limits of Safety Stats

  • Sean McClain:

    “They have very in depth peer-reviewed research... 80% to 90% reduction in injuries, collisions... But... that's not the most complete view of safety... For example, a robotaxi driving past a school bus... won't show up in any metrics about accidents that the robo taxi companies are measuring.” (07:24)

• Company Approach

  • Sean McClain:

    “Waymo's stance is that their ultimate goal is to reduce car crashes down to zero... But at the same time, they do acknowledge that they have to earn the public's trust.” (09:03)

• Technological Disruption

  • Sean McClain:

    "Maybe you can imagine a situation where the first horseless carriages crawled through the streets of New York, spooking horses and annoying pedestrians... It's been 100 years of one thing, and suddenly it's something drastically different. And maybe that means it'll take more time." (10:00)

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Key Timestamps

• 01:27 – Why people engage in scam baiting (Heidi Mitchell)
• 01:58 – How scammers collect information from your responses
• 02:55 – Difference between professional and amateur scam baiters (Heidi Mitchell)
• 03:47 – Best practices: ignore, block, report scam texts
• 05:42 – Community complaints about robotaxi behavior (Sean McClain)
• 06:26 – The Santa Monica elementary school incident
• 07:24 – Debate over safety metrics and the full picture of "safety"
• 09:03 – How Waymo responds to backlash and public concerns
• 10:00 – Comparing robotaxi rollout to past technological disruptions

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Tone and Language

The discussion balances skepticism and curiosity. Both the dangers of scam baiting and the complexities of robotaxi deployment are described with caution, practical advice, and recognition of the real societal adjustment required as new technologies proliferate.

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Summary for Non-Listeners

This episode of the WSJ Tech News Briefing highlights the real-world frictions that accompany technological progress—from the personal risks of responding to scam texts, to societal resistance against the sudden influx of autonomous taxis. While robotaxi companies document safety improvements, some communities remain uneasy, flagging a broader debate about what “safe” truly means in an era of AI on the roads. The host and guests offer concrete insights, memorable anecdotes, and advice that make this episode essential listening for anyone interested in the human side of high-tech innovation.

Transcript

[Atlassian Rovo Host]

This podcast is brought to you by Atlassian Rovo. Take your team from AI novice to AI native.

[Imani Moise]

Welcome to Tech News briefing. It's Tuesday, June 2nd. I'm Imani Moiz for the Wall Street Journal. Ever receive a spam text and feel tempted to mess with the person on the other end? It might feel satisfying, but cybersecurity experts say your clever comeback could make you a bigger target. We're getting into why trolling may actually be help then. Self driving taxis were supposed to have a breakout year. Instead, they're getting a crash course in public backlash. We're breaking down the resistance robotaxi operators are facing from the public and what it could mean for the technology's timeline. But first, have you ever gotten a text about a delivery that you weren't expecting or an overdue toll that must be paid immediately? I know I have, and I don't even drive. As spam texts proliferate, some of the recipients have started to have a little fun with scam baiting, responding with jokes, fake identities, or absurd stories to waste the scammer's time. But if you engage too much in the practice, the joke could end up being on you. Wall Street Journal contributor Heidi Mitchell joins to explain. So what do people like you or other people get out of scam baiting? Why do you do it?

[Heidi Mitchell]

It's so frustrating. You get these texts all the time and you're just inundated. And so I get a sense of satisfaction at kind of scamming them back, like taking that moment to make them feel like you're messing with the wrong person. I know what you're doing here. It somehow gives me some stupid sense of satisfaction. They're winning in the end though, right?

[Imani Moise]

Because engaging can often help the scammer find out more about you. What kinds of details can scammers piece together from what feels like an innocent conversation?

[Heidi Mitchell]

So I spoke to a couple of experts and they say you really shouldn't be doing this because when you respond, first of all, you're confirming that that phone is live and that you will respond. That can then be sold on the dark web or be put on lists for other scammers. Also, you might be giving them information about where you live because of the time of day that you're responding is likely between nine and five. The joke you give might give away details that you're a parent or you have a child in some school nearby, or you're going on a vacation. Just they're very good at teasing out little bits of information from anything that you give them. So you're really just giving them fodder. They can build a file on you, and over time, those little funny interactions can become a lot of information about you.

[Imani Moise]

You also spoke with a professional scambaiter who has helped bring down scam operations. And how is that different from what the average person is doing when they're firing off a sarcastic text message?

[Heidi Mitchell]

There's a whole subreddit community of scam baiters. This guy who is known as Pierogi on YouTube, this is what he does for a living. He was a former cybersecurity expert. He uses a computer that's not connected to the Internet. It's not connected to anything that's his. He uses a fake name. I don't know what his real name is. He obviously uses VPNs and burner phones, so there's no way for them to track him. So he is a professional. Don't try this at home, kids. It will not work for you. You will get burned.

[Imani Moise]

So if you do get one of these text messages that claims to be from UPS or EasyPass or the Department of Visa and MasterCard, which does not exist for anyone listening, even though I've gotten many calls from that alleged department, what is the safest way to verify whether it's legit?

[Heidi Mitchell]

I mean, it's very unsatisfying, but you really should just ignore it. So the experts I spoke to, they said don't reply, don't click on a link, don't scan a QR code, don't call the number of the visa protection services that they give you. If you get something that says you need to pay an extra fee for this UPS package, go online and call the number directly and speak to somebody or speak to their chatbot online throughout. Don't click through what they gave you. Don't use the number that they gave you. A quick reminder is ignore, block and report. So often on your phone it has a report and block and then it should never come through again. That doesn't tell them that you're live. So that's a good thing to do. Or you can just delete it and pretend it never came through.

[Imani Moise]

That was WSJ contributor Heidi Mitchell. How do you deal with spam texts? Have you ever engaged with scammers? If you're a listener on Spotify, share your experience in the comments. Coming up. Across the country, robo taxis are hitting the roads and not everyone is on board. How communities are responding to driverless vehicles rolling through their neighborhoods. That's after the Break.

[Atlassian Rovo Host]

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[Imani Moise]

2026 was supposed to be the year robo taxis went mainstream. Companies like Waymo, Tesla and Amazon backed Zoox are expanding autonomous ride services into more cities across the country. But as more driverless taxis hit the road, they're facing more criticism and scrutiny from the public. Wall Street Journal reporter Sean McClain joins us now to talk about the growing backlash amid the autonomous taxi expansion. So, Sean, what are robo taxis doing that have communities up in arms?

[Sean McClain]

I think it's a number of things. If I were to say it's one thing, it has to do with reckless driving, maybe more so than accidents or crashes or anything else like that. It's things like driving down their quiet neighborhood street or blocking traffic or driving into a flooded road and getting stuck. You know, things that a human driver might not do and is maybe not illegal, but things that people are finding, you know, just generally weird, concerning, and possibly dangerous. It's not like an Uber driver who you could talk to or some other driver. There's nobody in the driver's seat, which is part of the concern for a lot of people.

[Imani Moise]

Are there any incidents that stick out to you?

[Sean McClain]

There's been a number of cases since the start of the year that I think have coalesced to draw attention to the way that robo taxis conduct themselves on the road. There was a case in January in Santa Monica, California where a robo taxi was driving near an elementary school and a small child ran out from behind a line of cars during the school drop off period and the robo taxi collided with the child, low speed, the vehicle managed to break and the child didn't have any serious injuries. But again, it's just any one of these incidents would be an eyebrow raising moment and draw scrutiny from the public, the press, law enforcement, local officials. But I think there's been enough of these cases now where people are concerned.

[Imani Moise]

The companies operating these taxis usually point to safety metrics that suggest that robo taxis are safer than cars that regular people are driving. But some people say those stats don't paint the whole picture. Can you tell us why that is?

[Sean McClain]

Certainly all robotaxi companies, but Waymo in particular is a good example here. They have very in depth peer reviewed research where they compare their vehicles to drivers in the same localities. And what their data shows is that there's a 80% to 90% reduction in injuries, collisions. Just to underline that vehicles driven by AI and guided by an array of sensors react in dangerous situations quicker and more safely, safely than a human driver. And there's no indication that that's incorrect. However, what some folks who look at robo taxi safety at the academic level or through advocacy are saying that that's not the most complete view of safety and perhaps is an inappropriate way to look at safety. They should look at it more holistically. They should look at it from a standpoint of reckless driving. So, for example, a robotaxi driving past a school bus that has been stopped and is dropping off children won't show up in any metrics about accidents that the robo taxi companies are measuring. However, I think most people on the road would agree that that's an example of reckless driving. And if a police officer saw you, that would be a point on your license. Ultimately, you keep doing it, you know, you would have your license revoked. So I think what these folks are asking for is to look at the issue of safety is more than did you crash or not.

[Imani Moise]

So beyond just pointing to stats, how are the companies behind robo taxis addressing the backlash? Are they taking any actions in response to these concerns?

[Sean McClain]

Waymo in particular is taking a sort of case by case approach to this. And we're talking about Waymo a lot in this discussion. And let's be clear, that has a lot to do with the fact that 90%, maybe more, of the autonomous vehicles on the road today are Waymos. You know, for example, Waymo has 570 vehicles on the road in Austin, whereas Tesla has around 40. Waymo's stance is that their ultimate goal is to reduce car crashes down to zero if possible. But at the same time, they do acknowledge that they have to earn the public's trust and that they have to work better with communities and with law enforcement and regulators to improve and evolve their relationship with that.

[Imani Moise]

People often resist new technologies before eventually accepting them. After your reporting, do you think that this backlash is different or part of the same pattern?

[Sean McClain]

Well, I don't know that we've ever. Anybody alive today perhaps has been in a situation like this. I mean, maybe you can imagine a situation where the first horseless carriages crawled through the streets of New York, spooking horses and annoying pedestrians who jaywalked before crosswalks were a thing. Like, maybe that's the level of disruption that we should try to look at here. Look, I live in la. I ride robo taxis. All the time. And certainly when they first appeared, it was a novelty. And the longer that they are there, like, the less of a unique experience they become. And they become part of the landscapes. There's probably been few technologies in our lifetime that are so drastic. It's been 100 years of one thing, and suddenly it's something drastically different. And maybe that means it'll take more time.

[Imani Moise]

That was WSJ reporter Sean McClain. And that's it for Tech News Briefing. If you're a listener on Spotify, be sure to leave us a comment. Today's show was produced by Julie Chang with supervising producer Katie Ferguson. I'm Imani Moise for the Wall Street Journal. We'll be back later this morning with TNB Tech Minute. Thanks for listening.

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