How Waymo's CEO Thinks Robotaxis Can Impact Job Creation

The rise of autonomous vehicles has sparked concerns about job displacement, but Tekedra Mawakana, co-CEO of Waymo, sees a different future. According to Tekedra, the shift towards driverless taxis could create new opportunities for blue-collar workers rather than eliminate them.

Speaking to the New York Times, Tekedra says that it is "great to see" that the tech is not replacing people "now that we've been in a few markets for a few years".

Waymo began as Google's self-driving car project in 2009 before becoming its own independent entity under Alphabet in December 2016. The company currently operates around 3,000 driverless vehicles in select US cities, positioning itself at the forefront of the autonomous vehicle revolution.

The presence of robotaxis is steadily increasing across the US. An analysis from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) estimates that the global robotaxi fleet could range from 700,000 to 3 million vehicles by 2035. The research also suggests customer openness to driverless taxis is rising, with BCG forecasting that US acceptance could reach around 60% by 2030.

Expanding the blue-collar workforce

Despite concerns that this growth would lead to job losses, Tekedra believes it could actually increase demand for blue-collar workers. She explains: "Humans are still rotating those tires and working on those vehicles. We have fleet operators, we have fleet technicians. All of our fleets are fully electric. Those charging companies are building the infrastructure, putting them in city centres, pulling those wires from the utility company."

To prepare workers for these emerging roles, Waymo announced in February 2025 that it would partner with TechForce, a US nonprofit dedicated to the advancement of professional technicians across the transportation industry. The company will fund 28 tuition scholarships for students and working technicians enrolled in technical and community college programmes whilst creating resources for more people across the country.

Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce, said of the collaboration: "This partnership with Waymo will help open new doors to opportunities for students and working technicians in the emerging electric and autonomous vehicle industries. Together Waymo and TechForce will help prepare students for careers in fields like automotive technology, robotics and mechatronics, opportunities that will multiply as emerging transportation technologies expand around the US."

This marks Waymo's latest workforce development initiative, following a commitment it began in 2023 with its Career Readiness Institute. The programme, which the company developed in partnership with LA Tech, is a 16-week registered pre-apprenticeship that has helped prepare more than 200 students for careers in tech and provided opportunities to learn about career paths in the automated vehicle industry.

Industry-wide transformation ahead

Waymo is not alone in preparing for the autonomous future. Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Uber, shares on The Diary of a CEO podcast that he believes the majority of the company's rides will be automated in the next two decades.

He says: "You can imagine the majority of our trips being fulfilled by robots of some kind. Probably not 10 years from now, but you go 15 to 20 years from now, you're going to start getting there."

The company has around 9.5 million active drivers globally and has developed new operating structures to provide these drivers with work. This includes the introduction of a 'Digital Tasks' pilot programme in October, where drivers are paid to complete short in-app assignments to help train AI models.

At the All in Summit, Dara says that Uber is "expanding into other kinds of on-demand work as well to be able to adjust the kind of work available to people who want to earn on our own platform".