London's robotaxis arrive, training wheels included
Londoners can now hail a self-driving Wayve taxi through the Uber app, but don't get too excited: only 15 cars are licensed, and each still has a human safety driver up front ready to grab the wheel. It's a symbolic win in the global robotaxi race, letting Uber leapfrog rivals Waymo and Baidu who are also testing in the city, but true driverless rides need separate government approval that's unlikely this year.
Self-driving, as long as a human's babysitting, so basically every taxi ride ever.
Why it matters
London is a proving ground for whether robotaxis can handle chaotic, ancient European streets, not just sun-baked American grids. Whoever nails it first gets a head start on the much bigger prize: a continent-wide rollout worth billions.