Waymo Hires Gig Workers to Close Robotaxi Doors
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 13 2026
0mins
Should l Buy GOOG?
Source: Newsfilter
- Gig Economy Utilization: Waymo is piloting a program in Atlanta that pays gig workers from DoorDash and Honk between $11.25 and $24 to close robotaxi doors left ajar by passengers, thereby enhancing operational efficiency of its autonomous vehicles.
- Human Dependency in Tech: Despite its advanced autonomous technology, Waymo's reliance on human intervention for basic tasks highlights the necessity of human involvement in high-tech sectors, which may impact its long-term profitability.
- Market Expansion Plans: Waymo plans to expand into several new U.S. cities this year, currently offering fully autonomous robotaxi services in six markets, indicating its competitive edge and growth potential in the self-driving sector.
- Financial Disclosure: Alphabet's recent annual filing revealed that its Other Bets segment incurred an operating loss of $7.5 billion last year, including a $2.1 billion stock-based compensation charge at Waymo, reflecting the high costs and risks associated with technology development.
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Analyst Views on GOOG
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOG stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 334.470
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
Current: 334.470
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
About GOOG
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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