Autonomous driving struggles to cross the final 1 centimeter: the billion-dollar valuation Waymo actually needs a US version of a "delivery guy" to close the car door

According to the Tong Finance APP, Waymo, the autonomous vehicle company under Alphabet (GOOGL.US), confirmed on Thursday that it is conducting a pilot program in Atlanta, allowing delivery drivers to pay to close Waymo vehicle doors that have gaps. The company stated that when a Waymo vehicle’s door in the area is not closed, DoorDash drivers will receive a notification so the vehicle can quickly get back on the road.

Waymo’s cars operate without human drivers. However, if passengers do not close the car doors after exiting, the vehicle cannot move until someone closes the door.

To complete this task, Waymo is seeking help from gig economy workers from companies like DoorDash.

Prior to this announcement, a post on Reddit showed that a DoorDash driver in Atlanta was offered $11.25 to close the door of a nearby Waymo vehicle.

In a joint statement to the media, Waymo and DoorDash said they have been exploring new, flexible ways for DoorDash delivery personnel to earn money, and added that future Waymo vehicles will feature automatic door-closing functions. Waymo did not specify when this feature will be launched.

Waymo’s reliance on humans for simple tasks highlights that even the most advanced autonomous driving technology still requires costly human intervention for some basic operations. In a recent funding round, Waymo was valued at $126 billion. According to Alphabet’s financial statements, Waymo is at the core of its “Other Bets” segment, which aims to “use technology to address major issues across a wide range of industries, including transportation and healthcare.”

In Alphabet’s annual report filed last week, the company stated that the “Other Bets” division had an operating loss of $7.5 billion last year, including $2.1 billion in equity incentive expenses generated by Waymo.

In addition to DoorDash, Waymo is also paying independent roadside assistance company Honk users to close the doors of its driverless taxis. Honk users who maintain Waymo vehicles in Los Angeles can earn up to $24 for closing a door.

On Thursday, as Waymo works to expand its leadership in the U.S., the company began deploying its next-generation driverless taxis. Currently, Waymo offers fully autonomous taxi services in six U.S. markets and plans to expand to more cities this year.