The rise of AI seems inevitable at this point. From ChatGPT answering questions online to self-driving cars cruising city streets, many companies and influential figures appear determined to convince the world that artificial intelligence represents the future of mankind. This push often continues regardless of the potential dangers, ethical concerns, or very real issues that come with deploying AI in the real world. Still, it is important to understand the current state of AI as it actually exists today, not as it is marketed. Despite the exaggerated promises made by some AI company CEOs, artificial intelligence is far from perfect and continues to make serious mistakes. A recent incident involving a Waymo self-driving car in Phoenix, Arizona, serves as a clear example.
A passerby happened to be in the right place at the right time and managed to record an unusual and unsettling scene. In the video, a Waymo vehicle can be seen driving directly on the Phoenix light rail tracks, apparently deciding that the rail line was a perfectly acceptable road.
The footage begins with the Waymo car already sitting on the light rail tracks in Phoenix. The man filming then pans his camera to reveal a light rail train approaching the stranded vehicle. When the camera shifts back to the Waymo, the situation becomes even more tense. A passenger can be seen quickly exiting the Waymo car, clearly fearful of being bulldozed by the oncoming train. The urgency of the moment makes it obvious that this was not just a harmless glitch, but a potentially dangerous situation.
There is a cut in the video, and the next scene shows the Waymo still on the Phoenix light rail tracks, though this time the vehicle is moving away, continuing on toward whatever destination it had selected. Another man in a nearby car decides to stop and watch the bizarre spectacle. He exchanges a few words with the cameraman, and the sheer absurdity of the situation causes both of them to laugh.
Moments later, yet another train appears, this one coming from the opposite direction of where the Waymo is heading. Thankfully, it is traveling on a separate track, preventing a collision. The Waymo car stops again as the train passes. While no accident ultimately occurs, the incident is both funny and horrifying, raising questions about how such a scenario could happen in the first place in a busy city like Phoenix.
Online, internet users found the Waymo incident both hilarious and concerning. Many were quick to mock the idea that a self-driving car, often advertised as highly intelligent and possibly smarter than humans, could make such an obvious mistake. “Waymo shutting down their competition,” one user joked. Another commented, “Don’t just stop on the rails keep on going 😭”.
Others focused on the possible consequences, with one user writing, “A collision would be a pretty big failure, damages to the train, damages to the passengers, and potentially millions of dollars in damages. Driving on Phoenix’s Valley Metro light rail tracks is a relatively common occurrence and carries a maximum $500 fine.”
