Waymo, Google’s autonomous vehicle company, and DoorDash, the delivery and gig work platform, have launched a pilot program that pays Dashers, at least in one case, around $10 to travel to a parked Waymo and close its door that the previous passenger left open, according to a joint statement from the company given to 404 Media.
The program is unusual in that Dashers are more often delivering food than helping out a driving robot. It also shows that even with autonomous vehicles, and the future they promise of metropolitan travel without the need for a driver, a human is sometimes needed for the most simple and yet necessary tasks.
“Waymo is currently running a pilot program in Atlanta to enhance its AV fleet efficiency. In the rare event a vehicle door is left ajar, preventing the car from departing, nearby Dashers are notified, allowing Waymo to get its vehicles back on the road quickly,” the statement said. “DoorDash is always looking for new and flexible ways for Dashers to earn, and this pilot offers Dashers an opportunity to make the most of their time online. Waymo's future vehicle platforms will have automated door closures.”
Waymo said the partnership started earlier this year. It declined to share details about how Dashers are paid, such as whether they may receive tips or which entity is paying for these jobs, but said, “the payment structure is designed to ensure competitive and fair compensation for Dashers.”
(Waymo said the response was on background, but 404 Media never agreed to such a condition. It is standard journalistic practice for both a company and a reporter to need to agree that a conversation is on background or off the record beforehand; this is to prevent companies simply saying something is off the record when answering basic questions.)
404 Media contacted both Waymo and DoorDash for comment after an apparent Dasher posted on Reddit about receiving such a job.
“Craziest Offer,” the thread starts. It includes a screenshot of the DoorDash app, saying the Dasher is guaranteed $6.25 for the work, with $5 extra “upon verified completion.” The job would see the Dasher travel around 0.7 miles, according to the screenshot.
“Close a Waymo door,” the job reads. “No pickup or delivery required.”
DoorDash and Waymo have already partnered on other projects. In October, the companies announced an autonomous delivery service in Phoenix.
