• Tesla fan claimed a Waymo robotaxi nearly hit golfers at the Penmar course.
  • Waymo clarified the robotaxi was human-driven ahead of a scheduled local event.
  • Alphabet’s self-driving division recently confirmed expansion into Denver and Seattle.

Self-driving robotaxis have courted a lot of controversy over the years, and quite a few times for good reason. Earlier this week, videos showing one of Waymo’s robotaxis meandering across a golf course in the United States began to go viral, quickly raising eyebrows and leaving many to ponder whether this was another case of a self-driving car going rogue. As it turns out, some people online jumped to conclusions a little too early.

The video first gathered steam after being shared to X by certified Tesla stan JeffTutorials, who boldly claimed that “a Waymo drove onto a golf course today and nearly hit several golfers,” adding that “FSD [Tesla’s self-driving system] would never do such a thing.”

Read: Cops Pulled Over A Driverless Car For An Illegal U-Turn And Couldn’t Write A Ticket

In the clip, the Waymo can be seen driving slowly across the grass, just behind one of the fairways at the golf course. In a separate video posted to Reddit, the car can be seen parking below a large tree.

Waymo quickly jumped on X to respond as the videos started gaining steam, confirming that it “was a human-driven car, getting ready for an event at the Penmar Golf Course.” It failed to provide any more details, although we’ve seen suggestions that the car was being put on display as part of a concert at the facility.

Given the proliferation of fake news online, it’s very easy to be misled by videos like this that are shared without the proper context. Despite Waymo providing clarification about what happened, people may see the golf course video and instantly assume the robotaxi was driving itself, possibly impacting public trust in vehicles like these.

For now, Waymo’s robotaxi fleet remains the largest in the United States. Just last month, it announced plans to expand to Denver, Colorado, as well as Seattle, Washington.

Video Reddit