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

Alphabet (GOOGL.US) subsidiary Waymo confirmed on Thursday that it is conducting a pilot program in Atlanta, paying delivery drivers to close the gaps in Waymo’s car doors. The company stated that when a Waymo vehicle’s door is not closed in the area, DoorDash drivers will receive notifications so the vehicle can quickly get back on the road.

Waymo’s cars operate without human drivers. However, if passengers leave the vehicle without closing the door, the vehicle cannot move until someone closes it.

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

Prior to this announcement, a Reddit post 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 couriers to earn money, and added that future Waymo vehicles will have automatic door-closing features. Waymo did not specify when this feature will be available.

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

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

In addition to DoorDash, Waymo is also paying independent roadside assistance company Honk 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 autonomous taxis. Currently, Waymo offers fully autonomous taxi services in six U.S. markets and plans to expand to more cities this year.