A Labor Day protest in San Francisco focused on robotaxis and threats from artificial intelligence.
Taxi drivers and Muni workers organized by United Front Committee for Labor Party rallied outside the headquarters of Cruise driverless cars on Bryant Street. Demonstrators said the robotaxi company is not only taking jobs, but making things more dangerous on city streets.
"The people of San Francisco, the workers of San Francisco have to take a stand now," said Steve Zeltzer with United Front Committee for Labor Party.
Protesters during the rally repeatedly pointed to a mid-August incident where they said a Cruise car blocked an ambulance and prevented it from getting to the hospital in time to save a critically ill patient, but they said that is just the tip of the iceberg.
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The group who rallied Monday also said Cruise's driverless taxis not only violate vehicle codes, but also are not advanced enough to know when to pull over for responding emergency vehicles.
"Every time they are on the road, they violate the law," Zeltzer said.
The speakers at the Labor Day protest said so-called "robo workers" and artificial intelligence are chipping away at jobs. And before we know it, demonstrators claim, a flood of high-tech human replacements will steal the jobs of the masses.
"We're talking about millions, if not billions, of people being displaced," said Edward Escobar with Alliance for Independent Workers. "Not just here locally, but nationally and globally."
Cruise disputes the claims about its safety and said it has a strong record of supporting workers and labor unions. The company notes that local IBEW and SEIU unions install and maintain their charging systems and other facilities, and union carpenters and iron workers built their charging centers.
In terms of their driving record, Cruise said the company's data shows the automated taxis are safer than human drivers.
Cruise's numbers show 54% fewer collisions and 73% fewer crashes involving serious injuries. NBC Bay Area has not been able to independently verify Cruise's numbers or the control measures used to get them.
