Waymo's Autonomous Driving Faces Trust Issues
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy GOOG?
Source: Yahoo Finance
- Funding and Valuation: Waymo recently raised $1.6 billion in 2025, achieving a valuation of $126 billion; however, the increasing safety issues the company faces could undermine public trust in its technology.
- Safety Concerns: Waymo's driverless taxis entered active police scenes in Atlanta and Los Angeles, indicating a lack of responsiveness in complex environments, which may lead to public skepticism about their safety.
- School Bus Violations: Waymo was found to have repeatedly failed to stop for school buses in Austin, resulting in a voluntary recall of 2,000 vehicles in December 2023, highlighting critical flaws in its technology in essential safety scenarios.
- Incomplete Accident Data: Although Waymo claims its vehicles are 90% safer than human drivers, experts argue that the data lacks transparency and that the vehicles struggle in routine driving situations, potentially impacting their future market performance.
Trade with 70% Backtested Accuracy
Stop guessing "Should I Buy GOOG?" and start using high-conviction signals backed by rigorous historical data.
Sign up today to access powerful investing tools and make smarter, data-driven decisions.
Analyst Views on GOOG
Wall Street analysts forecast GOOG stock price to rise
15 Analyst Rating
14 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 309.370
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
Current: 309.370
Low
255.00
Averages
336.08
High
400.00
About GOOG
Alphabet Inc. is a holding company. The Company's segments include Google Services, Google Cloud, and Other Bets. The Google Services segment includes products and services such as ads, Android, Chrome, devices, Google Maps, Google Play, Search, and YouTube. The Google Cloud segment includes infrastructure and platform services, collaboration tools, and other services for enterprise customers. Its Other Bets segment is engaged in the sale of healthcare-related services and Internet services. Its Google Cloud provides enterprise-ready cloud services, including Google Cloud Platform and Google Workspace. Google Cloud Platform provides access to solutions such as artificial intelligence (AI) offerings, including its AI infrastructure, Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud; cybersecurity, and data and analytics. Google Workspace includes cloud-based communication and collaboration tools for enterprises, such as Calendar, Gmail, Docs, Drive, and Meet.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
St George Mining Secures Strategic Land for Araxá Project
- Land Acquisition: St George Mining has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 166 hectares of industrial land for 14 million Brazilian reais (approximately A$3.8 million), laying the groundwork for its niobium-rare earths project in Brazil.
- Resource Potential Unlocking: The new land will allow the company to establish processing facilities outside the mining tenure, preventing sterilization of the orebody, which is expected to facilitate parallel advancements in resource upgrades and exploration efforts.
- Environmental Protection Measures: The company also acquired a separate 163-hectare conservation area aimed at offsetting environmental impacts and supporting operational licensing requirements, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable practices.
- Positive Market Outlook: With global niobium demand projected to grow at 6% annually, St George Mining is positioning itself to enter a tightly concentrated and strategically significant market, especially as the U.S. identifies niobium as a critical mineral.
See More
Waymo's Autonomous Driving Faces Trust Issues
- Funding and Valuation: Waymo recently raised $1.6 billion in 2025, achieving a valuation of $126 billion; however, the increasing safety issues the company faces could undermine public trust in its technology.
- Safety Concerns: Waymo's driverless taxis entered active police scenes in Atlanta and Los Angeles, indicating a lack of responsiveness in complex environments, which may lead to public skepticism about their safety.
- School Bus Violations: Waymo was found to have repeatedly failed to stop for school buses in Austin, resulting in a voluntary recall of 2,000 vehicles in December 2023, highlighting critical flaws in its technology in essential safety scenarios.
- Incomplete Accident Data: Although Waymo claims its vehicles are 90% safer than human drivers, experts argue that the data lacks transparency and that the vehicles struggle in routine driving situations, potentially impacting their future market performance.
See More
Broadcom Could Emerge as New AI Giant
- Significant AI Growth: Broadcom's AI semiconductor revenue surged 74% year-over-year in the latest quarter, with projections indicating it will reach $8.2 billion in Q1, showcasing strong market demand and growth potential.
- Record Backlog: The backlog for Broadcom's AI switches has exceeded $10 billion, reflecting the company's critical role in AI data center buildouts and strong market confidence.
- Product Differentiation: Broadcom has launched the industry's first Wi-Fi 8 access point and switch system, aimed at enhancing security and speed for enterprises using AI, thereby further solidifying its market position.
- Competitive Strategy: Broadcom's custom XPUs complement Nvidia and AMD's general-purpose GPUs, allowing the company to grow rapidly in specific niches while avoiding the pressures of direct competition.
See More
Three Stocks Set to Outperform the Market in 2026
- Alphabet Cloud Growth: Alphabet's cloud business had an annual revenue run rate of approximately $70 billion at the end of 2025, with a backlog growth exceeding 100% year-over-year to $240 billion in Q4, which is expected to significantly enhance the company's profitability in 2026 and solidify its leadership in the AI sector.
- BeOne Drug Development Progress: BeOne Medicines plans to announce Phase 3 study results for Brukinsa in combination with rituximab in the first half of 2026, and is expected to gain U.S. regulatory approval for sonrotoclax, further enhancing its competitiveness in the blood cancer treatment market.
- Rhythm Drug Approval Outlook: Rhythm Pharmaceuticals' Imcivree is anticipated to receive FDA approval for treating acquired hypothalamic obesity by March 20, 2026, which would significantly expand its market potential as this condition affects more patients than the combined total of its three existing indications.
- Multiple Clinical Trial Data Releases: Rhythm also plans to report top-line data from a Phase 3 study evaluating Imcivree in four other genetic diseases in Q1 2026 and disclose results from an exploratory Phase 2 study on Prader-Willi syndrome in the first half of the year, further boosting investor confidence.
See More
Meta Dominates the Smart Glasses Market: Exploring the Potential for Growth.
- Meta's Smart Glasses Success: Meta Platforms has developed a successful smart glasses business, indicating a strong foothold in the market.
- Mainstream Adoption Challenge: The company faces the challenge of making the product mainstream before competitors can catch up.
See More
OpenAI and Alphabet CEOs Set to Participate in AI Summit in India
AI Impact Summit in New Delhi: Top tech executives will convene in New Delhi, India, for an AI Impact Summit starting Monday.
Previous Summits: This event follows government-led summits on artificial intelligence that have taken place in the U.K., South Korea, and France.
See More
St George Mining Secures Strategic Land for Araxá Project
- Land Acquisition: St George Mining has entered into a binding agreement to acquire 166 hectares of industrial land for 14 million Brazilian reais (approximately A$3.8 million), laying the groundwork for its niobium-rare earths project in Brazil.
- Resource Potential Unlocking: The new land will allow the company to establish processing facilities outside the mining tenure, preventing sterilization of the orebody, which is expected to facilitate parallel advancements in resource upgrades and exploration efforts.
- Environmental Protection Measures: The company also acquired a separate 163-hectare conservation area aimed at offsetting environmental impacts and supporting operational licensing requirements, demonstrating its commitment to sustainable practices.
- Positive Market Outlook: With global niobium demand projected to grow at 6% annually, St George Mining is positioning itself to enter a tightly concentrated and strategically significant market, especially as the U.S. identifies niobium as a critical mineral.
See More
Waymo's Autonomous Driving Faces Trust Issues
- Funding and Valuation: Waymo recently raised $1.6 billion in 2025, achieving a valuation of $126 billion; however, the increasing safety issues the company faces could undermine public trust in its technology.
- Safety Concerns: Waymo's driverless taxis entered active police scenes in Atlanta and Los Angeles, indicating a lack of responsiveness in complex environments, which may lead to public skepticism about their safety.
- School Bus Violations: Waymo was found to have repeatedly failed to stop for school buses in Austin, resulting in a voluntary recall of 2,000 vehicles in December 2023, highlighting critical flaws in its technology in essential safety scenarios.
- Incomplete Accident Data: Although Waymo claims its vehicles are 90% safer than human drivers, experts argue that the data lacks transparency and that the vehicles struggle in routine driving situations, potentially impacting their future market performance.
See More
Broadcom Could Emerge as New AI Giant
- Significant AI Growth: Broadcom's AI semiconductor revenue surged 74% year-over-year in the latest quarter, with projections indicating it will reach $8.2 billion in Q1, showcasing strong market demand and growth potential.
- Record Backlog: The backlog for Broadcom's AI switches has exceeded $10 billion, reflecting the company's critical role in AI data center buildouts and strong market confidence.
- Product Differentiation: Broadcom has launched the industry's first Wi-Fi 8 access point and switch system, aimed at enhancing security and speed for enterprises using AI, thereby further solidifying its market position.
- Competitive Strategy: Broadcom's custom XPUs complement Nvidia and AMD's general-purpose GPUs, allowing the company to grow rapidly in specific niches while avoiding the pressures of direct competition.
See More
Three Stocks Set to Outperform the Market in 2026
- Alphabet Cloud Growth: Alphabet's cloud business had an annual revenue run rate of approximately $70 billion at the end of 2025, with a backlog growth exceeding 100% year-over-year to $240 billion in Q4, which is expected to significantly enhance the company's profitability in 2026 and solidify its leadership in the AI sector.
- BeOne Drug Development Progress: BeOne Medicines plans to announce Phase 3 study results for Brukinsa in combination with rituximab in the first half of 2026, and is expected to gain U.S. regulatory approval for sonrotoclax, further enhancing its competitiveness in the blood cancer treatment market.
- Rhythm Drug Approval Outlook: Rhythm Pharmaceuticals' Imcivree is anticipated to receive FDA approval for treating acquired hypothalamic obesity by March 20, 2026, which would significantly expand its market potential as this condition affects more patients than the combined total of its three existing indications.
- Multiple Clinical Trial Data Releases: Rhythm also plans to report top-line data from a Phase 3 study evaluating Imcivree in four other genetic diseases in Q1 2026 and disclose results from an exploratory Phase 2 study on Prader-Willi syndrome in the first half of the year, further boosting investor confidence.
See More
Meta Dominates the Smart Glasses Market: Exploring the Potential for Growth.
- Meta's Smart Glasses Success: Meta Platforms has developed a successful smart glasses business, indicating a strong foothold in the market.
- Mainstream Adoption Challenge: The company faces the challenge of making the product mainstream before competitors can catch up.
See More
OpenAI and Alphabet CEOs Set to Participate in AI Summit in India
AI Impact Summit in New Delhi: Top tech executives will convene in New Delhi, India, for an AI Impact Summit starting Monday.
Previous Summits: This event follows government-led summits on artificial intelligence that have taken place in the U.K., South Korea, and France.
See More
