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Frozen Waymos backed up San Francisco traffic during a widespread power outage

Frozen Waymos backed up San Francisco traffic during a widespread power outage

A power outage struck San Francisco on Saturday that blacked out about 130,000 customers at its peak, according to Pacific Gas and Electric Company, but also caused another problem: stranded Waymo vehicles. Posts all over social media showed the company’s autonomous SUVs sitting still in the streets and causing traffic jams.

Some people posted videos of Teslas using their FSD feature to navigate the same streets, and Elon Musk tweeted that “Tesla Robotaxis were unaffected by the SF power outage.”

In response to an inquiry from The Verge, Waymo spokesperson Suzanne Philion sent a statement saying, “We have temporarily suspended our ride-hailing services given the broad power outage in San Francisco. We are focused on keeping our riders safe and ensuring emergency personnel have the clear access they need to do their work.” PG&E reported as of 7AM PT that “Crews have restored about 110,000 customers and PG&E continues to work on restoring the remaining 21,000 customers, primarily in the Presidio, Richmond District, Golden Gate Park and small areas of downtown San Francisco,” as it continued repairs after a fire at a five-story power substation.

Exactly why the cars weren’t moving remains unclear, with no public updates we could find on the company’s social media channels, but speculation centered on spotty wireless data connections, with cell towers either down or overloaded by people who no longer had access to Wi-Fi, and/or the street lights that weren’t operating without power.

These problems have occurred before, though, as seen in TikTok videos from earlier this year showing Waymos frozen by a malfunctioning street light and during a power outage in Austin, Texas. In a reply to a Reddit post showing another similar situation last year, someone saying they were a former employee commented explaining that the vehicle would send a request to a remote assistant and wait for their response before proceeding.

According to a company blog post, it reaches out to a human response agent when the car encounters “unique interactions,” providing them with live and recorded views from its cameras in addition to a 3D map of what the sensors are picking up. However, those may require bandwidth that’s hard to find during a significant power outage. I couldn’t find any statistics on how many remote assistance operators Waymo has available at a given time, but in November, the company announced it passed a third-party audit by Tüv Süd, a German tech inspection company that evaluated its remote assistance program against industry best practices.



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Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.

Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with “@Starbucks.” They can then describe the mood they’re in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages.

In the announcement on Starbucks’ website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that “captures your vibe,” and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.

Starbucks partners with ChatGPT, allowing AI to suggest drinks and arrange orders
                                                            Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with “@Starbucks.” They can then describe the mood they’re in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages. In the announcement on Starbucks’ website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that “captures your vibe,” and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


    
                    


            
            
            
            Credit: Starbucks
        
    
Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include “@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and “@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet.”After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

        SEE ALSO:
        
            Florida man uses ChatGPT to sell his home. This is a real headline.
            
        
    
Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, “using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love.”Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

                    
                                            
                            
    
        Topics
                    Artificial Intelligence
                    ChatGPT
            

                        
                                    #Starbucks #partners #ChatGPT #allowing #suggest #drinks #arrange #orders

Credit: Starbucks

Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include “@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and “@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet.”

After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, “using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love.”


Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

#Starbucks #partners #ChatGPT #allowing #suggest #drinks #arrange #orders">Starbucks partners with ChatGPT, allowing AI to suggest drinks and arrange orders
                                                            Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with “@Starbucks.” They can then describe the mood they’re in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages. In the announcement on Starbucks’ website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that “captures your vibe,” and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


    
                    


            
            
            
            Credit: Starbucks
        
    
Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include “@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and “@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet.”After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

        SEE ALSO:
        
            Florida man uses ChatGPT to sell his home. This is a real headline.
            
        
    
Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, “using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love.”Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

                    
                                            
                            
    
        Topics
                    Artificial Intelligence
                    ChatGPT
            

                        
                                    #Starbucks #partners #ChatGPT #allowing #suggest #drinks #arrange #orders

ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.

Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with “@Starbucks.” They can then describe the mood they’re in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages.

In the announcement on Starbucks’ website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that “captures your vibe,” and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.

Starbucks partners with ChatGPT, allowing AI to suggest drinks and arrange orders
                                                            Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with “@Starbucks.” They can then describe the mood they’re in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages. In the announcement on Starbucks’ website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that “captures your vibe,” and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


    
                    


            
            
            
            Credit: Starbucks
        
    
Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include “@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and “@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet.”After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

        SEE ALSO:
        
            Florida man uses ChatGPT to sell his home. This is a real headline.
            
        
    
Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, “using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love.”Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

                    
                                            
                            
    
        Topics
                    Artificial Intelligence
                    ChatGPT
            

                        
                                    #Starbucks #partners #ChatGPT #allowing #suggest #drinks #arrange #orders

Credit: Starbucks

Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include “@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and “@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet.”

After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, “using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love.”


Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

#Starbucks #partners #ChatGPT #allowing #suggest #drinks #arrange #orders">Starbucks partners with ChatGPT, allowing AI to suggest drinks and arrange orders

Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.

Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with “@Starbucks.” They can then describe the mood they’re in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages.

In the announcement on Starbucks’ website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that “captures your vibe,” and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.

Starbucks partners with ChatGPT, allowing AI to suggest drinks and arrange orders
                                                            Starbucks is fully embracing AI, launching a beta app in ChatGPT this week that lets a chatbot choose your latte or refresher.Users on ChatGPT can access the app by starting a prompt with “@Starbucks.” They can then describe the mood they’re in or want to be in — energetic, cozy, etc. — or simply ask the AI to pick something that matches their tastes, like non-dairy drinks or less caffeinated beverages. In the announcement on Starbucks’ website, the coffee chain also suggested users upload a photo to ChatGPT that “captures your vibe,” and the AI will choose a drink to complement it.
        
            Mashable Trend Report
        
        
    


    
                    


            
            
            
            Credit: Starbucks
        
    
Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include “@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and “@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet.”After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

        SEE ALSO:
        
            Florida man uses ChatGPT to sell his home. This is a real headline.
            
        
    
Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, “using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love.”Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

                    
                                            
                            
    
        Topics
                    Artificial Intelligence
                    ChatGPT
            

                        
                                    #Starbucks #partners #ChatGPT #allowing #suggest #drinks #arrange #orders

Credit: Starbucks

Some of the prompts suggested by Starbucks include “@Starbucks, I want something bright to start my morning,” and “@Starbucks, I’m craving an afternoon boost that isn’t too sweet.”

After choosing a drink and a store to retrieve it, users will be directed to the Starbucks app or Starbucks.com to pay and complete the order.

Starbucks considers the beta app in ChatGPT its newest way to encourage customers to try new beverages or, as they put it in their press release, “using AI to support something very human: helping you discover a drink you’ll love.”


Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

#Starbucks #partners #ChatGPT #allowing #suggest #drinks #arrange #orders

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