AI, Gig Work, and the Hidden Workforce Behind Autonomous Vehicles
Spectrum News appearance featuring Dr. Chris Mattmann and Tara Lynn Wagner
AI, gig work, and the future of autonomous vehicles. My latest appearance on Spectrum News discussing SB 1246 and what it means for the workforce behind robotaxis.
— Chris Mattmann (@chrismattmann)
March 2026
Dr. Chris Mattmann joined Spectrum News to discuss a fast-emerging reality in artificial intelligence: autonomous vehicles are not eliminating human labor, they are reshaping it. Behind every robotaxi is a distributed workforce of remote assistants, safety operators, and incident response teams that support edge-case decision making and real-world safety.
The policy conversation is catching up. California’s proposed SB 1246 introduces requirements for U.S.-based operators, defined human-to-vehicle ratios, and rapid response standards, highlighting the critical role of human oversight in AI systems. At the same time, industry leaders like Waymo emphasize that AI remains the primary driver, with humans serving as a supervisory safety layer. The future of mobility will be defined not by AI replacing people, but by how effectively we design human and machine collaboration at scale.
You can read the full story and watch the video on Spectrum News 1 SoCal here.
