Alphabet's Waymo unit, continuing to expand rapidly, now announcing plans to launch its

Robotaxi service in Washington, D.C. next year. Our Deirdre Bosa has the news in today's tech check.

I know you guys are used to it out there. I'm not sure D.C. is ready, Deirdre.

Well, get ready, Sarah, because D.C. and then it's only a matter time for New York.

But, you know, overall, Waymo is a good example of Google moving quickly, something it doesn't get a lot of credit for.

DC represents the first market outside of the sunbelt, and it will give access to federal policymakers on their home turf,

and that could help speed up

regulation for robo-taxies and open up more markets like New York and acceptance for Waymo.

Now, this also underscores a sense of urgency at Google as investors really remain skeptical

of its ability to translate cutting-edge research into commercial success.

A new Businessweek article opens with a very

revealing anecdote, as told by an unnamed former employee. The anecdote goes that Google's search

team dismissed a chatbot proposal in 2021. That was just a year before chat GPT reshaped an

entire industry.

The worry at the time was that the technology wasn't ready and that it could upend Google's

core business, so the story goes, the idea died for the time being.

Now, of course, we know now that the repercussions were massive.

Years later, Google is still seen by Wall Street as playing catch up despite its many, many

strengths in the field from its own AI

chips, custom AI chips, to its cutting-edge models, to its distribution advantage.

It's not just with Robotaxis, though, that Google has a chance to change this narrative.

I visited Google's quantum computing lab in Santa Barbara yesterday.

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