According to Sawyer Merritt, Waymo has issued an official statement detailing how its AI-powered robotaxis responded to the recent massive power outage in San Francisco, which caused widespread dark traffic signals and temporary service shutdowns (source: Sawyer Merritt on Twitter, Dec 24, 2025). Waymo's autonomous vehicles successfully navigated over 7,000 dark signals using AI-driven four-way stop protocols but experienced operational delays due to a spike in confirmation checks required for safety. This backlog contributed to localized congestion. Waymo announced immediate fleet-wide AI updates to enable its Driver system to better contextualize power outages and respond more decisively. The company is also enhancing its emergency response protocols and expanding training for first responders. These changes highlight the importance of adaptive AI systems in urban mobility and present new business opportunities for AI-driven fleet management and urban safety technology.