Ride-hailing drivers in San Francisco took to the streets on Friday to protest the growing presence of self-driving Waymo taxis, warning that autonomous vehicles threaten both public safety and the livelihoods of thousands of gig workers, even as history suggests the technological shift they oppose may be difficult to stop.

About two dozen Uber and Lyft drivers, joined by labor advocates, gathered outside the offices of the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), calling on state regulators to tighten oversight of autonomous vehicles and slow their expansion on city streets. Their demonstration unfolded as the CPUC met to consider further regulatory steps for robotaxis.

As protesters held signs and addressed the crowd, Waymo vehicles rolled past in steady succession, a quiet but pointed illustration of how embedded the autonomous cars have already become in San Francisco’s traffic flow.

“I personally am not against technology; what I am against is unfair treatment,” said Joseph Augusto, who drives for both Uber and Lyft.

He argued that human drivers are subject to licensing rules, traffic enforcement, and penalties that do not apply in the same way to autonomous vehicles.

“These companies are driving around the city, and they don’t seem to be held to the same standards as us drivers.”

The protest comes after a series of incidents that have fueled unease about the readiness of robotaxis for complex urban environments. Days before Christmas, a mass power outage left multiple Waymo vehicles stalled across San Francisco, blocking intersections and forcing the company to pause service.

Augusto said he saw cars frozen at junctions as pedestrians and drivers maneuvered around them in the dark.

“There were a lot of Waymos around. Just randomly all over the city and there’s no plan,” he said.

Earlier episodes have also drawn attention. In September, a Waymo vehicle made an illegal U-turn in San Bruno, but police could not issue a ticket because there was no human driver. In October, a Waymo struck and killed a neighborhood cat known locally as Kit Kat, an incident that spread widely online and intensified calls for accountability.

The California Gig Workers Union says such events highlight gaps in responsibility and enforcement, arguing that autonomous vehicles should be removed from public roads until safety concerns are fully addressed. The CPUC, which regulates ride-hailing companies and oversees permits for autonomous vehicle services, said it had no comment on the protest.

Waymo defended its operations through a spokesperson, saying the company aims to be “the world’s most trusted driver,” with a focus on safety, accessibility, and sustainability. The Alphabet-owned firm has said its vehicles are involved in fewer serious crashes than human drivers, and it continues to expand service in San Francisco and other U.S. cities.

Beyond safety, Friday’s protest pointed to a deeper economic anxiety. Many drivers see robotaxis as the next wave of disruption to the gig economy, echoing the upheaval that followed the rise of Uber and other ride-hailing platforms more than a decade ago. That earlier shift pushed traditional taxi operators to the margins, reshaping urban transport and work patterns in ways that proved largely irreversible.

Some drivers acknowledge that parallel. While they hope regulators will impose stricter rules or slow deployment, there is a quiet recognition that protests alone are unlikely to reverse the broader trend. As in previous cycles, a new technology-driven model is emerging to displace an existing one, backed by deep capital, political momentum, and promises of efficiency.

So far, San Francisco remains a frontline in that transition. The sight of human drivers rallying outside a regulator’s office as autonomous cars glide past captures a moment of tension between two transport eras. But it may be the beginning of a long standoff, and the outcome is already written.

U.S. regulators have given SpaceX a significant green light to deepen its dominance of the satellite internet market, approving the launch of another 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites while stopping short of endorsing the company’s full vision for a vastly larger orbital network.

In a decision announced Friday, the Federal Communications Commission said the approval brings the total number of authorized Starlink satellites to 15,000 worldwide, reinforcing SpaceX’s position as the largest satellite operator by far. The ruling allows the newly approved Gen2 satellites to operate across five frequency bands and, critically, enables direct-to-cell connectivity beyond U.S. borders, alongside supplemental coverage inside the United States.

The move is strategically important for SpaceX. Starlink has evolved from an experimental broadband service into a core commercial and geopolitical asset, used by households, enterprises, militaries, and emergency responders. By expanding spectrum access and permitting direct-to-cell services, the FCC has effectively widened Starlink’s role from home internet replacement to a hybrid global communications platform capable of competing with traditional mobile networks in remote and underserved regions.

Direct-to-cell capability is especially consequential. It supports SpaceX’s long-stated ambition to allow ordinary smartphones to connect directly to satellites without specialized hardware, a development that could reshape connectivity in rural areas, disaster zones, and emerging markets. Outside the United States, where mobile coverage gaps remain widespread, this authorization opens the door for Starlink to work with foreign telecom operators and governments on national connectivity strategies.

However, the decision also denotes the limits of regulatory tolerance for SpaceX’s rapid expansion. Reuters reported that SpaceX had requested approval for roughly 15,000 additional Gen2 satellites on top of its existing constellation. The FCC deferred authorization for 14,988 of those proposed satellites, signaling that future growth will face closer examination.

That restraint reflects mounting concerns about orbital congestion, collision risk, spectrum interference, and the long-term sustainability of low-Earth orbit. With tens of thousands of satellites already proposed by multiple companies, regulators are increasingly wary of approving massive constellations without stronger assurances on debris mitigation and coexistence with other space users, including scientific missions.

Recently, airlines have been expressing concerns over space debris on their routes. The Aerospace Corporation states that some 200 – 400 pieces of space debris fall to Earth each year – and those are just the ones that are big enough to track. That problem is only going to get worse as more satellites go into space.

As companies such as SpaceX shoot satellites into orbit, the situation compounds. SpaceX leads the pack with more than 15,000 satellites and plans to grow its fleet to 34,000. As these spacecraft come to the end of their service life, they too will be deorbited and fall to Earth.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is working on legislation around space debris, but it’s likely not going to be resolved soon due to complexities around the situation.

The FCC attached firm deployment milestones to its approval. SpaceX must launch 50% of the newly authorized satellites by December 1, 2028, and the remaining half by December 2031. Such deadlines are designed to prevent companies from stockpiling spectrum rights and to ensure that approvals translate into operational systems rather than speculative filings.

For SpaceX, the ruling delivers both momentum and a warning. Starlink’s pacy expansion generates growing revenue, cementing its role in U.S. and allied strategic communications. At the same time, the FCC’s partial approval makes clear that future attempts to scale the constellation further will be judged against rising regulatory, environmental, and competitive pressures.

In effect, Washington has endorsed Starlink’s next phase of growth while signaling that the era of largely unchecked mega-constellation expansion may be drawing to a close.

Qatar and the United Arab Emirates are preparing to formally join a U.S.-led initiative designed to secure artificial intelligence and semiconductor supply chains, a move that highlights how access to advanced technology is rapidly becoming a central pillar of global economic and geopolitical strategy.

Jacob Helberg, the U.S. undersecretary of state for economic affairs, told Reuters that both Gulf states will soon sign onto the initiative, known as Pax Silica, expanding a coalition that already includes Israel, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Britain, and Australia. Qatar is expected to sign the declaration on January 12, followed by the UAE on January 15.

The expansion is notable not only for the countries involved but also for what it represents. Pax Silica is part of the Trump administration’s broader effort to reshape alliances around technology, supply chains, and industrial capacity rather than traditional military arrangements. In Washington’s view, semiconductors, AI models, data centers, and the minerals that feed them are now as strategically sensitive as oil pipelines or naval chokepoints once were.

“The Silicon Declaration isn’t just a diplomatic communiqué,” Helberg said. “It’s meant to be an operational document for a new economic security consensus.”

At its core, Pax Silica seeks to safeguard the entire technology value chain. That includes securing access to critical minerals, strengthening advanced manufacturing and chip fabrication, coordinating computing and data infrastructure, and protecting digital and physical assets from disruption or coercion. U.S. officials say the initiative is meant to reduce dependence on rival nations, particularly China, while tightening cooperation among countries that already play outsized roles in global technology markets.

But the inclusion of Qatar and the UAE carries added weight because of the Middle East’s complex political landscape. The initiative effectively brings Israel and Gulf states into the same technology-focused economic framework, building on the gradual normalization of ties and shared strategic interests that have emerged in recent years. U.S. officials see this as a way to anchor cooperation around practical economic projects, rather than abstract political commitments.

Unlike traditional alliances, Pax Silica is deliberately structured as what Helberg described as a “coalition of capabilities.” Membership is driven by what each country can contribute, whether that is manufacturing expertise, capital, logistics hubs, data infrastructure, or regulatory frameworks. The approach reflects a belief in Washington that flexible, project-driven groupings are better suited to fast-moving technology competition than rigid treaty-based alliances.

For Qatar and the UAE, joining Pax Silica aligns with long-standing efforts to diversify their economies away from hydrocarbons. Both countries have invested heavily in digital infrastructure, cloud services, and artificial intelligence, positioning themselves as regional hubs for data centers and advanced computing. By joining a U.S.-led technology bloc, they gain deeper integration into global supply chains and closer ties to American and allied firms at a time when technology standards and access are becoming increasingly politicized.

Helberg said the initiative could help accelerate that transition. “For the UAE and Qatar, this marks a shift from a hydrocarbon-centric security architecture to one focused on silicon statecraft,” he said, underpinning how technology is now being framed as a core component of national security and economic resilience.

The timing of the move is closely linked to the Future Minerals Forum, a Saudi Arabia-hosted conference in Riyadh from January 13 to 15 that will bring together senior officials, mining companies, technology firms, and investors. Critical minerals such as lithium, cobalt, and rare earths are essential inputs for chips, batteries, and AI hardware, and securing reliable access to them has become a top priority for governments seeking to insulate their economies from supply shocks.

Helberg said Pax Silica will focus this year on expanding its membership, launching concrete strategic projects, and coordinating policies to protect critical infrastructure and sensitive technologies. The group met in Washington last month and is expected to convene several times in 2026 as it shifts from declarations to implementation.

Among the projects under discussion are efforts to modernize trade and logistics routes using advanced U.S. technology. One area of focus is the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor, which Washington views as both an economic and strategic alternative to existing trade routes. U.S. officials believe integrating advanced digital systems, automation, and secure data flows into such corridors could boost regional integration while expanding America’s economic footprint.

The United States and Israel are also preparing to launch a Pax Silica-linked Strategic Framework, which will include the development of “Fort Foundry One,” an industrial park in Israel aimed at accelerating advanced manufacturing and technology projects. Artificial intelligence cooperation is expected to feature prominently, with a memorandum of understanding tentatively planned for January 16 to deepen collaboration on AI development, deployment, and safeguards.

However, some analysts believe the initiative is about more than protecting supply chains for Washington. It is seen as an attempt to shape a new economic order in which access to chips, computing power, data infrastructure, and the minerals that underpin them is coordinated among trusted partners. This is expected to reduce vulnerabilities while reinforcing U.S. influence in the technologies that will define economic growth, security, and competitiveness in the decades ahead.