< Back to Session View

Shifting, Not Shrinking? Exploring Labor Roles in Traditional and Automated Taxi Services

Date and Time: Tuesday, July 11, 2023: 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM

Leah Kaplan 

PhD Candidate, The George Washington University
@kap_leah

Presentation Description

The firm structures of past and present taxi companies and Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) have changed over time during periods of regulation and deregulation, largely driven by technology changes and labor movements. As automated vehicles (AVs) become more widespread, the prevailing assumption is that vehicle automation will eliminate labor costs (and presumably preclude future labor disputes) by eliminating the role of the driver. Introducing automation, however, often results in a transformation of human labor rather than a complete substitution. To better understand how vehicle automation is changing the nature of labor requirements for automated taxi services, we draw on detailed ethnographic studies, archival documents, and semi-structured interviews with AV technical and operational experts (N = 15). Preliminary results reveal that although vehicle automation may eliminate drivers, AV firms will still require human labor for numerous other roles, and many of these roles are likely to persist in some capacity even as AV technology improves. We also find that the structures of many current AV firms more closely resemble traditional taxi organizations than TNCs based on their capital cost and human labor requirements. We aim to use this early exploration of AV firm structures, business models, and labor requirements to promote dialogue about regulations that might direct emerging AV services toward desirable service (i.e., higher quality) and labor outcomes.

Speaker Biography

Leah is a PhD Candidate in the Department of Engineering Management and Systems Engineering at the George Washington University and a Fellow with GWU’s Co-Design of Trustworthy AI Systems Program. Leah's research focuses on the potential impacts of automated vehicles, with an emphasis on equity and labor impacts. Through her research, Leah aims to understand how we can leverage emerging transportation technologies for the benefit of, rather than detriment to, society.

Presentation File