You can't have London without a black cab
In the ancient streets of London, a profession forged over 161 years through extraordinary feats of human memory now faces its most impersonal challenger yet. The black cab driver — whose very brain is reshaped by the act of learning 25,000 streets — must contend with machines that learn not through years of devotion but through millions of miles of algorithmic accumulation. This is not merely a story about transportation; it is a reckoning between two different philosophies of knowledge, trust, and what a city owes its history.
- Waymo and Wayve are actively mapping London and training AI systems to carry paying passengers, bringing the robotaxi era from American highways to one of the world's most complex urban environments.
- Black cab numbers have already fallen from 25,000 to 16,000 over the past decade, hollowed out first by Uber — and autonomous vehicles now threaten a second, deeper disruption.
- Waymo claims its fleet is five times safer than human drivers, logging over 2 million miles per week, yet incidents involving police scenes, school buses, and emergency responders have triggered federal scrutiny in the United States.
- Aspiring cabbies like Steven Fairbrass, after 20 attempts over eight years, and Anshu Moorjani, who passed on his 41st try, press on — driven by a sense of vocation that safety statistics and venture capital cannot easily quantify.
- The industry stands at an unresolved crossroads: hundreds still enroll each year to pursue the Knowledge, even as the commercial logic of doing so grows harder to defend.
On the streets of Westminster, a quiet confrontation is unfolding between one of the world's oldest licensed professions and the latest ambitions of artificial intelligence. London's black cab drivers have long been defined by the Knowledge — a test dating to 1865 that demands candidates memorize 25,000 streets, thousands of landmarks, and the shortest route between any two points a passenger might name. The process takes years, sometimes many years, and it leaves a physical mark: researchers at University College London found that the memory centers of cab drivers' brains measurably enlarge over the course of their careers.
Tom Scullion, a cabbie of 34 years, speaks of the profession in terms of trust — the regular passenger who hands him a slip of paper with his dog's address and says nothing more, confident the driver will know exactly where to go. That relationship, he suggests, is not something that can be automated. Yet two companies are preparing to test that assumption directly. Waymo, backed by Alphabet, already operates robotaxis across 11 American cities and is mapping London for future deployment. Wayve, a British startup supported by Nvidia and Microsoft, is already testing its vehicles on London's roads, including the chaotic roundabout in front of Parliament. Waymo's co-CEO points to a fleet logging over 2 million miles per week and a safety record she claims is five times better than human drivers.
The technology is not without fault. Waymo vehicles have driven through active police scenes in Los Angeles, blocked emergency responders, and illegally passed stopped school buses — incidents serious enough to prompt a federal investigation. Still, the momentum is unmistakable. And the black cab industry has already absorbed one major blow: a decade of Uber competition has reduced the number of licensed drivers by 36 percent.
Among those still pursuing the Knowledge, reactions are divided. Steven Fairbrass, after eight years and 20 attempts, remains confident that human judgment cannot be replicated. Anshu Moorjani, who finally passed on his 41st attempt after five years of study, is less certain — acknowledging that AI's shadow falls across every profession now. Both, however, keep returning to the same answer when asked why they persist: it is history, identity, and something London cannot afford to lose. Whether the city agrees is the question that autonomous vehicles are slowly, mile by mile, forcing it to answer.
On the narrow streets of Westminster, where Parliament sits and tourists crowd the pavements, a battle is quietly taking shape. London's black cab drivers—those iconic figures in their dark sedans, as much a part of the city's identity as the monarchy itself—are about to meet a new kind of competitor: artificial intelligence that never gets tired, never gets lost, and never needs a break.
To become a London cabbie, you must first pass the Knowledge, a test that has existed since 1865, when horse-drawn carriages still ruled the roads. The exam is not a multiple-choice quiz. Candidates must memorize 25,000 streets, thousands of landmarks, restaurants, public houses, and hotels across London. They must know the shortest route between any two points a passenger might name. They must study for years—sometimes many years. Tom Scullion has been driving a black cab for 34 years. When asked what makes his profession special, he doesn't hesitate: "We're the oldest form of transport in the world." He speaks of the trust passengers place in him, the regular customer with an Irish wolfhound who simply hands him a piece of paper with the dog's address, never saying a word. That kind of relationship, built on knowledge and reliability, cannot be rushed.
The Knowledge is so demanding that it physically changes the brain. Researchers at University College London found that cab drivers' posterior hippocampi—the region responsible for memory—actually grew larger as they progressed through their careers. Steven Fairbrass has been attempting to pass the Knowledge for eight years. Anshu Moorjani tried for five. They carry around the Blue Book, the official study guide, which lists 6,000 points of interest a paying customer might ask to visit. When one restaurant closes and another opens in its place, the book updates, and they must learn the new name. It is relentless, methodical work. Yet hundreds of people still sign up each year to take it on.
Meanwhile, two companies are preparing to transform London's transportation landscape. Waymo, owned by Google's parent company Alphabet, has already been operating robotaxis in 11 major American cities, serving millions of riders each month. Wayve, a British startup backed by Nvidia and Microsoft, is testing its own autonomous vehicles on London's streets. Both companies are mapping the city, training their artificial intelligence systems, preparing for the day they can legally pick up passengers. Waymo's co-CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, argues that the data is clear: her company's robotaxis are five times safer than human drivers. She points out that Waymo's fleet travels over 2 million miles per week—nearly three human lifetimes of driving experience, every single week. The cars are equipped with 29 cameras, six radars, five microphones, and five lidar sensors that continuously measure distances and objects as far as three football fields away. When a pedestrian steps into the street, the system responds faster than any human could.
Yet the technology is not flawless. In Los Angeles, a Waymo drove through an active police scene. Robotaxis have blocked emergency responders and illegally passed stopped school buses, triggering a federal investigation. Wayve's approach is different—its AI doesn't require a city to be fully mapped before deployment. Instead, it learns from millions of hours of driving experience around the world, then adapts to new environments in real time. When shown navigating the roundabout in front of Parliament, with tourists crossing unpredictably and cyclists weaving through traffic, the system handles it smoothly, though a human safety driver still sits behind the wheel for now.
Steven Fairbrass, still pursuing his Knowledge after 20 attempts, expressed little concern about autonomous vehicles replacing him. "The human brain will always be the strongest tool," he said. "Can you imagine standing in the rain, trying to hail a vehicle with no driver, and it just drives past you because it has no sensor or human eye?" But Anshu Moorjani, who finally passed the Knowledge after 41 attempts, seemed less certain. "Every profession is being affected by AI," he said. "I don't know what it's going to do in the near future, but it's always there on your mind."
The numbers tell a sobering story. A decade ago, London had 25,000 black cab drivers. Today there are 16,000. Uber and other ride-hailing services have already cut deeply into their business and their incomes. Yet the Knowledge persists, passed down through generations, a test of memory and dedication that has become almost sacred to those who pursue it. When asked why anyone would spend years studying for this exam when they could become an Uber driver much faster, Moorjani's answer was simple: "It's hundreds of years of history." Fairbrass added, "It means a lot to the people of London. It's like London without the queen—you can't have London without a black cab." Whether that remains true in a city of autonomous vehicles is the question that now hangs over the ancient streets.
Notable Quotes
The human brain will always be the strongest tool. Can you imagine standing in the rain trying to hail a vehicle with no driver, and it just drives past you?— Steven Fairbrass, aspiring black cab driver
Every profession is being affected by AI. I don't know what it's going to do in the near future, but it's always there on your mind.— Anshu Moorjani, newly licensed black cab driver
The Hearth Conversation Another angle on the story
Why does the Knowledge exam still matter if Uber already exists and robotaxis are coming?
Because it's not just about getting from point A to point B. The Knowledge represents something deeper—a relationship between driver and city, between driver and passenger. A cabbie knows not just the route but the context, the shortcuts, the character of the streets. That's harder to replace than people think.
But Waymo's data shows their cars are five times safer. Doesn't that settle it?
Safety is one measure, but it's not the only one. A robotaxi can't help an elderly passenger with their luggage. It can't read a drunk passenger and decide not to take them somewhere dangerous. It can't notice when someone is lost and offer advice. These are small things, but they matter to people.
So you're saying the human element is irreplaceable?
I'm saying it's valued. Whether it remains valued when the alternative is cheaper, faster, and available at 3 a.m.—that's the real question. Even Anshu Moorjani, who finally passed the Knowledge, admitted he doesn't know what the future holds.
What about the drivers who've already invested years in the Knowledge? What happens to them?
That's the hardest part. They've trained their brains, memorized thousands of streets, passed a test that's been around for 160 years. And now they're watching the industry shrink—from 25,000 drivers to 16,000 in just ten years. They're not worried about tomorrow. They're worried about next year.
Do you think the black cab will survive?
I think it will survive as a symbol, maybe as a luxury service. But as the primary way people get around London? That's almost certainly ending. The question is whether that's a loss worth mourning.