It’s Super Bowl weekend here in America, which means a few things: copious amounts of gut-busting food, controversial half-time show performances, extravagant commercials, and occasionally a bit of football.

For the tens of thousands rich enough to afford tickets to the Big Game, transportation to and from Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, will be paramount. Thankfully, our robotic saviors are here to rescue the throng from the indignity of sharing a ride with an actual human being. This year’s Super Bowl is a test of the driverless taxi industry, currently lorded over by Waymo – a company that’s about to get a $16bn cash injection to further expand its business to cities all around the world. Smaller American metro areas like Sacramento and Nashville are next up to get Waymo service, as are global capitals like London and Tokyo. Fleets of robotaxis are seeming more and more inevitable, yet another soldier in the onslaught of shiny gadgets designed to sand off the sharp edges of modern life. I, for one, welcome our new robot overlords.

With some reservations. When I first tried Waymo after it landed here in Los Angeles, I was prepared to loathe the entire experience. Yet more low-wage workers out of a job thanks to ruthless automation. Efficiency over humanity. Plus, the cars looked stupid. Clunky modified Jaguars with a bunch of bulbous sensors all over the thing. Waymo cars resemble an expensive PC gaming mouse on wheels. Some of them even come splattered with garish, multicolored graphic art designed to make the cars seem more friendly and less........

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