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Incident 1269: Waymo Autonomous Vehicle Reportedly Ran Over and Killed a Cat in San Francisco

Description: A Waymo autonomous taxi in San Francisco's Mission District reportedly ran over a well-known neighborhood cat, Kit Kat. The vehicle was reportedly pulling away from a pickup when the cat darted under it, according to Waymo. Local residents reportedly attempted to intervene, and a bartender transported the injured cat to an emergency clinic, where it later died.

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The OECD AI Incidents and Hazards Monitor (AIM) automatically collects and classifies AI-related incidents and hazards in real time from reputable news sources worldwide.
 

Entities

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Alleged: Waymo , Waymo's autonomous driving system and Automated driving systems developed and deployed an AI system, which harmed Kit Kat , General public of San Francisco and Animal life.
Alleged implicated AI systems: Waymo , Waymo's autonomous driving system and Automated driving systems

Incident Stats

Incident ID
1269
Report Count
7
Incident Date
2025-10-27
Editors
Daniel Atherton
Applied Taxonomies
MIT

MIT Taxonomy Classifications

Machine-Classified
Taxonomy Details

Risk Subdomain

A further 23 subdomains create an accessible and understandable classification of hazards and harms associated with AI
 

7.3. Lack of capability or robustness

Risk Domain

The Domain Taxonomy of AI Risks classifies risks into seven AI risk domains: (1) Discrimination & toxicity, (2) Privacy & security, (3) Misinformation, (4) Malicious actors & misuse, (5) Human-computer interaction, (6) Socioeconomic & environmental harms, and (7) AI system safety, failures & limitations.
 
  1. AI system safety, failures, and limitations

Entity

Which, if any, entity is presented as the main cause of the risk
 

AI

Timing

The stage in the AI lifecycle at which the risk is presented as occurring
 

Post-deployment

Intent

Whether the risk is presented as occurring as an expected or unexpected outcome from pursuing a goal
 

Unintentional

Incident Reports

Reports Timeline

Incident Occurrence+2
Waymo robotaxi kills ‘one-of-a-kind’ bodega cat, owner claims
San Francisco supervisor calls for new robotaxi rules after neighborhood cat killed by WaymoWaymo Was on a Roll in San Francisco. Then One of Its Driverless Cars Killed a Cat.How Kit Kat Was Killed: Video Shows What a Robot Taxi Couldn’t SeeWaymo runs into safety concerns and competition as it expands in the US
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Waymo robotaxi kills ‘one-of-a-kind’ bodega cat, owner claims

Waymo robotaxi kills ‘one-of-a-kind’ bodega cat, owner claims

sfstandard.com

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KitKat, liquor store mascot and ‘16th St. ambassador,’ killed — allegedly by Waymo

KitKat, liquor store mascot and ‘16th St. ambassador,’ killed — allegedly by Waymo

missionlocal.org

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Beloved Neighborhood Store Cat Named KitKat Killed by Self-Driving Taxi

Beloved Neighborhood Store Cat Named KitKat Killed by Self-Driving Taxi

people.com

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San Francisco supervisor calls for new robotaxi rules after neighborhood cat killed by Waymo

San Francisco supervisor calls for new robotaxi rules after neighborhood cat killed by Waymo

abc7news.com

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Waymo Was on a Roll in San Francisco. Then One of Its Driverless Cars Killed a Cat.

Waymo Was on a Roll in San Francisco. Then One of Its Driverless Cars Killed a Cat.

nytimes.com

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How Kit Kat Was Killed: Video Shows What a Robot Taxi Couldn’t See

How Kit Kat Was Killed: Video Shows What a Robot Taxi Couldn’t See

nytimes.com

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Waymo runs into safety concerns and competition as it expands in the US

Waymo runs into safety concerns and competition as it expands in the US

aljazeera.com

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Waymo robotaxi kills ‘one-of-a-kind’ bodega cat, owner claims
sfstandard.com · 2025

A cat known as the "mayor of 16th Street" was allegedly run over by a Waymo autonomous vehicle, according to the cat's owner, sparking grief around the Mission Dolores bodega where he roamed.

KitKat, a feline fixture at Randa's Market, was …

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KitKat, liquor store mascot and ‘16th St. ambassador,’ killed — allegedly by Waymo
missionlocal.org · 2025

Jeffrey Lucas, a longtime friend of KitKat, said the "funniest thing" he ever did with KitKat was "teach him Ukrainian."

He taught the bodega cat two simple commands: De kit (Where's the cat?) and Kit tam (Cat's over there). Lucas recalled …

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Beloved Neighborhood Store Cat Named KitKat Killed by Self-Driving Taxi
people.com · 2025

A San Francisco community is in mourning after a beloved neighborhood store cat was allegedly hit and killed by a Waymo self-driving taxi.

According to reports from CBS Bay Area, SFGate and the San Francisco Standard, a 9-year-old cat named…

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San Francisco supervisor calls for new robotaxi rules after neighborhood cat killed by Waymo
abc7news.com · 2025

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- For a week now, neighbors in San Francisco's Mission District have shared their sadness and outrage over the death of KitKat, the neighborhood cat.

The cat's owner says a Waymo ran him over. A memorial still marks the…

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Waymo Was on a Roll in San Francisco. Then One of Its Driverless Cars Killed a Cat.
nytimes.com · 2025

At Delirium, a dive bar in San Francisco's Mission District, the décor is dark, the drinks are strong, and the emotions are raw. The punk rockers and old-school city natives here look tough, but they are in mourning.

Kit Kat used to bar-hop…

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How Kit Kat Was Killed: Video Shows What a Robot Taxi Couldn’t See
nytimes.com · 2025

Meg Brigman met Kit Kat, perhaps San Francisco's most famous cat in life and certainly in death, as she was drinking a sparkling wine cocktail at a bar in the city's Mission District.

The striped tabby approached her, eager to be petted. Sh…

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Waymo runs into safety concerns and competition as it expands in the US
aljazeera.com · 2025

San Francisco, the United States: The sidewalk outside Majed Zeidan's grocery store in San Francisco's Mission District has stayed filled with flowers, candles, memorials and pictures since his cat was crushed under a Waymo in late October.…

Variants

A "variant" is an AI incident similar to a known case—it has the same causes, harms, and AI system. Instead of listing it separately, we group it under the first reported incident. Unlike other incidents, variants do not need to have been reported outside the AIID. Learn more from the research paper.
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