A view of Waymo's self-driving present, from the rear seat of a robotaxi

CHANDLER, Ariz. — On a trip that bore some resemblance to a trans-Atlantic red-eye, I stared out the window and watched the city pass by. A touch screen perched on the seat back illuminated an otherwise darkened cabin. An engine's hum provided a steady soundtrack. And a machine I had no direct control over carried me through the night.