Tech bros, hold onto your kombucha because San Francisco just got another reason to side-eye autonomous vehicles. 🤖

In a tragic twist that feels like a Black Mirror episode, Waymo has officially admitted its self-driving vehicle killed KitKat, the beloved bodega cat from Randa’s Market in the Mission District. The tech giant’s response? A classic corporate non-apology and a promise to donate to an animal rights organization.

The Furry Victim

KitKat wasn’t just any cat - he was a local celebrity, featured in SFGate’s roundup of corner store cats back in 2020. Now, he’s become a symbol of the growing unease around autonomous vehicles prowling our streets.

The Corporate Spin

Waymo’s statement is peak tech corporate language: “A nearby cat darted under our vehicle as it was pulling away”. Eyewitnesses, however, tell a different story - suggesting the vehicle might have been more aggressive than the company admits.

The Bigger Picture

This isn’t just about one cat. It’s about the increasingly uncomfortable relationship between Silicon Valley’s tech “innovations” and real-world consequences. Even Waymo’s CEO, Tekedra Mawakana, admitted during a recent conference that their technology isn’t perfect.

As autonomous vehicles become more common, incidents like these raise critical questions: Are we trading safety for convenience? And who’s really responsible when things go wrong?

For now, the memorial shrine for KitKat continues to grow - a small, poignant reminder that behind every tech “advancement” are real lives, furry or otherwise.