London's cabbies memorize 25,000 streets. But will robotaxis overtake them?

60 Minutes - Newsmakers Robotaxis are on the road to London. Cabbies, who pass a grueling test, aren't about to hand over their keys. .chip { background-image: url('/fly/bundles/cbsnewscore/images/chip-bgd/chip-bgd-60-minutes.jpg'); } By Anderson Cooper, Anderson Cooper 60 Minutes Correspondent Anderson Cooper, anchor of CNN's "Anderson Cooper 360," has contributed to 60 Minutes since 2006. His exceptional reporting on big news events has earned Cooper a reputation as one of television's preeminent newsmen. Read Full Bio Anderson Cooper, Katie Brennan May 17, 2026 / 7:17 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google On ancient roads and in medieval alleyways in London, a very modern battle is brewing. Black cabs, which are as synonymous with that city as Buckingham Palace, will soon be competing with artificial intelligence-powered, autonomous taxis. Tech companies promise these AI inventions, some of which are already operating in several American cities, are safer and smarter than human drivers. But as we found out, London's cabbies aren't about to hand over their keys. After all, just to get a license, they've already proven their own kind of intelligence, studying, often for years, to pass a 161-year-old test called "the Knowledge." There's nothing artificial about it. They just have to memorize 25,000 streets, and thousands of landmarks and businesses — and know the shortest routes between them all. Tom Scullion: Look, we're the oldest form of transport in the world, fact. We come before buses, and trains, and stuff. Yeah, we are the icons of London. Tom Scullion has been driving one of London's famous black cabs for the past 34 years.Anderson Cooper: What's the weirdest request you've gotten from-- a passenger?Tom Scullion: What, this week? Or-- you-- wouldn't believe.Tom Scullion: There's a guy-- it's a regular ride, and he's got an Irish wolfhound, dog. Gives you a bit of paper where the dog lives. Dog jumps in the back. One of the best customers...