In at least two places, Uber has pushed a policy that could give it an advantage over developers of self-driving cars. The company says it's fighting monopolies. A decade ago, then-Uber CEO Travis Kalanick said he saw autonomous vehicles as an existential threat to the ride-hail company's business model. "What would happen if we weren't a part of that future? Then the future passes us by," Kalanick told Business Insider .

Some experts suspect they won't circulate widely for another decade. But earlier this month, the state of California adopted new rules governing how ride-hail services without a driver behind the wheel might work. There are separate rules for autonomous vehicles with safety drivers, and those without. But operators of both types of services will have to hand over lots of information to the government: data on where robotaxi riders are picked up and dropped off; how many miles the vehicles travel; whether the vehicles are powered by gas or electricity; whether rides are available in underserved communities; and a safety plan, which Californians will be able to comment on. The rules contrast sharply with the first-of-their kind ride-hail rules that the state adopted in 2013.