The tech industry is ready for robot taxis. But are the rest of us willing to go along for the ride?

1. Human assistance is now a luxury item in customer service. In the age of customer service chatbots and endless FAQs, the ability to speak to a real human being is a privilege — not a right. As talking on the phone becomes even more exclusive, some companies are finding ways to charge customers to speak with an actual human.
2. ISO: Netflix’s next ad leader. The streamer’s advertising president is on the hunt for an ad sales boss who will help the company reach its lofty advertising ambitions. Insiders say the ideal candidate will be less Madison Avenue and more Silicon Valley.
3. The collapse of cable TV is deepening. In Q2, the pay-TV industry lost 1.6 million subscribers. While it’s not the worst loss the field has suffered, there’s really no reason to think the slide is going to slow down. As one analyst put it: “there is no longer any floor.”

In other news

• Target customers are swapping lids on Owala bottles — and it’s causing chaos in some stores.
• The Philadelphia Eagles want to make it very clear they have not endorsed Kamala Harris.
• The creator of the US Open’s popular $23 cocktail puts a spin on the recipe when he makes it at home

What’s happening today

• Donald Trump participates in Fox News town hall.

The Insider Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York. Jordan Parker Erb, editor, in New York. Hallam Bullock, editor, in London. Milan Sehmbi, fellow, in London. Amanda Yen, fellow, in New York.