Watched this last night and found it in equal parts fascinating and unnerving. Amazing to think that in three short years we apparently will have fully autonomous driverless cars in service (presumably over there in the US first of course), and I wonder what you guys think of this? Sure, there are massive pros: no more accidents or deaths due to people being drunk or high behind the wheel. No more road rage. Probably, if we're to believe the hype, no more accidents of any kind. Cleaner air, less congested roads, prettier towns and cities. No more need for a driving test, no boy racers and so on.
But there are of course huge downsides, the most obvious being the human suspicion of automation. Even when, some long time ago, I took a ride on an underground train that had no driver, in London I think it was, or maybe Paris, I was worried. We're always that little bit skeptical of handing over control completely. What if the car DOES have an accident? In Level 5 - totally autonomous - cars, there is NO provision for a human to take over. None. So you're putting your life entirely in the hands of microchips and processors. Other levels (up to I think level 3) allow for human intervention if needed. Level 4 (fully autonomous but only within a prescribed area) and level 5 (fully autonomous with no restrictions) do not.
The other big issue I see is the loss of jobs. Not only those who drive for a living - taximen, bus drivers, truckers, etc - but others associated with say the manufacture, installation and upkeep of the likes of traffic lights, which the programme intimated would no longer be required, as the autonomous cars would be able to predict when the road was clear, and interact with each other.
Argue it any way we want, it's coming: there is no way to stop it. But I just wonder how you feel? Are you excited? Do you dread handing over control to a machine? I'm not a driver, but even I feel a kind of pang of "well if I ever learn to drive this will knock that on the head" and I can't decide whether the advantages outweigh the drawbacks. Interested to hear any comments.
