http://www.technewsworld.com/story/81841.html

"There will come a time, in a future not so far away, when it will be illegal for the average person to drive a car, predicted Tesla CEO Elon Musk."

Fortunately, and mercifully, I'll be dead by then.

 

If driving a car becomes illegal, I won't mind risking prison time.

 

guys, do you remember how in 80's we thought we would be flying by now? It seems our "dreams" got a lot smaller in between.

 

p.s. I absolutely do not believe in autonomous car future. It is not that it is not possible - it will be.

But what happens when computer makes mistake and someone dies? When driver does, quite likely nothing... when computer makes a mistake, that company is going to get sued for billions. This is huge obstacle that I dont see being solved any time soon.

 

They will be here and I can think of 20 reasons why they will be great.

But I like that free feeling of being able to "drive" and I don't want to lose that......

 

you do realize of course that ALL commercial aviation relies on decisions made by computers CONSTANTLY? from warning systems to auto-pilot. yes we still have air traffic controllers (cue post from mmarshall) and we still have (mostly worthless) pilots, but i don't see boeing or airbus getting sued (successfully) for plane crashes.

but you're right, there will be ethical decisions that will be hard. someone said the other day, what happens when a car has a 'choice' of killing the drivers and occupants by driving into something, or veering off onto the sidewalk and killing pedestrians?

i personally think that would result in the car slamming on the brakes to avoid collision and relying on airbags/car to hopefully keep occupants alive. i don't see the car deciding it's better to become a missile and kill pedestrians.

but again, we're already WAY down this road today. just about every day i let my car brake to a complete halt by itself - it still gives me a little anxiety but it's exciting.

 

i don't think you will lose that - cars will still allow you to 'drive' although the car will (like today) be able to override you and eventually laws will dictate that it will be illegal to try to tamper with the systems to turn them off.

 

Modern rail transit systems that are on their own right-of-way (light rail and subways, for example) are not only fully-automated, but are also driverless (do not have drivers sitting in the cab at all). But they are on their own, dedicated and separated rights-of-way, where they do not have to worry about other vehicles (trains or cars) in their way. And if anything goes wrong, traffic controllers in their remote control room can stop the train at the next station.

Modern passenger aircraft, like the first autonomous cars, still have to fight potential interruptions, including general aviation (small private aircraft that are not automated and may be flown by pilots with little experience) and even birds (US Air Flight 1549 crashed into the Hudson River following a birdstrike that took out both engines). Computers and automted flight systems are very good at routine flights but not good in crisis situations; US Air 1549 was saved due to the knowledge and experience of the pilot (including the captain's knowledge of how best to use the automated systems to help him).

Modern passenger aircraft pilots sit in the cockpit monitoring the computers, but if something goes wrong, the pilots are expected to save the situation by taking over from the computers. In fact, the Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) is smart enough to know how to get the aircraft out of danger (it recommends one aircraft to climb and the other to dive) but it warns the pilot, but does not actually fly the aircraft.

Aircraft must keep flying; they cannot stop in mid-flight (as a subway train can do, or they fall out of the sky) so it is important that the pilot remain alert at all times and ready to take control from the computer in any crisis. The first autonomous cars will be in similar situations and will require an alert driver who is able to take control.